The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-07-02
SMOKED OUT.
Gov. Morrill, Can't Stand the
Agitation Amy Longer.
His Local Public Sentiment"
Idea Untenable.
He Shuts Up the Joints of
AtchiSon
TO AVOID CENSURE
Of the Law and Order COnven-
tiOn on the Fourth.
Working Hard to Secure En-
dorsement There.
WILL BE TEMPORARY.
This Spasm of Reform Will
Scarcely Last,
But It May Fool the Con-
ventiOn.
Working Hard to Secure En-
dorsement There.
WILL BE TEMPORARY.
This Spasm of Reform Will
Scarcely Last,
But It May Fool the Con-
ventiOn.

It is quite apparent that Governor
Merrill has decided that "local public
sentiment is not safe staff to lean up
on, partio alarly in view of the gathering
of indignant citizens at Topeka on July
4, to protest against his attitude on the
prohibitory law.
Governor Morrill, has been smoked out
He can't stand the racket.
He has ordered the saloons closed in
Atchison and has sent the attorney gen
eEal to Wichita to investigate the law
breakers there.
But why does he still spare Leaven-
worth, where he is largely interested in
business?
The governors sudden and tardy ac-
tivity ARISES from the fact that he fears
denunciatory resolutions will be adopted
at the Law and Order convention in To-
peka on the Fourth of July, ant he hopes
to head off such action by temporarily
closing up the joints in one or two of the
larger cities of the state.
There is little doubt that the closing
will be only temporary. No guarantee is
given that the joints will remain closed.
The Law and Order convention may
be i fooled into. Withholding their
have gone home, they will find that they
have been tricked again.
In addition to ordering the twenty
three saloons in Atchison to close, as
told in the STATE JOURNAL of Saturday,
within the last ten days Attorney General
Dawes has appointed an assistant at
torney general TO enforce the prohibItory
law in Crawford county, and has per-
soually investigated the wickedness of
Wichita
A Wichita dispatch says: "For weeks
and months complaints have been sent
to Governor Morrill, concerning the
morals of Wichita, especial complaint
being made by the ministers about the
number of painted and powdered fe-
males that walked the streets at night
General Dawes was sent here by Gov
ernor Morrill, TO investigate, and tonight
he took the streets incognito and peeped
into the face of every woman he saw,
with view to ascertaining the truth
of the representations the ministers had
made to Governor Morrill, What his re-
port will be is not known. but it is GER
tain that he saw Wichita as she is, Satur-
day night. according to custom, bein g
everybodv's night out. General Dawes
met with the ministers in the afternoon
at the Y. NJ. c. A. rooms and had a two
hours consultation with them.'
Governor Morrlll Is Trying on the eve
of the big temperance convention to at
tract attention to himself and his admin
istration as reformers and temperance
workers. =
1t is scarcely likely that the governor
has abandoned utterly his belief that
'Iocal public sentiment ought to control
in the enforcement of the prohibitory
law The concession he makes now is
merely to temporarily ease over tight
place. 1t resembles the concession he
made during the campaign, when he
wrote the 16 to / silver letter. which was
contrary to his real views on the none
tarY question.
Governor Morrill, bends when neces-
Rarv