The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-02-10
WORK FOR THE NEW POLICE BOARD

There is a butcher in this town who
is. or who thinks he is, a Prohibitionist;
at least he IS one who holds that the
violation of the prohibitOry law Is scan
daIous. This butcher is conscientious
man, splendid citizen, honest as the
day is long, gives good weight, gives
meat to the poor, and his customers
trust him and like him. He has a num-
Der of prohibition customers, church
members and the like, who also trust
and like him, especially because he is a
PrOhibitiOnist, for which reason the
aforesaid Prohibitionists patrOnize him
as we shall show farther along. People
who want to evade the prohibitory law
are liable TO stoop TO deceit. Unfortun-
ately for our butcher friend, and for his
Prohibition patrons, there is more than
one prohibitory law in this state, and he
and they have been Systematically yio-
lating prohibitory law all winter and
have been STOPPING to deceit TO accom-
plish their end. A man who sets out TO
violate the prohibitory liquor law just
as like as not will call for ''cold tea" or
cordial" or the like, when in fact he
wants, gets and pays for whisky, wine
or beer. There is a quail prohibitory
law in Kansas, a law which the farmers
are as DESTROYS of seeing enforced as the
town people are of seeing the other pro-
hibitory law enforced. But both laws
are violated exactly in the same way,
only by different classes of people. One
class simply would rather eat than
drink, which is the distinctive differ
ence between them. incidentally we
learned that our Prohibition butcher
friend and his Prohibition patrons have
been violating the prohibitory law for
months. These Prohibition friends
who woul d rather eat than drink stoop-
cd To subterfuges just as the fellow does
who would rather drink than eat. They
called on our Prohibition butcher friend
for hedge snipe," ''canaries" and the
got quail Law is law. The violation
Of one prohibitory law is just as bad as
the violation of another prohibitory law.
IL no more wrong is done TO the neigh
Dor in the one than by the other. Be
fore God, and conscience, these are
equally guilty. the degree Of guilt being
the same in the man who calls for "cold
tea" and gets whisky with the one who
calls for hedge snipe" and pays for
quail. Being exactly on a par, il is not
pretty for them 10 turn up their noses
at each other. AS for our Prohib. butch
er friend, he has put himself on a level
with the ''bar-keep" Of the Joint. which
shows how near alike we all are There
is the Methodist church discipline. for
instance, which prohibits the wearing
OF flowers feathers. jewelry and like
adornmentS. The Methodist sister calls
for ''bonnet." but pays for the prohib-
tied flowers. feathers and the Ike which
she wears And so some OF the other
churches prohibit dancing. card-play-
ing. theater- going and the Ike. rs
worldly and ungOdly. but the members
call for harmless and innocent amuse-
ments, just as the fellow calls beer
harmless and innocent. But both are
violatorS of prohibijory laws and there
fore in making faces ut each other
should not forget that we are all hu-
man, and not forget the Publican who
stood up in the Temple and smote his
breast, crying God be merciful 10 me,
a sinner" and who came out several
lengths ahead Of the quail-buyer, who
stood up on the other side OF the aisle
To thank God that he WAS not IL other
men or even as that beer-buyer vino