The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-31
Some Officers of the Law Are
Dealt With
By the Temperance "COmmit-
tee of H."
WHILE CHIEF STEELE
Gets the Hardest Swipe in
Their Report.
He's Bad Enough But There
Are Others.

The temperance committee of seven
teen has issued an address detailing the
experience of the committee in prodding
the officers Of the law.
This committee was orga anized to fur
nish the public sentiment" for the en-
forcement of the prohibitory law. They
have been hard at work and have met
with some measure of success.
The committee says of the action of
Chief Steele:
From all the facts and circumstances
sn the case, your committee is forced to
the conclusion that the chief of police
cannot be depenaed upon to perform
the duties imposed upon him by law
We do not undertake to say whether
his course is a matter of his own choice
or whether his tenure of office has de-
pended upon it.
Time and space will not permit full
statement of all the facts and circum-
stances bearing upon the conduct of the
chief of police. We can only say that
il appears to us that he is endeavOring
to protect and not destroy the joint
business, and that he is endeavOring to
fasten upon our city a system of col
lecting periodical license fees from vio-
lators of the law, contrary to the con-
stitution and statutes of the state and
in violation of his oath of office.
In view of all these facts and cir
cumstances and of many other facts
and circumstances which are not here
set fOF1h, your believes IIldl
they cannot hope or expect any aid
from the present chief of police, and
they are driven to the conclusion that
his sympa thieS are with the enemies
rather than with the friends of law and
order. Your committee, therefore, as
last resort has been constrained to COM
rnence proceedings in quo warrantO in
the supreme court through County At
tOrney JetmOre against Chief of Police
Steele to remove him from his office,
end we feel confident that we have suf-
ficient evidence to sustain the proceed
ings.'
County Attorney Jetmore is let off
more easily. After the statement that
the committee believes that City AtlOr-
ney Bird will hereafter do his duty, the
following statement is made concern
ing both the city and county attorneys:
However, concerning both the city
attorney and the county attorney, your
committee feels compelled to say that
in common with large number of citi-
zens, it most sincerely regrets that these
two officers can apparently justify their
own cOnScienceS and conceptions of
duty by doing that only which is forced
upon them and which they cannot es-
cape doing in the enforcement of the
prohibitOry law. 1t seems to this COM
nittee that they, being officers of the
law, employed and paid to enforce the
law, ought, voluntarily and without
any effort the part of private citi-
zens, to pursue ViolatOrS of the prOhibi-
tory law with at least some degree of
interest and good faith
The committee has evidently placed
its whole faith in the police. They
should have given the county authoFi-
ties some attention, for they surely de-
serve quite as much of the blame as
the police
In summing up the work done by the
committee the following statements are
made:
When this movement began there was
an open saloon on Kansas avenue and
preparations being made to open others
This saloon and a large number of joints
wi
straint and without fear of the law. We
been for the agitation resulting in the
appointment of this committee, and the
open saloon and joint by this time would
have been well established Institutions
and the lawless element would have been
in undisputed control. BY reason of this
agitation and the Iabors of this commit
tee, the open saloon was driven out, the
the joints have had a very troublesome
and unsatisfactory struggle for existence.
quite generally closed, and it is now gem
sra 9hatiy repoT{eo TT tnat theX are closed at
times the joints We're thus closed they
were suddenly and summariIy closed on
the order or notice of the chief of police.
If the chief of police can so easily close
them for a short time, We would like to
ask why he cannot now keep them
closed? c.5f4d , .,,o+ , a,,-
pathy and support in every way possible.
and that before you pass criticism upon
US, you make sure you are fully inform
ed. The object of the law loving citizens
of the city is the enforcement of the law.
Let US keep our eyes upon that object
and waste no energy in criticism, either
of the officers of each other. The
work will be kept up. but its efficiency
depends upon the moral and financial
support of the people who are opposed to
the violation of law. We have found lit
tie difficulty in raising money thus far
but citizens must continue their contri-
buttons for some time to come The law
breakers are more concerned bout our
supply of money than anything else. They
are eagerly looking forward the time
when we shall be out of money. Every
law loving citizen can aid in disappoint-
ing them by sending at least a small
contribution to Chas S Elliott. the
treasurer of this committee
The address is signed by the following
RPnfleITleI