The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-02-02
IT is A CRISIS.
President Lockwood of the
State Temperance Union
Says That Prohibition Has
Reached a Point
WHERE IT'S IN DANGER
One More Appeal to "ThrOW Off
Their Lethargy''
Made to the Friends of Law and
Order
WHERE IT'SIN DANGER

A thousand people were present at
Hamilton hall last night when the first
meeting of the state temperance union
was held
The chief attraction at this meeting
was DR.. Howard H. Russell of Della
ware O., who is national organizer for
the American Anti-SaIoon league. His
address was the closing feature of the
programme, DR.. J. A. Lockwood of Sa-
lima and music by the Y. NJ. c. A. glee
club preceding it.
The audience was about equally d.
vided as to men and women. A large
number of the men are ministers; the
majority of the women, w. c. 7. U.
women.
Few young people were noticeable in
the audience, but the gray haired and
venerable parents were there. They
were the old guard of prohibition senti-
ment in Topeka, which now seems tot
tering.
Topeka furnishes a good share of
the audience, but the actual work of
the convention is being done by the
visitors.
The gIee club made a hit in a song,
each verse of which ended like this:
IF men would vote as they please,
how sweet this life would be-
Being recalled, the club added a new
line, particularly applicable to Topeka.
The inquiry was:
IF jointists would not act so bad,
How sweet this life would be.
eff honest jurieS could be found
How sweet this life would be-
In opening the annual address, or re-
port, as he called it, President Lock
wood expressed his appreciation of the
loyal efforts on the part of the execu-
tive committee and particularly COM
mended Secretary Stephens for his de-
Votion to the cause.
Continuing, he said.
The cause of temperance and pro-
hibition in this state is passing through
a crisis which threatens most serious
consequences unless the friends of tenn
perance throw off their lethargy, and
bring the strength and power which
they possess to such a. large degree to
the support of the wise and beneficent
prohibition policy of our state. I am
not an alarmist, neither am I discour-
aged, much less in despair, but it is not
the part of wisdom and good tactics to
ignore the real condition.
1.-The friends of the saloon are always
more noisy and rampant than the tenn
perance element. Surely our enemy is
aggressive enough to make it necessary
for US to look well to our position. When
dignified and influential men, those
who aspire to be leaders in our state,
are planning and scheming to over
throw the temperance laws or annul
them; when party leaders are prOpOS-
ing to trade offices for saloons; when
the liquor interests, organized as they
are and backed by millions of dollars,
are demanding that the barriers be re
moved that they may have free course
in our state to wreck our homes, de-
bauch our young men and tempt and
ruin our boys; when men, who are
charged with the duty of enforcing all
laws, permit fragrant and persistent
violation of the prohibitOry law be-
cause they themselves are not in SYM
pathy with it; when bad and con-
science1ess men are allowed in our cit
les and towns to trample upon the law
and pay for the privilege of so doing,
it is no time for the good people who
have the moral and temporal welfare of
the state at heart, to sleep.
1.-The danger is, that the temperance
people, resting upon the splendid
achievements of the past and the
strength of their present position, will
allow themselves to be Iulled into a
sense of false security while the enc
mics of prohibition get things into their
own hands; until the flood gates of cor
ruption are opened and the rum pow