The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-10-09
The Fort Scott Elder VIII Not
Run For Governor
On the Prohibition Ticket
Gives His Reasons.
SEVERELY DENOUNCES
Gov. Morrill, For His Inaction
in Law Enforcement,
But Won't Run With Other
Tickets In the Field.

Fort Scott. Oct. e-Rev ]. f. Brant
has declined to accept the nomination
of the Independent Prohibition party
and addresses the following letter 10
the notification committee
KEY r. F. HammOns. T. j. Pulham and
j. w Stewart.
Genrlemen-Your telegram Of Septem-
Der 30 notifying me OF my nomination
for Governor of Kansas on the Inde-
pendent party ticket received, and on
the following day. October Z. I wired
that / could not accept unless Mr. Hur-
ley withdrew
am now in receipt of a letter from
him declining to withdraw, so, after de-
lberat tion. decline to stand any longer
as candidate am not unmindful
of the honor Of this expression Of con
ndences and assure YOU ] am in hearty
accord with the spirit and purpose of
the convention and the declaration OF
facts set forth by the committee on
resolutions
cannot see why ministers should
stand alOot from the political arena If
our ministerial and lay brethren had
been faithful at the primaries and the
county conventions Mr. Morrill, would
not have been renominated- His re-
nomination by his henchmen was large
~ due to the secret plottings of the
Mystic Brotherhood and the fact that
our brethren in the rural districts were
uniformed of his turbulence to the
whisky traffic
From 1892 to 1894 our prohibitory law
was practically ignored and mu1Iified
by Governor LeWelling. and when Mr..
Morrill, was a candidate two years ago
he gave us to understand that the first
duty of every citizen was obedience to
the law. TO be faithful to his oath of
office The good people of our state
said Amen Mr.. Morrill, was elected
and what a fall ~ have Witnessed
Wide open joints ia nearly all Of our
large cities and towns run ina defiance
of lava worse condition than for years.
and our governor is chiefly responsi BILE.
First, by his declarations about the diff
hculuies in the enforcement of the law
where public sentiment was adverse
We were aware of the difficulties. and
if cur governor had had the courage of
his convictions he today would have the
confidence and support OF his party In
stead he covered and daIlied and sur
rendered to the nullihers- Tn our city
three prominent 1olntisrs sat in one
Republican county convention with the
president and secretary of our police
board. and shouted for his renOmina-
tion. Inspired by their success. one
representative politician, and Office
holder. declared t-the time has come
when we just have to sit down on pro-
hihition church people Under such
tuition, is 1T any wonder that the state
G.. O. p convention. in cOntemptuous
haste. laid on the table resolution IA
voring the pr0hibitory law
Must the law abiding people of this
great state submit to such a condition,
and must We cheerfutly be whipped into
line and vote the whole party ticket2
There comes a time when we must pro-
test; not simply in words, but by our
votes
Again. it is said that tens Of thous-
ands of money have been saved by this
administration Yet nothing is said of
the ultimate losses in the lawless, an
archia1 tendencies of such training as
grows out of the outlaWed saloon If
the strikers among the miners or any
class become IaWless the militia is sum
mOneds but JOintlsts violate the law
r1n
blood money close the mouths Of Off
GERS of law.
Now it is said keep quiet during the
discussion OF pending issues The gov
ernor of Colorado does not keep quiet
before the mobs at Leadville. but calls
the militia and sustains the honor of
the state Are We to SOW the wind
and reap the WhirlWind2 If our gov
ernOr can give such close attention to
dollars and cents. surely he can give
some attention to these Weightier mat
ters and take note Of the results
Again il is conceded by all that the
government of our cities is becoming
more and more difficult They are the
storm centers. A1r. Roosevelt said.
You cannot do a citizen greater wrong
than to teach him contempt of the law"
Now that our cities i'm Kansas are
young. they need healthtul education
AT the present rate they viii become
the centers of anarchy.
Now it is claimed prohibition cannot
be enforced and let US try some other
tic BrothhoOd. $4,000 strong, looms up,
and our governor and lesser politician
stampede. and when the retreat is over
the enemy dWindles to 5000 or 8 GOO We
wonder how some of these politicians
viii feel VIII they live to fight another
day and so round up and tell US we are
for resubmission, but when the question
comes up we VIII vote for prohibition
and it viii carry by a big majority
If it is such q good thing and we have
prohibition now as the settled policy Of
the state. why put the state to the ex-
DenEe of another contest2 Yet they tell
us the discussion pending another vote
VIII be educatiVe- but we submit q bet
ter way is to enforce the law, and that
sort Of training viii put an end to re-
submission The benehcence of this
law viii be manifold and none will dare
galnSay it.
Tt comes with poor grace for rurno-
and then ten us it is a failure and SO
compel repeal. TO submit in that way
is to join hands with assassins of the
law and consent to treason against the
state
To the truth of the foregoing we
challenge attention and submit that
none from the present governor down
dare Justify or defend the policy of null
LfcatfOm as now permitted fn some of
our cities. governed by police commits
sioners, and in other sections bv some
who are charged with the sacred df1tv
OF enforcing the law
Since it is a fact that Mr. Morrill, has
almost the united support of the O. N
b and the 1OintiStS, what right has he
10 expect the support of ministers whom
he has fnsulted and Temperance people
whom he has betrayed. While declin-
ing this nomination I do SO that Mr.
o. Pickering or some other one that
the executive committed NAV .7as7er1- cf.