The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-07

not patronized, so as to make profit for
their conductors it would need no aid
from Mrs. Nation or anybody else TO Sc
cure their disappearance. They have en-
listed for years. No state administration
Populist or Republican, has ever under
taken to seriously interfere with them.
The line of action adopted by Mrs. Ma
ton will probably result in their remain
ing open. They may be closed temporar-
lily; but they are certain sooner or LATER
sold and consumed in the cities of Kan
sas long after Mrs. Nation is forgotten.
whether or no the existing prohibition
state law continues in it's present form or
otherwise, or is wiped out
No law was ever effective which ian
counter to the opinions and wishes Of
the mass of the community. 1t is PLAIN
that the people of the towns and cities
of Kansas in which such places are main
tanned desire that they may have the OPP
portuntty to purchase liquor and drink
it on the premises where purchased.
Were the allowance or suppression OF
saloons in those communities left to their
people for settlement it would probably
be found that there existed an over
whelming number of the qualified voters
who favored their existence
No city can be regarded as self-govern-
ing which is not allowed the right to de-
termine for itself through the majority
sentiment of it's people the ques ton
which the Kansas prohibition state law
has pretended to settle. If municipalities
have the right and power to look after
their own sanitary interests, to police
themselves as they think proper, to do
any one of the innumerable things which
in the aggregate make up the sum OF
municipal regulation, as we regard it
today, they should have the power TO
settle for themselves the question
whether saloons shall be maintained and
If so under what form Of regulation.
Instead of maintaining the fraud and
farce which is now in operation in the
state, Of preventing the retailing of
liquor by law, while public authorities
see liquor sold under their very noses
in violation of law, the law itself and
its representatives would be respected
if the right were recognized, and the
public viii would be maintained.
No doubt large numbers of men who
have no federation to extend toward such
legislation as that which establishes pro-
hibition by law in Kansas, while allow
ing saloons to run wide open in Kansas
towns, have more or less sympathy with
Mrs. Nation and her vain performances.
But all sentiment of this kind is worse
than fruitiess. Mrs. Nation and the
places she is smashing and the foolish
state prohibition law should be sup
pressed. In any right condition of So
ciety they would all be unknown. The
state which maintains law which it is
either unable or unwilling to enforce
ought to be discredited. The public Of
ficials who will endure such happenings
as have prevailed in Kansas since Mrs.
Nation came into prominence without
Furnishing those who are responsible for
them ought all to be impeached and re-
moved from office.
The only way to prevent the recurrence
of such disgraceful scenes is for Kansas
to enact such laws relating to the sale
of liquor as will enable the several com.
munitics to determine for themselves
whether they will allow the sale of
liquor within their corporate limits.