The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-05-08

eminent does not exist. and the people
! are resolved once more into the eIe-
ments where the law of might and not
right prevails; and if the people OF this
city overwhelmingly oppose the saloons,
which we had reason to believe We're
forever bar:Shcd from our midst, and
are denied the arm of the law in abat-
ing and destroying this crime, then We
should meet force with force, and dur
ing the temporary suspension of the
law by our own might utterly destroy
all saloons and all other institutions
being run i'll violation of the valid laws
of this state"
Mr. Gleed's departure for New York
yesterday afternoon made it impossible
for him to attend, but he sent the fol-
having letter:
For more than dozen years we
have had city without saloons. We
have been able to say and are still able
to say that there is no other city of
the same size on the face of the globe
so orderly, so sober, so free from crime
and containing so little of AFFECT pow
erty as Topeka A generation of chill
dren have grown up who never saw a
saloon. I am sure that there are few
citizens who, when their attention is
called TO the matter. Will be 50 stupid
as not to give instant aid to the effort
which must instantly be made to pre-
serve this order of things. [ do not
care to criticise any public official, but
I will say that 1 have been unable to
detect either in the governor, the pub
lie officials, the county attorney or the
county sheriff the slightest symptoms
of a real desire that the prOhibitOry law
should be enforced in Topeka This
may be merely the result of inattentiOn
on their part and I hope that the meet
ing as z whole and each individual who
attends the meeting will take occasion
to call the attention of these gentlemen
to their duty and to the wishes OF the
citizens in q manner not to be mlSun-
derstood. If these officials had deVOt-
ed one-half the time and ingenuity to
the enforcing of the law that they have
devoted to inVenung excuses for not
enforcing the law, In my judgment, no
such emergency would have arisen as
has arisen. But while, in my judg-
ment. the officials deserve censuTe, 1
doubt if there is any one of US who Is
wholly without blame. trust thaI
both citizens and officials will make
prompt amends for past inattention-
I have received from Mr. Williams
the enclosed letter. am sure con-
cur in every sentence of it and I believe
the meeting will
Writing from Kansas City, Chas. H.
Nettels said:
1T is time the public conscience was
awakened to q realizing sense OF the
tremendously evil influences at work in
our city, and this meeting will serve
that purpose Something should be
done. and it is my deliberate judg-
ment that that something should be
q demand upon the governor for the
dismissal of the board of police com
missiOneFs and the turning back of the
police department to the municipal au-
thorities- I believe that the mayor and
council will give to the city an admin
istration of the police department which
will be honest and sincere For my
part, am willing to say unequiVOcally
here and repeat it in public or private
that. whatever of influence may have
as a councilman shall be at all times
for the enforcement of the law. 1 have
so little faith in the efficiency of the
metropolitan police system that be
Iieve nothing short Of its extinction in
Topeka will give our people what they