The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-02-02

league. furnished the convention an ap-
parently enjoyable entertainment by
attacking the governor. Henderson is
a POpuliSt who has been fighting the
police commissioners.
Mr. Henderson said: People have
no conception of the infamy practiced
by the anti-saloon element. Just across
the line is Kansas City, Mo; a rendez-
vOus for train robbers; the home of
thousands of gamblers, who descend
upon us, from 4. city where the saloons
control political affairs.
LAS a member of the Good Citizens
league was requested as an honest
POpuliSt, to write to our governor; my
governor, God forbid; to come down
and see what infamous scoundrels he
had appointed to office. He didn't an
swer. We wrote again with the same
result We sent committee but the
governor was out of town.
Mr.. Henderson then read an open let
ter which he has written to the govern
or denouncing his meth9ds of dealing
with the prohibitiory law. He quoted
from the letter: open saloons, gov
ernOr are as much a violation of the
law of this state as muder, larceny,
or any other statutory crime and the
officer, high or low who lends his aid
to such violation, is to the people of the
state of Kansas precisely what the Off
GERS of South Carolina were to the
United States in the dark and dismal
days of 1861. The saloon business is a
crime, yet it is nothing compared with
the system of bleeding and holding up
salOOn-keeperS inaugurated by officers
appointed by you. L charge that for
money consideration paid these officers
saloons are permitted to run in Kansas
City and when one of them fails to pay
up his place is closed either by your
chlet or the county attorney. TheSe
things are known personally by you,
governor, as am reliably informed on
the occasion of your monthly visits to
Kansas City you invariably ask how
much has been collected. You ought to
know by this time that saloons in Kan
saS are no longer regarded as a rendez-
VOus for respectable politicians. And,
you also know that your chief of police
boasts that when he wants to get full
he goes over into Missouri, refusing to
patronize his own joints, except for the
collection of revenues.
IF Kansas had a governor who
thought as much of her people; her
homes and her institutions as you do
of the Brewers association of Kansas
City, Mo-, prohibition would be a grand
success. With such a governor the
metropolitan police system would be q
success and the commissioners would
not be afraid to remove an officer who
was found drunk on duty.
Don't you know that in Kansas the
prohibitory law is violated only where
there are dishonest, corrupt cOWardlv
or boodling officers in authority No
man engaged in fostering the liquor
traffic or engaged in the nefariOuS bus
mess of selling it is a law-abiding citi-
zen Your official record shows that
your personal influence and the inf1u-
ence of the high office which you hold
has not only sanctioned the liquor traf-
fic but you have and are protecting and
encouraging the liquor dealers of Mis-
souri, and their lawIess allies in Kansas
in the liquor traffic. Crime has greatly
increased; your conduct has made Off
cial corruption preferable to honorable
and manly submission to the laws Of
| the state; you have rekindIed in the Of
| hcers of the law a desire to profit by
gain from those engaged in violation
| of the law.
This principle is suicidal in political
| policy and disastrous to our love of the
| constitution and the state. If the in
| ternal war with the party which you
| nave started is not soon checked it will
| result in your political disgrace and
death, Honest POpulists can but con-
| denim your policy. The office seekers
| which surround you are committing
| crimes which are disgraceful and dis
| aStrOus to the homes of the people of
J Kansas The money promised for your
next campaign fund will not purchase
the equivalent of what you will lose
| by this damnable cO-partnership. The
Peoples party demand that you be con-
S1Stent; faithful to the trust imposed in
| you. Hence, cease being the tool of the
| element which seeks to sacrifice the law
| dignity and decency of our state. Be
true TO your oath and above all be loyal
! TO the party. Be no mans man, but
! truths and your country's"
ReV. Mr.. Hoffman of Abiline moved
| that the convention request Mr.. Hen
| derson to furnish copies of the letter to
| the city papers for publication. Dr. H
| -. Fisher of Topeka moved to Law the
motion on the table, asserting that the
! Ietter was extremely partisan and had
| no place in a nOn-partiSan meeting
| Mr. Hoffman insisted upon his mo-
| ton Dr. Fisher called for the regu-
| lar order of business