Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1895-04-19
THE "GUVNER" WITH A FISH-WORM
BACKBONE.

BACkBONE.
A few days ago, E. N. Morrill, who is hold
ing down the gubernatorial chair at Topeka,
said he would not enforce the prohibitory law,
because it made "dissensions." Maj. l. 0.
Pickering, of Olathe, took the "guvner' up IN
a hurry, and wrote him letter which would
put to shame any man who had even the reinot-
est sense of honor; but we fear he has wasted
words OIL the hypocritical old "redeemer' at
the capitol. We would like to publish Major
Pickring's letter, but it is rather lengthy, and
we will content ourselves with giving few ex-
tracts from the letter:
81 cannot believe that you, as the
governor of our state, charged with the enforce
1nent of the laws, and commandments OF
the militia, would publicly declare that the en-
forcement of any general law must depend on
local sentiment in favor of the law. Would
that not be anarchy in its most aggravated form!
It was exactly the position of James Buchanan
(but with less reason) when he declared that
there was no power under the constitution to
coerce sovereign state. That sentiment and
the author of it became almost universally exc
Grated.
"What sovereignty is lodged in any munich
pality in Kansas, by which it dares to claim the
right to violate the constitution and laws of the
state, because, forsooth, they are opposed to the
local sentiment of such municipality And
was il more execrable in Buchanan as pres-
dent of the country, to publicly and proclaim
the powerlessness of the executive to enforce
the laws of congress to preserve the integrity OF
the Union, than Of the governor to acknowledge
his inability, for precisely the same reasons, to
protect the honor Of his state?
''If it is true that Joints are open in but
three cities in Kansas-Atchison, Leavenworth
and Wichita'-this proves that the law can be
enforced, and that its non-entorce-
tnent was owing wholly to derilection OF duty
on the part of officers charged with its enforce
iiient.
''It should not be forgotten that local public
sentiment was back of John c. Calhoun when
he defed and counselled notification OF the
laws of congress, nor that the public sentiment
of the whole country was behind General Jack
son when he declared that, by the Eternal,
the laws should be obeyed, and that Mr.. CAL
houn would swing from gallows higher than
Haman's if he persisted in his scheme of multi
fcation. A little infusion of odd Hickory
would be refreshing and reinvigorating to the
body polite at this time, and in Kansas"
TT
DR.. H. E. Brumbaugh, a Methodist preacher,
also gets astraddle of the fsh-worm governor
neck, and, in All interview (Which was publish
ed in the Topeka State Journal), lie criticizes
the old fraud very forcbly. Speaking of Nor
rill's declaration that the prohibitory law is
violated in but three towns in the state-Atchi-
son, Leavenworth and Wichita-Dr. Bruinbaugh
says, among other good things:
eff Governor Morrill, were partner in the
LIQUOR business, he could not have taken more
desirable stand, so far as the interest OF the
traffic is concerned, than the sentiments which
he gave utterance to-"
Morrill, said the prohibitory law could not be
enforced where local sentiment was against it.
To this, DR.. Brumbaugh replies:
"This is nonsense. I understand, however,
that an executive cannot long succeed in poll
tics and enforce the prohibitory law in Kansas
at the present time. There is no use Of dodg-
ing and lying about the matter The governor
says he is willing to face condition, yet he
seeks to avoid that very condition to which he
refers. year ago in Kansas, we had joints.
Now, we have no joints-we have saloons. Re-
Gently, have visited numerous small towns in
the vicinity of Atchison-cities of the third
class-and I will say to you that saloons run
wide open in all of them. I know this, and
certainly the governor must know it.
If the governor was seeking to pave the way
for the overthrow of the prohibitory law, he