The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-08-19

a
tears, it is said, SO vivid was the por-
trayal of the truth concerning the bus
mess in which he was engaged.
Mr.. Purcell'S method and its effect
do not seem to produce the results
which might be anticipated because the
mayor and the council are standing
back of the saloons.
Opposition to the closing of the sa-
looms comes from some of the business
men upon purely business reasons. The
city OF Harper, which contains 1O2o
has an Indebtedness of nearly 100000.
Taxes are excessive and all that is col
lected is consumed in the payment of
interest, leaving nothing with which to
improve the streets and build side
walks. The city has never fully re-
covered from the effects of the cyclone
of several years ago and Mayor Muir
by his policy of collecting monthly fines
from the jointists is making an effort
to carry ,,f on some in6ernad 1pr4be+ q+
the city would be in a far better condi-
tion, morally speaking, without i'm
provementS made from the returns on
an Illegal business.
Ten years ago a man named Lunn
opened a saloon in Harper and defied
weeks but conviction could not be Sc
cured AT one time when the place was
raided by the sheriff 13 wagon loads of
beer and whisky were confiscated.
Lunn was finally convicted and sent to
Jail He had not been in Jail but a
few days. said Mayor Muir. until the
temperance people, aiding his wife, cir
culated a petition asking for his pardon,
saying he had been punished sufficient
ly. Lunn was pardoned."
The proceedings against Lunn cost
the county, it is claimed, $32, ,000 Hop
ing to prevent a repetition of this ex-
traVagant outlay of the county funds,
number of the business men have
filed with County Attorney Jones at
Anthony, a petition, that in beginning
suits he be very careful as to the char
acter of the complaining witness and to
satisfy himself that the witnesses are
reputable people and not gamblers or
some other disreputable class of people
who "sQueaP' after being beaten in the
Harper gambling house.
The present fight broke out in it's
greatest ferceneSs Immediately after
John Bartell, representing a Wichita
liquor house, went into Harper and
opened a saloon on the ground floor.
Prior to this time the joints had been
compelled by the mayor and council to
keep in back rooms up stairs and out
of the way. When Barte11 opened up
on the principal street with a stylish
bar and a large array of fine whiskies
and other liquors, the temperance peo-
pie demonstrated. The mayor refused
to interfere and BarteH announced that
he had come to stay. Then the crusade
was inaugurated.
Two weeks ago Monday night a del
egauon of women headed by Mrs. J. A.
White, marched to the council meeting
and presented request that the coun-
ell pass a curfew ordinance, an ordi-
one to suppress the sale of liquors.
The council Immediately adopted a
motion instructing the city attorney to
proceed along the lines demanded by
the delegation. Then Rev. J. p. Fulton,
Presbyterian minister, arose and de-
nounced the councilmen. He insinua-
ted that they were all lacking in. YER
acity and perjurers; were violating their
oathS of Office in not enforcing the Ii
quor ordinance already in existence
and otherwise assailed the city faith
erS.
To this speech. perhaps more than to
any other one cause, is assigned the in
d1ference of the councilmen and upon
! 1t is based their refusal to cooperate in
| the fight. Mayor Muir said: After
| taking favorable action and then being
subjected to this denunciation by Mr..
Fulton, the members We're inclined tc
| resent his insults
When the city attorney, A E. HamiI-
| ton took up the proposed ordinances he
| held that the council had no power to
pass an ordinance to extend the juris-
| diction of the police judge against Ii
| quor sellers. With this idea the mem
| bers of the council agree unanimously
| and refuse to proceed further. The
| temperance people have, therefore,
abandoned hope in that and have ap-
| pointed secret committee to procure
evidence against the jointists which will
| be presented to the county attorney Mr.
| Jones, who has promised to prosecute
! and who has assured the temperance
| workers that if they will furnish evil
| dence of reputable persons he will guar
antee that the prosecutions will be
| successful.
49,, There is a division of opinion among
i the temperance people. The majority
| seems to favor cooperation with the
| county attorney, while some of them
| urge that part of the money now be-
4 ing subscribed by the aggressors be de-
| voted to legal proceeding to oust the
| mayor and members of the council
| from office upon the allegation that
! they have received and pocketed ''hush''
| nv Ia iniT fiCrG
| This charge is made by some of the
| women against the mayor principally,
| but there is not now a reasonable pros
| pect of any such steps being taken.
| The leaders of the temperance move
ment counsel against it very strongly.
| The Home Protective association has
appointed three committees TO manage
the tight, to collect evidence and to or
ganize the people of the surrounding
country into temperance clubs The
| members of these committees are be-
| ing kept secret but Rev. J. p. Fulton
| is chairman of the committee ON man
| agement' and evidence The mem
hers of the organizing committee are
! william Briggs, E. B. Wentworth, o.
| B. Anderson and Pryor Utter.
| These committees are holding daily
| meetings and will take action next
| Tuesday. The council meets Monday
| night and the temperance workers fully
| expect that the mayor and the mem
| bers of that body will officially an
| nounce their refusal to aid the prose
cution or attempted overthrow of the
| jointiSts- Immediately thereafter the
| county attorney will be appealed to
and prosecutions will likely begin next
| week.
The people of Harper are incensed at
/ the sensational reports of attempted
! dynamiting and mob law which have
been sent out concerning this matter.
| The prohibitionists and the men who
are in favor of the saloons deny all this
and assert that the whole proceeding
has been quiet and orderly. The sftu-
| alton as viewed by the State Journal
| correspondent indicates that this is a b.
solUtely true. But the bomb story was
a good joke, although it took place the
night following the Fourth of July,
when the prohibition fight had scarce
1 lV been thought Of II has hnNeve5-