The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1900-08-10
Joints,
EDITOR GRAPHIC

Last week There was a kick in the
Graphic about the tact of there being
three joints III town-Or rather because
there was no "hush money" beIug ac-
cepted Dy the council. Such a kick Is
ali right except The suggestion of as
sesslng the JOINTS instead of urging
the EN- Orcement OF the law.
IL is now known that there has re-
Gently been an assessment accepted by
our city dads from one Of the
JOINTS, which may be accepted as
prelude OF Others soon to follow.
This ought of itself to be ''prima-
facla" evidence of d violation OF the
law anu subject the Offenders To arrest
anu punieu.ncnL. Ii Is every OUdy'S
privilege 10 klck-Dut not SO easily
determined where to KICK. 1t does not
seem right that the morally depraved
Jolntl>L snould receive all-Dut That
,iIe responsibility should ue divided
with those who are guilty OF maifeas-
ance III Office oy accepting briDe or
hush money III violation OF Tile law.
Ii the council would say that there
shall be NO Joints in town there would
be none.
If one out of a dozen county attorneys
in this county would say that there
shall be no liquor sold Illegally there
would be no JOINT. Ii the owner OF a
]OInt building. who is anlenable to
the law, were ordered not to rent his
building for such purpose, he would
deslsL. 1t the city marshal were as
great an adept in running down joints
as he is in running out worthless
tramps, and often honest men, IL would
be more in keeping with the duties and
II ff ha
that employs anu instructs him. If
several of our principal BUSINESS men
preferred the exclusion OF the joint
rather than the exclusion of a few dol
lars of trade and speak out their be-
hest would be obeyed.
If the organized church forces would
fight the devil" at short range in
the joint as readily as they do at long
range in foreign lands, he would pick
up his grip sack" and leave.
There is yet another spot left to
kick at.
AT large church audience within
last year some remarks were made
in favor of the promotion of morals
and the enforcement of the prOhi bitOry
law. Voters both male and female
were urged to throw aside political
prejudices and personal sentimental
ties and to vote only for council men
who would pledge themselves to en-
force the law. Now has any such de-
mand been made. Has woman been
invited to the caucus by either pOllt-
ical party where she could make such
demands and have a voice in the Sc
lecti on of candidates? And has wOm-
an made any such demands. Yet on
election morning she was aligned po-
ILLEGALLY with her peers and with smiles
and Establishments, drumming up
votes for her party candidate, regard
less OF and blind to the issues that SO
name. But, perhaps, we ought not to
complain when we got just what We
VOLed IOr.
An assessment of eighteen hundred
dollars a year from three JONES tor
the Improvement of the city may
be d pleasing thought to some people
but | prefer to contrast the more en-
Dobling thought of city that con-
serves to the morals of its people and
makes its improvements with honest
money and has a subscribed fund for
the detection of crime and the moral
stamina to bring violatOrs to justice.
Now there may be politics III these
remarks, or there may not. just as you
consider the term. l confess that there
is Not the kind that debases, and is
hawked as all Particle OF commodity ut
the polls-not the kind that is bred in
joints and dens of vice that places fet-
tiers upon the will and conscience of
man-nOt the kind that is grounded in
pre- judice and makes man subservient
to intrigue, corruption and crime.
N OF the kind that largely prevails in
public affairs and apprOpriates the
rights of labor and makes war upon
human liberty in the name of patriot
ism and Christian civilizatiOn-but
that which. the word ''politcs" should
signify; a governing policy that con-
serves the rights of humanity. moral
ity, intelligence and good citizenship
the protection of home and nation
by honest rule.
Since the Graphic has opened this
question and proposes to have more
to say in the future let US lend our en-
and relegate the joint
with it's debasing influence to the low
est abyss. STAPLETON.
We are always pleased to give all
sides of question tn our readers and
ST. print Mr.. StapletOn's views, al
though We cannot fully endorse his
In allowing the joints
to pay a certain sum of money each
the council could hardly be
C harged with accepting ''hush mon
ey" for they are not making any
noise now and no money is being
paid in.
AS to the enforcement of the law,
anyone who wants the job can have