The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-14
HAVEN'T The TINE
County Board and Protests Of
Anti-Saloon League.
OBJECTION AT WAFER
That the County Board Has
Other Work to Do.

Guthrie. o T. Jan. ID Ga oenslf Of the
public and ,he county commissioners. the
Stillwater Gazette protests against the
! Arti-Saloon League taking AZ ne aosrds
true in the hearing Of protests against
the issuance OF licenses to sell uauer.
The Gazette says the pFoper place TO be-
gin the reform Is IN the legislature. This
week the county commissioners at Still
water listened to cases IN regard 10 sa-
| looms at Perkins. ingalls, and Cushing.
1 The Gazette. among other things. says
IN this connection: Now We do not want
| TO pose as being in opposition 70 the Anti
| Saloon league or any other league that
! has for its aim the uphuildirg of public
| morals. but It does seem 20 Us that a
I few cranks who have been making them
selves conspicuous in this light are en-
tirely out Of place In taking Up the time
Of the commissioners as was done here
during the past week. BY law the board
IS only permitted to sit eight days In
every three months and Il takes all this
time 10 look properly after the couny's
affairs With a full knowledge OF this
the Anti-SaloeH league comes IA demand
ing 20 be heard with scores Of witness s
fully g. per cent of whom testify 10 TO
material fact that viii aid the board In
arriving at a conclusion upon the quts-
tons at issue, bur stiil the board Il l.,-
pected TO sit day after dsy painfully O.
tening TO a disiointcd haFangue Vii e
actually neglecting business that &C.
mands their attention. The law never
contemplated that the board Of county
commissioners should convert itself into
court. subpoena witnesses, take evidence
and pass upon fine Law points 10 satisfy
the whims OF lawyers anyway. The
board is composed not Of lawyers and
judges. but OF farmers or business men.
who do not pretend nor IS It expected
that they have technical knowledge OF
law such as the judge OF a court e ex-
pected TO have Their business Is OF a
different nature and this Anti-Saloon
league is imposing upon not only the
board but the entire county in demand
ing such proportion OF the Unite
time The fact IS they have commence
at the wrong end OF the whole business
DO the good they expect IL accomplish
The law pertaining TO the liquor ira
&c is plain and simple and II a saloo2-
keeper has violated any OF IL provisions
he can be successfully prosecuted "a he
@llbuiQ ht- ne EgAIAN Ul Ills COUNTY tfH
open for just such business and By tho
way the law has fixed these prosecutions
so easy that any court can try these
cases and pass judgment upon guilty
parties. A complaint can be made be-
fore the district or probate court or can
be made and tried 20 "A finish by any JUS
tice of the peace In the county. Thee
courts are easy to get into and IN them
these cases should all be set.led-not be-
fore the board OF county commissioners
whose limited time is needed IN other
channels.
''The law prescribes certain rules and
regulations Tor saloon keeper 20 COM
ply with before a license can DC issued.
II these regiIa tons and requirements are
complied with. then It is the ssuty Of the
board to grant his license without haggl-
ing over Il.
After that II he does not run his saloon
in any particular as the law ssipulates
II should be run then he should be hauled
over the Goals good and hard for f. A
saloon keeper who violates the Law f. no
better than any other law breaker and Is
entitled 70 pay the penalty for his viola
lions the same as anyone else.
The antI-saloon league. ss It's name
Implies, has for its aim and purpose the
stamping out % the rum trafflc.
This f. very c0mmeudable move and
should this league even partially succeed
in It's purpose g. Will have done a great
good to the country AZ large but u u
would succeed 70 any degree Il must 20
at its work IN a Systematic manner The
first place 20 DO ns missionary work Is
in the legislature There the laws Will n
govern the traffic are made Then proceed
direct 70 the courts with vigorous prose
cutions against the law breakers--sse that
every one 81 them IS convicted and pun
ished. When the league does this and
does It well The good results wiil BE mani
fest on al sides. bat n u must pUt n Us
appearance before the board ~ county
commissioners with a petty frivolous pro-
test every time a liquor license is 20 20
acted upon @ had better % out - bust