The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-08-09

| Topeka, Kan. Aug. s-(SpeciaD-
| 1t is true that Fort Scott is going to be
| the next scene of the intermittent Pro-
hibition spasm, and for a few days at
tention at Topeka will be drawn from
Atchison and Wichita. In fact atten-
ton has long ago been turned away
from Atchison and liquor is sold there
the same as ii ever was and people
have forgotten all about the row. For
the last three days Topeka has been
highly elated over the row in Wichita.
The opinion of Wichita in the CORR
doris of the Copeland has never been
much and it is still less now. Wich-
ita is viewed as an Anarchist, and an
ex-judge remarked to a crowd night be-
fore last that Wichita was in its death
throes and when the time came for the
dissolution of it's articles of incorpora-
ton, which he said was coming, the
state would enter a new reign of pros
perity. He said people were leaving it
in droves, that George Douglas and all
its prominent men would soon go, and
that it would not be long before it was
entirely deserted. Strange as it may
seem, this is the opinion the average Cit
izen of Topeka has of Wichita. 1t is
the opinion many of the state officers
hold. 1t is an actual fact that there
are many socalled public men, in To-
peka today who believe that Sedgwick
county is in the same condition that
some Of the counties bordering on the
Colorado line in western Kansas are.
They look upon this last struggle over
prohibition down in that city as the
death struggle, and they do not believe
ii will last long.
This is largely malice on the part Of
the statesmen here; but more than mall
ice it is Topeka's inordinate desire to
stir up a musS in some other part of
the state A muSs in AtchiSon, Leaven-
worth, Fort Scott or Kansas City means
hotel and boarding house bills at the
Topeka hotels. This statement would
look silly and trivial, as a charge that
these muses. were purpOsely created to
the man who does not know what de-
sertion and poverty is apparent in To-
ing the summer months. The Cope
land, the Thdtop and the Dutton House
are practically deserted except when
one of the prohibition or anti-prohibi-
ton delegates arrive. These men are
at once held up IS cents per meal and
Topeka breathes easier.
Now Topeka is gloating over a pros
peCllNe IOW III fDrl SCOll,
for Topeka dearly loves a row. A dis
patch from Fort Scott to the Capital
says:
AT the regular meeting of the city
council last night Alderman Wilson, of
the Fifth ward. submitted a volUnin-
Gus table of rates assessing the vari
Gus trades ard professions of the city
which he recommended be adopted by
the council as an occupation tax for
the purpose of replenishing the city's
eXchequer.
This movement is agitated by the
fact that nearly all the city's revenue
has been cut off by the action of the
police commissioners in closing the sa-
looms. the monthly collections have fall
en- from $1,000 to $50.
Despite the fact that the saloons
are closed yet much liquor is being sold
around the city in hidden joints and by
bootleggers and the city fails to derive
a cent of benefit. Much dissa tisfaction
is heard around the city and the city
council may emulate the action of
Wichita and repeal all ordinances gov
erning the sale of liquor and leave the
police commissioners powerless in re-
gard to the prohibitory question.
Mr.. Wilson's proposed yearly tax
takes in everything in the city, some
of the figures being as follows: Sa-
looms, $1,000, designation houses $500;
churches. SOS: retail stores from S25 to
$50; wholesale houses from $40 to s75,
and other business in proportion"