The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-04-16

of May oath. In this interview he
severely rebukes ssthose pulpit orators
who 50 violently harangue him from
afar." He says that he els amazed
at their utterances.'' That they mis-
represent him: that they accept the
statements of hostile newspapers and
make bitter talks in public instead of
making their complaints to him in
private, as they ought to do. He says:
81 do not know the whereabouts Of the
reverend gentlemen who have sudden
/ " become so valiant in enforcing the
prohibitory law; but they certainly did
not come to me with complaint, coun-
sci or request. The pulpit orators
have haraugued me at distance, but
so far as have been able to discover,
there, their temperance efforts have
ceased. So far as my information
goes, the police commissioners of the
three towns named (Wichita, Leaven-
worth and Atchisonl have never been
approached by the pulpit orators with
a complaint about the non-enforce-
ment of the prohibitory law" Such
talk as this needs no comment. In the
light of all the facts as we now know
them, nothing could be more nauseat-
ing.
Finally the State Temperance meet
ing was called to meet on the 4th of
July. It was largely attended, and
especially by the prohibition Repub1i-
can friends of the governor. Those
friends were very numerous. They
could not believe that Governor Nor
ril1 had deliberately entered upon
policy of notification; that he had
consciously and purposely named
police commissioners that he knew
would not do their duty. The govern
or made a speech at that meeting
which gave his republican prohibition
friends some encouragement, and the
meeting treated the governor with the
greatest courtesy and consideration.
After this the prohibitionists of
Wichita got up a monster petition and
sent up great delegations to the gov
ernor and made such a stir that he
was finally forced to remove the com
mission first appointed and put IN
commission that would do its duty
That commission did its duty.
It closed the saloons of Wichita in
period of six months. It succeeded in
driving whisky into hiding. Where
there had been undisguised saloons
with all their gaudy fixtures and para
pherna1ia, there was now only here and
there a furtive joint, lurking in dark
corner, accessible only by giving the
countersign or touching the secret
spring. This was a vast deal to be
accomplished in six months. It took
Topeka originally four years to &C
comp1ish that much.
But while this was going on at
Wichita, the saloons were running
wide open and unmo1ested under the
protection of Governor DTorril1's ap-
pointees in Leavenworth and Atchi-
son. It was plain to the most stupid
that either the governors course in
Wichita branded his course in Leaven-
worth and Atchison as cowardly and
law1ess, or his course in Leavenworth
and Atchison branded his course in
Wichita as partial, tyrannica1 and IN
just.
That the second police board ap-
pointed by Governor Merrill at wichi-
ia did good work, administered its
powers honestly and was accomplish
ing the objects for which police boards
should be created, is proven absolute
1y by the fact that every whisky sym
pathizer in Wichita hated the board,
and not a man down there favorable to
the enforcement of the law was against
the board. The complaints of the board
came from the whisky side headed by
Murdoch.
FINAL ACT or rREACHERY.
The last important act of the COVER !
nor in regard to the administration of
the police commission law, the act
which finally and forever aienated
from him every friend Of the prohibi-