The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-25
D NO HOPE THERE.
Governor Morrill, Can Draw
Fresh Inspiration
From Leavenworth Now - A
sA Minister is on His Side.
REV. WILLIAM N. PAGE,
The Pastor of the First Presby-
terrain Church,
Comes Out for ReSubmissiOn in
Sermon.
REV. WILLIAM. PAGE,

e. 'LEAvENwoRTH, Feb. 25. - The an
nouncement of Rev. DIR. VIM. N. Page,
pastor of the First Presbyterian church,
for admission, is causing considerable
talk. Mr. Page made ths announcement
in his sermon Sunday night. He said:
"The people of Kansas are not taking
r.the interest in the. temperance question
that they used to- There is decided
apathy today all over the state. l don't
know the reason for it. The people need
to be aroused; there Is among them
growing Indifference. That such Il con-
dition should exist among the ministers
of the gospel, the W. c. T. T., and other
Temperance organizations, is certainly
lamentable. You see the practical re-
cult of il: saloons are on the increase and
the conditions are rapidly growing
worse.
"Leavenworth does not stand alone in
this matter l have travelled consider
ya&bly over the state and nearly every
where l have been l have found the sa-
loon in one form or another.
1.-The prohibition law on the statute
books has become to a degree dead let
Ter. l was not, you will rememb Der, rad
caIly in favor of this law when it was
Dacted; and for my position at that time
[ was criticised by some. l saw it had
imperfections. Experience has confirm
ed me in my belief; but l so loyal
that l believe every law on the statute
book should be enforced. The prohibit
ton law is imperfect, but l believe it to
be working or operative law. 1t can be
used by good people. If practically en-
forced il comes near being good law.
1t should be changed in some respects,
but the way to improve it is not to disre-
gard it If you teach people that a law
can be disregarded you do a great
wrong.
= ~ believe the law could be SO en-
forced az not to leave an open saloon in
Leavenworth, and this is what should be
done.
why this decadence in the cause of
temperance? The w. c. T. Z. is not
what it used to be. There still remain a
few earnest, praying women in Leaven-
worth, and l don't say this to be harsh
toward others. We don't have the tenn
zperance meetings we used to have and
there is not SO much temperance preach
ed from the puIpits. I depIore that the
temperance organizations have largely
dropped ought of sight This is certainly
the time for big revival along this line.
There is a great need for revival of
temperance if this is foreman a tempe
auce state.
LET me say to the governor, st is
never wise to swap horses in the middle
of a stream The governors duty is to
push the enforcement of law to the last
jot and little. If the people of the state
should reject the law it is then time
enough for the governor to take the po-
sition he has.
ut is strange how some people get
hardened consciences in the matter of
the enforcement of law. Good people go
up and down By these open joints every
day, not a word of protest is said All
know that the joints are open in viola
tion of tie law.
ssTynoT "a roanlo Of ho
OF Kansas largely rests the responsibility
for the violation of the prohi bition law
today, and the Christian people of Leav-
enworth are largely responsible for the
conditions that exist here. If the Chris
tian people would only rise up in their
might there would be change.
AIN regard to the metropolitan police
law, believe the people should govern
themselves. The metropolitan police
Hystem is really part of the prohibition
law. say let the system stand or fall
by that law. / would insist on the gov
ernor putting men on the police board
who would enforce the law. Some saw.
well, it has been tried and failed This
is not the proper spirit. You don't give
ldp everything because you have once
failed
Il protest ainst the secret society that
Is being organized all over the state in
the interest of resubmission. l believe.
however, it would be wise thing to re-
submit the prohibition question to the
people. You may differ from me in DO
sition- 1t would cause the Christian
people to rise up and work as they never
worked before. BY resubmitting the
question believe it would be reaffirmed
By much larger vote than it was frat
carried by. Then we could come a good
deal nearer enforcing it than now. The
people have right to be governed by A
majority of the voters. If resubmission
. should carry don't see why the people
sF"ould not have the right to do away