The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-06
MAKES LIARS OF MEN.
This Is A. Wardall's Opinion of
Prohibitory Law.
VIII Urge Temperance COnVen-
tiOn TO Endorse DispensarieS.
Says It is Impossible to Convict On
der the Present Law and Besides
the Whisky is Bad.


claims to be responsible for the intro
duction of the state dispensary system
for the control of the sale of liquors in
South Carolina, is preparing to submit
this question to the conference OF tenn
perance workers in this city next week
The annual meeting of the state tenn
perance union will begin next Tuesday
afternoon at the First Presbyterian
church at o'clock. This will give
delegates who arrive on the afternoon
trains an opportunity to be present at
the opening session
The unions meeting will probably
close Wednesday at noon or shortly af-
ter, and the mass convention arranged
by the three factions of the party will
be Immediately called.
Mr.. WardaH hopes to secure the in
dorsement of his dispensary plan, and If
given an opportunity will present 1T to
the convention in detail. He claims that
the diSpensary law, to be successful,
must contain three important provis-
ions.
ions ''First-That the liquor business
and the sale of all articles of that char
acter be placed absolutely under the
control of the state.
''Second-That only the pure article be
offered for sale.
''Third-That the profit system be
thoroughly eliminated and that the
business be made Self-suStaining only.
In conversation with a Journal re-
porter today, Mr.. Wardall said:
THE government of the liquor bust
ness under the state diSpenSary system
should offer no inducements to the
agent to increase the amount of sales.
He should be placed upon a moderate
salary and the liquor should be sold in
original packages, with provision that
it be taken away from the place in
which it was purchased before being
consumed
In introducing this system of state
control. ShOI1ld throw 11ndnR
obstacles in the way of men whose APP
petite is such that they must have liq-
uor. That is to say, if a man wants to
purchase liquor, our laws should be
such that he would not be compelled to
evade them and perjure himself to Sc
cure it, as he is of necessity compelled
to do under the present system. In my
judgment the present method of selling
is little better than rotten. 1t makes
liars of men and those who purchase
the stuff that is now being sold must
take the chances of its killing them.
Therefore, 1 urge that the liquors which
are sold should be of the pureSt quail
ty-
I'VE want the most severe penalties
provided for violators of the law In
my Judgment the United States laws
under which the cOunterfeiters are pun
ished would be the most practicable.
Under the provisions of those laws Of
f1cers, when informed, are led to be-
Heve that violations of the law are go
ing on, do not wait for the accumula.-
anime the places, and men who are in
charge of them, and if any evidence of
counterfeiting is found, they are ar
rested. This is followed by Is years in
the penitentiary and perhaps a IS, 600
fine.
Compare this with the present meth
90 of dealing with violatOrs of the pro-
hibitory law. If go to a man. whose
duty is the enforcement of this and 9th
er laws, and indicate that 1 am con-
WINGED violations of the liquor laws
are going on at certain place, he i'm
mediately asks for proof. If I cannot
furnish it, he dismisses me- If go and
purchase whisky and offer that as evil
dence, he asks me if got it for the
purpose of instituting proceedings If
my answer to that question is in the
affirmative, he then informs me that I
nave been acting as a spy and that
prosecution cannot follow upon that
ground.
This law is worthless in MANY re-
spects. and it is exceedingly difficult to
get at q man who violates it. Adopt
the United States laws those provided
against counterfeiting; place the LIQUOR
business under state control with a re-
maple man in charge as commissioner
and We will have a successful govern
ment of the liquor traffic.
Mr.. WardaH says that no man who
mas at any time engaged in the saloon
business or ism any manner associated
or identified with whisky interests
should be made commissioners
In 1889 when the Republican state
convention Endorsed prohibition and
carried the state of Dakota on that is
sue, electing Gov. Mil1et who recently
died, Mr.. Wardall was chairman of the
committee on resolutions. He wrote the
promotion plank and made an effort
to nave the state dispensary system
adopted at the session Of the legislature
which followed. 1t failed, however. but
Mr.. WardalI went to South Carolina
and took hand in the prohibition fight
there lie said today that the Kansas
and Iowa plan were favored there hu+
4 that he succeeded in securing the adop-
ton of the state dispensary system.
however, he now urges more restric-
lions and greater penalties for Kansas
than those which characterize that law
In presenting the subject to the gov
ernor of Dakota, Mr.. Wardan offered to
take the position of liquor commission
or for one year without commemorative
guaranteeing the successful enforce
ALen1 OF the law and d demonstration
or the feasibility of his PLAN