Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-10
JUDGE CARVER on PROHIBITION.

IN an article which appeared upon this
/ page few days since the Journal ingO-
! Gently perpetrated something of an injus,
| tice upon Hon. T F. Carver, late Repub-
lican nominee for chief justice in Kansas,
to which he calls our attention in a cour,
teously worded letter. The article was
based upon an interview with Judge Gar
ver which appeared in a Topeka paper. in
which he was quoted as being in favo- of
the substitution of local option and high
license for the present prohibitory liquor
law.
Such are not my sentiments" says
Judge Carver, land the reporter who pre-
pared this interview most certainly must
have misunderstood me. 1t is quite posi-
bic L may have said that with high Ii
cense and local option there would be a
more satisfactory control of the liquor
traffic in the larger cities: but I do not
wish TO be understood as in favor of Il re-
peal of the prohibitory amendment, nor in
favor, as yet, of a resubmission of that
question. In my opinion the open saloon
remains, as it always has been. the great
est moral and political evil of the age, and
I have no desire TO see its return, under
legal sanction, to this state"
Judge Carver then turns his attention to
the self-righteous third party prohibition.
lists. who are making constant war upon
the Republican party because the prohl>
bition law is not better enforced, and de,
clares that it is owing to their inordinlte
folly that the sentiment for resubmission
has largely developed.
This opposition says Judge Carver,
has presented itself with marked regular,
ity in every state election, and has come
to the front with much parade of superior
merit, even when the Republican platform
pledged the party to the enforcement o.
the law. In my judgment. prohibition
along the present lines will sooner or later
be pronounced a failure unless its frienls
give more attention to building up a sound
public sentiment against the liquor traffic
and the drink evil, and less force in array
ing the friends of temperance against each
other. on political lines. The law can and
will wonderfully enforce and supplement
public sentiment; but the future success
of prohibition rests upon the creation of
moral principles strong enough to lead in
the reform which the law emphasizes. At
present, and for years, there has been
nothing better than spasmodic efforts to
awaken the temperance spirit of the peo-
PIE. State administrations have been Sc
verely denounced for failing to do what
the denouncers had made no serious at
tempt TO accomplish in their respective
communities. A narrowness of view has
led many TO practically oppose those who
were friends of temperance and of temper
ance reform, simply because they differed
on methods and details. Is it not time for
us to understand and realize that mere Law
and politics cannot save prohibition in
Kansas? Time to see that they cannot
take the place of proper education. and
that political prescription does not
strengthen the prohibition cause? Ths
sympathetic gospel of temperance must
precede. or at least accompany, the threat
ening of the law, else the latter will fail.
am still an advocate OF prohibition as the
only true solution of the LIQUOR question,
and hope that its triumph may not be
postponed by mere dependence upon legal
coercion"