The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-11-24
New York City Struggling
With Police Question.
WICHI7RSARGUMENTU USED
History of Failure of Metro
poIitan Idea in Kansas.

DOTTED out, may at the time appeared to
concern only Wichita and Kansas, but to-
day it is being used, with good effect
in New York against proposition to sad
die a like nefarious, vicious system on
New York City. It so happens that the
fight Wichita made, with everybody
throwing mud at her, has become a pre-
cedent in municipal and state government
in this country EditoriaIy the New York
Evening Post, with wonderful thorough
ness, says:
"a most instructive lesson as to the
folly of turning over the control of the
police department in cities to the state
government has been taught by the ex
perience OF Kansas during the last ten
years. The warning of the western
commonwealth against tampering with
home rule and local sef-government is
even more impressive than that of Mas
sachusetts, for two reasons: In the first
place. the change of police administra-
ton in Kansas was not instituted in a
metropolis, for Kansas has no CONNER
ciaI center. like Boston in Massachu-
sets, but was applied to all of the cities
simultaneously. In the second place,
Kansas has been so close politically Of
late years that there have been frequent
changes of party at the state capital.
kansas was almost exclusively an ag-
ricultural region in its early history, and
even yet manufacturing industries cut
but a small figure in comparison with
farming. Even so late as 1880, the
largest place in the state, Leavenworth,
had only 1856 inhabitants, and there
were but two other cities with a popu-
lation exceeding $500. Public sentiment
in the rural districts was strongly
against the sale of liquor, and a move
mem to secure its prohibition through
out the state easily induced a legisla-
ture chiefly made up Of members from
farming towns to submit to the people
an amendment to the constitution pro-
llibiting everywhere the manufacture
and sale of intoxicating liquors except
for medical, scientific and mechanical
purposes. The voters passed upon the
proposition at the fall election of 1880,
and the amendment was carried, though
by only a small majority, the record
standing %, 302 yeas to S+,904 nays-a ma
jority of almost 5000 Of those expressing
an opinion, but more than 5000 short Of
a majority of the POI 236 who cast their
ballots for president.
LAS time went on, the old cities of
kansas grew In size, and new ones
sprang up. Wichita, which had less than
5000 people in $780, showed nearly 5000
in 1890, and that part of Kansas City
T.
rouri river had almost 10000; while To-
peka, an early settlement, had doubled its
population Of 1900 in 1880 by 1890. The
people in these business and commercial
centers, as in similar places throughout
the country, largely favored legalizing the
sale of liquor, and a demand arose in the
cities for the Introduction of a local
option system, ike that which had long
been working successfully in MaSsachu-
sets. But the people in the country
towns stll chung strongly to the notion
of universal prohibition, and their men,
hers in the legislature, who continued to
constitute a large majority Of each branch
refused to allow any change.
1.-The inevitable result followed. Pub
lie sentiment in the cities not sustaining
the prohibitory law, It was not enforced
Although the existence Of saloon was
forbidden by the constitution. a num-
Der Of places allowed them to flourish
upoR the payment Of regular license fees.
The prchibitionists appealed to the leg
islature for more laws and secured
their passage but the new statutes were
only more dead letters. Finding that
they were making no headway along
these lines. the prohibitiOnists adopted
a new policy. They persuaded the leg
islature to pass a law under which the
control OF the police force should be
taken from the local authorities. and
given 4 "thc state" through the naming
by the governor Of police commissioners:
and they applied the new rule to the
cities generally. y partisan motive help
ed this movement in Kansas as in Mas
sachusetts. Some Of the cities went
Democratic sometimes. whereas the Re
ou5licans controlled the state govern
ment
Honest attempts were made by Re
publican governors TO enforce the new
law. bat they were never successful In
1902 political revolution turned the state
over to the opposition. and Lewe,ing. a
him the saloon business in the cities was
conducted openly In 1894 the Republi-
cans carried the state. but Governor
Morrill,. while Theoretically a believer In
prohibition. appointed police commission
crs for the cities who represented the
public opinion in favor of tolerating the
saloons. The sincere prohibitionists
throughou. the state became INDIGNANT.
and brought such pressure 10 bear upon
him that early in July. 1895 he save. or
ders 10 the commissioners in most hut
not all. of the cities To close the saloons.
Leavenwortb was one Of the eNcep.el
cities and the reason was frankly con
fessed ny thu governor 10 be- that {.
would be impossible - enforce the law
against the existing sentiment. Wichita
was one Of the cities where the governor
tried the policy of enforcement As soon
as his order was issued . public meet
ing was called so protest against the &C
ton. which adopted resolutions asking
that the governor permit the present
police authorities 20 So regulate the 20
Ice affairs Of our city as I'm their iudc-
met Will insure 10 the masses the most
stable. quiet orderly. and least expen-
sive administration Of the laws Of our
beloved state and city
"oS course. the movement 20 enforce.
through state authority in Wichita.
law which local sentiment condemned
proved a failure. sad everywhere else
things soon relansed into the old CON
di;'cns. Meanwhile, sensible men In all
o. the cities grew more and more bit
tcrly opposed 20 the whole i5ca Of police
commissions named at the state capital