The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-05-10
Rev. Charles M. Sheldon Tells
What Ais Topeka.
The People Put Men Into Office
For Party Service
Instead of to Enforce the Law-Any-
one of Five Executive officers
Gould Enforce the Law.

brought into use. People always attend
Mr. Sheldon's church when reform ser
mon is announced, for they know that
! they will hear something interesting.
After song by Mr.. Edward Parson,
! which he sang to the tune of Marching
/ Through Georgia" with words he had
| composed appropriate to the occasion.
the pastor arose and stated that there
was pretty good description of a saloon
keeper in the Bible. In beginning his adj
dress Mr.. Sheldon said
"Frineds and fellow citizens-The pres
ence of this audience here tonight, as
also that at Hamilton hall Friday night
shows the interest the people take in law
| and order. This is a larger question
than the one involved in the saloon. It
| is whether the law shall be enforced. or
whether it shall not: whether the majors
ity or small minority shall rule. There are
two causes for this whisky evil. First
there is the taste for alcohol. and then
there is the profit in it. That underlies
the whole whisky business We. in this
state, have decided against the sale OF
whisky for the benefit of selfish men and
have enacted law to that effect. We, in
Kansas, have decreed that it must not
be sold other than in three prescribed
ways. We, the people, put men into
office to enforce that law. Now, there is
! a group of five executive powers, any one
of which do this. It is the governor,
! the board of police commissioners, the
chief of police, the county attorney and
the sheriff. 1 was somewhat disappofnt-
ed in the resolutions at Hamilton hall.
We had the right to demand that the
governor remove the present board of
police commissioners. I say this after
careful consideration
L took issue with one of the speakers
that evening when he said that it was
the peoples fault. Private citizens have
not the authority. It isn't my duty and
your duty to beg them to enforce the
law. It seems strange that an open sa>
loon could come here and open up with
a bar costing several hundreds of dollars.
Suppose 1 were a police commissioner in
this city. In the evening 1 pick up my
paper and see column two about an
open saloon running in the city. Must 1
wait to have that saloon brought over to
my office and set up and the bartender
get behind the counter and sell beer? It
is my duty to send officers right up there
Immediately to Investigate that thing.
DO you suppose for a moment that if
the whisky men knew that the governor
meant to enforce the prohbftory law that
they would dare open up a saloon? Do
you suppose if they knew the board OF
police commissioners intended to enforce
the prOhibitory law that they would do
it? Would they if they knew the chief of
police had the courage to do it? If they
knew the county attorney was in favor OF
closing every joint and saloon, do you
think they would do it? If we had
sheriff whose heart was in favor of the
enforcement of the law would they bring
their open saloons here? The whisky
men might have said Wen make
test If not that, then the other rea-
son, and the only one in fact IS that there
must be some understanding between
these people and the executive officers.
1T is an historical fact in this city
that a saloon was running wide open.
the place was not moIested, and the men
who ran it closed it up and were allowed
to escape scot free That is nice con-
dition of affairs, isn't it? They have
been arresting some little fellows like
"Pegleg." or some fellow without friends
and have let the big ones go. We must
absolutely act from a non-partisan posi-
ton if wish to gain anything in this
work. Instead of putting men in office
who will enforce the laws. we put them
in office for party service. In goes one
crowd, out goes the other. We act like
little children in the management of our
municipal affairs. We don't do that in
our private business affairs. The city is
not yet ready to form a municipal league. !
1t is a shameful fact but it is true, new
be formed here at present. But it must
come. 1 see other solution of the
problem.
1T does seem to me that we will never
see the enforcement of the laws here
until we get to thinking hard on these |
subjects-thinking like do on our own /
business. And there is another evil of
which I wish to speak. It is the drug
store evil. Some one said to me What is /
he 6r-11cr GfO nd
a saloon?' In one case know of where /
400 sales in a month were reported. /
found that there was a clear profit that /
month to the druggist of $780, And 1 was
told that this 400 represented only about
one-third of the actual sales. 1t is the |
money incentive which underlies the
whole thing.
Il am rather inclined to favor the Yer
mont system. There in Vermont they !
pick out reputable citizen who has
charge of the liquor sold. The liquor
comes in sealed packages, and is inspect |
ed. The agent is paid a salary and the
element of profit is taken out of it,
think that when the element of profit
has been taken out of the sale of liquor
a step in advance has been taken.
1.-The time must come when the Christian
people will vote together. If the church
people in the city would vote together
for law and order candidates you would
be surprised Would the politicians res
pect the church? Most certainly they
would. Politicians are shrewd.
And another thing. The owners OF |
property where liquor is sold, LA /
BILE under the law as the saloOnkeeper. /
This is the law in our state. In Chi !
cago they don't denounce the saloons in /
the churches. Because members in the |
churches own buildings down on Clark |
street in which there are saloons, dives
and disorderly houses. They bow to the !
saloon power. No man who owns prop |