The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-07-27
CRY COMES FROM ALMA
WOmen's Christian Temperance
Union Writes "StateJOurnaI''
Complains of the Action of At
tOrney General Dawes.
In Reply, It is Said, No Showing was
Made That an Assistant Attorney
General was Needed in Wa
baunsee County.

To Editor topeka state journal
Although there are eleven townships
in Wabaunsee county in which the pro
hibitory law is as well enforced as any
other law on the statute books, in the
other two townships Alma, the home
Of the county attorney J. 3. Barnes,
and Newbury, it is f1agrantly violated;
no less than five saloons are doing bus
mess as openly as if there were no law
against it and yet Attorney General F
3. Dawes refuses to appoint an assist
ant attorney general for the county, or
TO take the necessary steps to see that
the law of the state is enforced. This
Indifference and DOnactiOn, on the part
of the attorney general, is looked upon
as an endorsement of the open and we'll
known violation of the law It is de-
mOraiZing and anarchiStic in its infiu-
ence upon certain classes of the people
of the state and the only remedy. il
seems to US, is for the voters of the state
to choose some man to fill this high and
important office who can and will see
that the laws of the state are enforced,
at least one VINO VIII make an honest
and earnest effort in that direction.
He says that the prohibitory law viii
yet be wiped off of the statute books of
our state. He says that in Shawnee
county. the Boosted prohibition county
of the state, reSubmissiOn would carry
by 10000, and if submitted to a vote in
the state it would carry by $4,000. Mr..
Dawes says that if d heinOus crime is
committed in WabaunSee county they
do not send for the attorney general but
take care of the case themselves but if
Dutchman drinks a glass of lager
beer, they send down for the attorney
general to help prosecute the case, and
he said 7 tell you what that is an out
rageous provision in the law"
IF 1 should appoint an assistant in
Wabaunsee county that county would
be lost to the Republican column"
Such is the expressed opinion of At
tOrney General F. 3. Dawes who took
an oath TO execute all of our laws.
But" says the attorney general, 4
am running my department and there
il no one else responsible but myself
Will the people of Kansas let such a
man be responsible for the execution Of
our laws again We trust not. The w
c. T. Il. wrote to Nr. Dawes repeatedly
concerning the condition of affairs in
WabaunSee county but could get no re
Spouse whatever from him until after
the work of the grand jury had been
made public. He then wrote us. and we
answered him and Of that answer he
says: 1T was an outrageous, insulting
letter; so low that l would not file it
with the letters of state but made a
separate file for it." We ask Attorney
General Dawes to publish that letter
We are perfectly willing that the pub
lie should read it and render judgment
accordingly. Again we ask What is
the matter with Attorney General F. 3.
DaWes2 20
and our boys,
w c. T u Of Alma Kan.
Attorney General Dawes was out of
the city when a reporter called to see
him about the above. Assistant AttOr-
neya General A. A. GODDARD said:
7 know nothing of any cOrrespOn-
dence from this Office in regard to the
enforcement of the prohibitOry law in
Wabaunsee county, I know there was
some complaint sometime ago, but no
showing was made that the county at
torney of Wabaunsee county was not
doing his duty.
7 know that If such a showing had
been made someone would have been
appointed to see that the law was en-
forced