Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-23
VOTES AND NOTIONS.

Mr.. E. S. Martin calls attention again in
Harperis Weekly to the book prepared by
Frederick Wines and John Koren, under the
direction of President Eliot. President Low
and John c. Carter. on The Liquor Prob
lem in Its Legislative Aspects" Mr.. Mar
tin is under the impression that the con-
illusions of the book are extremely valua-
BILE as coming from such high authorities.
Tn first thing noticeable about these con-
illusions is that they are identical with the
arguments that nav been used from the
beginning by the opponents of prohibition.
The next noticeable matter is that the COM
mittee are all opponents Of prohibition. and
we're before beginning their investigation"
Ard, finally, it cannot fail to strike every
reader as remarkable that an investigation
of this nature entirely overlooks the expert
ence of Kansas. where a prohibitory law
had been in effect for fifteen years, the most
stringent ard perhaps the most successful
in any. state. Can it be that this was be-
cause the results in Kansas did not har-
monize with the prejudices of the commit
tee?
We note with interest the proposition by
three well known men" to establish buff
fets'' in connection with the Chicago police
stations. Whoever the three men may be. we
venture TO say that the police force are be-
hind the scheme and pushing with all their
might. 1t is an ingenious scheme to save
labor and eliminate middlemen. When these
official buffets are once in running order
the police will no longer be put to the in
convenience of going about in the rough
and uncultured precincts of the city, but
when a man is meditating a jag he will
simply step w to an officer on the
street corner and ask him which buffet he
recommends. Accompanied by this gentle
manly chaperon. he will proceed to the Of
fetal bar. buy the wherewithal. pay fine
and costs in advance. with a tip to the Of
ficer. and then be assigned TO a room in the
city hotel, where he can fill up and booze
in virtuous repose. Chicago is the place for
progressive ideas.
Professor William James appeared two
weeks ago before the Massachusetts legis-
lature to protest against the passage of a
law restricting the practice of healing for
hire in that state to those who have a GER
tiiicate from the state board of registration
in medicine. As a doctor of medicine HIM
self. and at the same time one of the high
est authorities in America on psychology.
Professor James opinion will have great
weight witt those who must depend largely
on authorities for their own conclusions.
He does not hesitate to say that there is
or may be good in the theories and practice
of so-Called Christian science. and at least
demands that its votaries be free to pursue
their practice. But his main contention is
found in the proposition that 1.-The COM
monwealth of Massachusetts, is not a med
ical body, has no right to medical opinion
and should not take sides in a medical con-
troversy.'' This would not invalidate the
right of the state to require reports and
quarantine on contagious diseases.
Some members of the Massachusetts, His.
torical Society recently voted among them.
selves that S. r. Gardiner. author of a
history of England from the accession OF
James l. TO the accession of Charles IL.
and of various shorter works. is the great.
est English historian since Gibbon. We are
glad to learn that this was an informal bal,
lot and that we are not therefore bount
to accept the conclusion as final. Gardiner.
histories certainly stand high, but the vote
of the Massachusetts people is worth abou'
as much as that letter which thirty En-,
glish writers recently sent to George Mere
dith, assuring him that he had attained TIL
front rank of English novelists. Votes OF
the relative rank of authors throw mucl
more light upon the taste and character O
the voters than upon the standing of thu
candidates.
Superintendent Stryker in a recent bulle
tin rightly says that the people of Kan
sas undergo a great amount of unnecessar,
pain and misery" but he eXasgerates whel
he adds AL because they do not understan,
the laws of health This latter cause I
probably responsible for a large amount o
the trouble. but we are ourselves in doub
whether the laws of health or the laws o
the Populist legislature nave caused TIL
largest amount of pain and misery. a
least, IL we take into account the humilia
tion caused by that body. and the anxiet
over the laws which they threatened t
pass but didn't, the balance as misery