The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-04
AN OPEN LETTER
Written by Topeka Citizens to
the Kansas Legislature
In Regard to the Prohibition
Question.
1T WAS NOT AN ISSUE
In the Last Campaign Demand
Enforcement, Not Repeal.
Compares Lincoln, Neb., Under
High Liceuse With Topeka.

0entlemen: 1t is being currently re-
| ported that a number of your honorable
body are working for resubmission of
the prohibitory amendment We do
not believe that many of you represent
constituencies who favor step of this
nature, and we do not believe that you
viii be led by the o. Nj. B. and other
elements of that character to pursue a
course in direct opposition to the best
moral and financial interests of the
state. Can Republicans or Populists
afford to go on record as favoring such
a policy?
In your consideration of this subject
please permit the undersigned to call
your attention to the following facts:
During the campaign last fall the
question of resubmission was not made
an issue Except in a very few locili-
ties)
There is no demand for it at the
present time on the part of the better
class of citizens, and the party which
votes for reubmission must lose the
favor of this class.
If there were a general demand for
it, that demand would be made known.
On the contrary, there is an earnest
demand that the amendment be not re-
submitted, of which the following is
proof:
During the past few days petitions
from all over the state, aggregating
more than 10000 names, have been sent
I in expressing the most emphatic oppo-
Sftion to reSubmiSSiOn.
Within three months past more than
one hundred mass meetings have been
held throughout the state, every one OF
which protested earnestly against the
reopening of a fight with the liquor
power of the. whole country. a fight
which must for the time being cause
all other questions to be relegated to
the rear. and which must involve to a
large extent attempted bribery and cor
ruption
During the past ten months the fol-
lowing denomina tiOnal, state and con-
ference conventions, repre- ting an
aggregate of over 225,000 members, have
passed resolutions against submission
and in favor of a stricter enforcement
| of our prohibitory law: The Methodist
| church, the Presbyterian CHURCH, the
Lutheran church, the Baptist church,
| the Congregational church, the Chris
| tian church To which will you give
| ear, an un-American system represent
| ing less than $4,000 actual members, or
to the churches and nom Sectarian ele-
ments of Kansas, representing the loyal
and patriotic manhood and womanhood
of the state? If either party gives ear
to the Mystic Brotherhood, to the Mys>
tic Brotherhood that party must look
for support in the future.
We are well aware that the prohibit
tory law has not been everywhere en-
forced in the past as it ought to have
been, but we emphatically deny that re-
submission would be any remedy for
existing lawlessness. 1t is the enforce
ment of the law which we need and
demand, and not resubmission. AL
though imperfectly enforcexl in some 10
calities, there is less of Ia wlessneSs in
Kansas under prohibition than exists
in the average license state All New
York is at present in a state of turmoil
over the reign of lawlessr.ess under the
Raines license law. Morris Telxulsly,
| ers' association, recently testified under
oath that il was his solemn belief that
more liquor is being SOLD in New York
in unlicensed places than in licensed
places.
In Philadelphia. under the Brooks
| 81 900 high license law, there were for
the year ending June 80. 1896, 1000 re-
| tail liquor saloons, 1 OH joints, and (ac-
cording to the testimony of Richard
Patterson, president of the State Re
tail Liquor Dealers association 5000
dives doing business in the city
Lincoln, Neb., under her $1,000 high
| license law, is full of dives and bawdy
| houses. At a meeting of the council in
December. 1896, a representative of the
board of education appeared before the
| council and recommended that more
bawdy houses be licensed in order to in
crease the receipts of the school funds
II might be interesting to make a
| comparison OF high license Lincoln with
| our own capital city of Kansas Not
| withstanding the fact that Lincoln re-
| ceives $50, 900 annually from her thirty
six licensed saloons, the assessed val
uation OF her personal property is but
| 1886, 500, against an assessed valua-
| ton of personal property in Topeka of
about $1,4OO.OO0, and that, too, despite
| the fact that Lincoln has 10000 more
population than Topeka Her rate of
| taxation for city purposes only is 351S
! mills as against % 1-3 mills in Topeka,
/ more than 10 mills higher than in To-
| pela Notwithstanding her $50, 600 liquor
revenue.
She says she must have her license
| money to keep up her school expenses,
lsbut last year she paid her teachers but
| $54 Is per month as compared with $69.9S
paid to Topeka teachers
In short, prohibition as compared with
| license states means:
| The Internal revenue reduced from
above SIPS to less than ten cents per
| capita.
The consumption of intoxicants re-
duced from Is gollons to less than one
gallon per capita
An annual saving of over IS, 600, 600 in
sales, which otherwise would go to the
Poverty, crime and lawlessness reduc-
ed to minimum.
According 10 our ratio of population,
the saving of 1,500 souls annually from
drunkards' graves.
Sober communities and happy homes,
as comap-ed with license states.
Better attended schools and churches.
The people of Kansas are not demand
1 ing resubmission. but what they do
want is an honest and impartial en-
fOrcement of the prohibitory law; and
TALLY enforces the law will make itself
to just that extent popular with the
masses of the law abiding citizens of
the state. (Signed)
T E. STEPHENS.
J. w. GLEED.
]. B. LARIMER.
JAMES A. TROUTMAN,
"A H. VANCE.