The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-05-15
JOintists Demand Repeal of
Search and Seizure Ordinance.
Claim They Have Secured Eight
Votes For Measure. .
MAYOR Is NOT SHAKEN.
Says the Talk Is Simply a
Bluff"
Would Immediately Veto the
Proposed Repeal.

There is a rumor abroad that an
effort will be made at the council meet
ing tonight to repeal the search and
seizure nuisance ordinance, which is
proving so obnoxious to the joint inter-
ests of Topeka
Mayor Drew does not believe that any
councilman will have the termerity
to introduce a repeal ordinance, and he
does not look for any such action to be
taken, but the rumor has come TO him
repeatedly that it will be done in the
near future.
The liquor men claim that eight of
the twelve councilmen will vote for the
repeal of the obnoxious ordinance, but
they have given no names If this is
true there are a number of couacilmen
who have changed their minds since the
ordinance was passed a few months
ago. At that time there were only
three votes against it. These were
Councilmen Morgan and Benson Of the
Second ward, and Councilman Blossom
of the First Since that time Blossom
and Benson have been candidates for
reelection and both have been de-
feated.
Mr.. Blossom was succeeded by COun-
Gilman Miller who is known to be a
pronounced prohibitionist. The other
new members of the council are Coun-
cilmen Myers in the Second ward, Snat-
finger in the Third, Weber in the
Fourth and Swendson in the Sixth. To
secure eight votes for the repeal of the
ordinance the liquor men would have
to get all of these and three of the
old members who originally voted for
the ordinance, in addition to Council
man Morgan Mayor Drew does not be-
lieve it will be possible for them to get
even four votes.
I understand" said Councilman
Hughes today, that the jointists claim
me as one of the men who will vote
to repeal that ordinance. I want to
say that I would not vote to repeal it
even if every other member of the coun-
ell should be against me"
The liquor interests are very anxious
that the ordinance should be repealed.
1t is this ordinance that gives the po-
4 lice force its power to close the joints
| Under the search and seizure ordinance
/ the police can forcibly- enter a place
suspected of being a joint, arrest who
| ever is in charge, and cOnfiscate all the
! liquor in sight.
If there was no such ordinance
/ picket could be posted at the entrance
/ to the joint to watch for the approach
/ of the officers. and before they could
/ get inside the doors could be locked
and the police would have no right to
/ force them.
Efforts have been made since the
! passage of the ordinance to get it knock
/ ed out on various grounds in the district
court, but Judge Hazen has always sus-
| tained it, although a case involving it
| But the courts grind slowly and there
| is nothing sure about them, and in the
! meantime the search and seizure or
! dinance has destroyed the joint industry
in Topeka. The jointisrs have despaired
| of Mayor Drew giving up his fight
| against them, and they have therefore
turned their attention to the council
1t will require fully eight votes to get
/ the ordinance repealed If a majority
is secured to vote for an ordinance re-
pealing the present one Mayor Drew
will promptly veto it, and it requires a
twothirds vote of all the councilmen to
pass an ordinance over the mayors
I veto.
Il think all this talk is buster" said
! Mayor Drew, ''and do not believe the
matter will be brought up at all
don't think the jointists could muster
even four votes in the council, and 1t
will require eight all right to repeal that
ordinance at least after l have my
guess on it,
If the plan to have the ordinance re-
pealed fails now, a desperate fight will
ministration which will be favorable tC
the liquor interests. It is part of the
plan by which Galen Nichols secured
the nomination for county attorney
that his election should be followed uT
! by a campaign to get control of the city
government 1t has since developed thai
there is a plan on foot to nominate Ber'
Lucas next year to succeed Sheriff Cool
and if these plans are successful II
would place nearly every city and coun-
ty officer who has anything to do witt
the enforcement of the law in tOucf
with the liquor element