The Wichita daily eagle., 1898-01-08
-kSS>MfLA
.aAitl 60 Ed9H
VI VI NURDGCK Editor.
PROHIBITION NOT AN ISSUE.

campaign as leading issue. The grea'
majority of the people are tired of 1t
besides a majority Of the Republican
party realize that the troubles and an
tagonisms which subsequently grew
put of the prohibition agitation led tc
the defeat of their party, to which par
ty the state owes about everything il
boasts of value. There is an element
In the Republican party whose fanati-
cism over the prohibition question
seems incurable. There is another ele-
ment in the Democratic party which
holds to the declaration that there can
be no such thing as freedom without
free whisky. Hence the irreconcilable
situation. Between the two elements
the Republican party has for twenty
years been kept in hot water, in this
state The Pop party owes no little
Of its success to the fact that as a class
they stand clear of the prohibition
question, neither espousing one side or
the other Of it. They recognized that
the reason drinks were being regularly
sold in some communities was not be-
cause of any special disloyalty or lack
of moral rectitude upon the part Of
such communities-not that such COM
munities had any disposition to defy or
trample the laws Of the state under
foot. but that a majority of such To-
calities in believing prohibition to be
the result Of party pandering TO fanati-
cism, did not propose to deny them
selves of what they conscientiously
hold to be one of their inalienable
rights under a free government.
The Republican party having in the
last two campaigns refused to incorpor-
ate prohibition as a principal tenet, in
their platform, it is held by the extrem-
lists that to this fact is attributable its
defeat The Republicans refusing to
longer affirm, and the Populists afraid
to deny, the Democratic contingent Of
the state have of late been endeavOring
to take advantage of the multifOrm-
ity Of the situation by demanding of
the Pop party that it declare for resub-
mission. The Democrats think that
the espousaI Of resubmission by the
Pop party viii not only mean victory
for fusion, but that a sufficient number
of Resubmission Republicans viii joir
the movement to make the triumph Of
resubmissiOn certain in the end, how
ever disastrous the result to the Re
publican party, over which they would
lose no sleep. The Pop party is in this
matter, in close and very disagreeable
quarters. The Pop party is nothing in
the state without the aid of the Demo-
Gratis, and the Democrats have said to
them "Resubmit" or we will leave you
10 your minority fate. The chances
are that a majority of the Pop party
at bottom, are prohibitionists. In view
of this fact the Pop leaders have per-
Buaded the Democratic leaders to with
draw their demand for the time being.
1t will be found uphill work to again
make prohibition a leading issue in the
politics Of this state. 1t is not prop
erly a party question, and it never
should have been espoused by the Re
publican party. Ex-Lieutenant Cover
nor Troutman, in a prohibition speech
at Emporia, the other night, roasted
Governor Leedy for permitting the open
violation of the prohibitory law in all
the leading cities of the state, in which
connection the speaker declared that
the prohibition question could not be
divorced from politics so long as the
law was violated. The reverse is true.
The question Will sooner disappear as
an issue from the fact of the law hav-
Ing become a dead letter than in any
other way. Mr.. Troutman can't lose
votes to Leedy by proving that Leedy
has failed to enforce the prohibitory
law. 1t is true that in the cities named
by Troutman Mr.. Leedy makes no at
tempt to enforce the prohibitory law. |
Neither did Morrill,, nor, for that mat |
ter, Humphrey, or if they ever really |
did, they in no sense succeeded. So far 1
as votes go and count, it is not against 1
any governor that he fails of enforcing I
or of trying to enforce the prohibitory /
law. Nothing would please the lead /
ers of the Republican party Of Kansas /
more than to have Leedy turn about .
and attempt n vigorous enforcement of /
the prohibitory law, nothing scare them /
more than TO have Governor Leedy's +
party solidly espouse 'Resubmission." /
The leaders of Leedy's party would re- 4
solve in favor or Resubmission in a
minute but for a fear of the prohibition .
clement Of their own party.
The bald truth is that since the day /
hat St. John foisted this policy and .
which downed him as its first victim,
upon the state, no Republican Demo-
rat or Populist governor has succeed /
I'd in enforcing the law. In short, it |
has not been the fault Of the governor /
nor other sworn officers. but of the /
people themselves. a majority of whom .
cannot be constrained To demand lis F..
He therefore who would /
,riticise the non-enforcement OF this /
aw viii find his objections falling flat F.
from the fact that his quarrel is with F..
,r against the majority Of the people, I
who in admitting that all laws on the I.
statute book should be enforced. VIII .
either actively oppose the enforcement I
IF the prohibitory law, or otherwise +
wing at its violation. In short. Cover
lor Troutman. and the declarations