The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-11
THEIR ULTIMATUM
TOPEKA JOINTIsTs MUST aUIr THE
BUSINESS.
5000 MEN IN MASS MEETING.
GIVEN UNTIL FRIDAY NOON TO
CLEAN UP.

Patience Has Ceased 90 he VIrtue,
SAID the Speakers, and the PeopIe
VIII Take the Law Into Their own
Hands-rhe UItimntum a Severe
Arraignment of the saIoonkeep-
ers-I'hOse Who Rent to Joint
Keepers Also Put ON Notice.
Topeka. Kan, Feb l0--Three thousand
male citizens Of Topeka, Ia mass meeting
here to-day, issued an ultimatum giving
the numerous joints of the city until Fri
day next, at 12 O'clock, noon. to quit busi-
ness. If this shall not be done warning
was given that thousand armed men
would Immediately move on the joints and
remove them by force. To-day's action
is the result OF the crusade started in To-
peka less than ten days ago by Mrs. Car
rie Nation
The meeting this afternoon was a re-
markable one in evetS respect. II was
called by committee of the Law En-
foreement League, and was attended by
nearly all the prominent business men of
the city Conservative men who have
hitherto advocated moderation in the deal
ings with the lawless element, insisted
in unmistakable terms that the
time had come when patience
had ceased to be virtue and
that the people OF Topeka should take the
law in their own hands. The meeting was
opened with prayer After a few short
snappy addresses, which worked the au-
dience to high degree OF enthusiasm, an
ultimatum was proposed and passed. amid
the loudest cheering. The ultimatum
commanded the officers of the city and
county to perform their duties regarding
the closing of the joints. The officers
were warned that they had waited long
enough. The property owners in whose
premises the joints are kept were also
warned in unmistakable terms that they
should abate the nuisances at once, or
the people of Topeka would not be re-
sponsible for the damage that might en-
sue to the buildings. The words OF con-
demnation and warning brought forth
murmurs OF approval that gained strength
with each minute, finally sweeping over
the ent.re audience aud eliminating in
great enthusiasm. Old men and conserv-
alive ministers rose to their feet in their
enthusiasm and waved handkerchiefs, ges-
ticulated ana cheered to the echo. The
ultimdturl which was adopted by Iis-
ing vote, follows:
To those Immediately engaged In the
illegal business, whether wholesale or
retail, we have to say that the long con-
troversy with you must now comes to
an end. You have openly and persist
emily defied our laws; you have made
yourselves the agents of even greater
criminals outside of the state who have
supported you in your unlawful traffic.
you nave gathered about YOU a criminal
element that is a perpetual menace TO the
safety of the community. ana have main
tained places that engender and enconr-
age all vices: YOU have introduced the
most corrtIptng and demoraIizing FAC.
tors and Influences into our local noii.
tics; and for wears vou have scornad
all appeals and warnings that bava
been presented 70 vou ~, 9ba ,,r.,,o -,
ing people of the communitv
NOW we feel thai the tinoe has oor,o
when we must sneaI, to ,Jo,, r,ara,,,,s,e
ily We cease now "a endea,,or 10 ,,o,-
slIade-we commend Va, v,.,et -. tfs
lawless and iniouitous businesa ana sto,,
IL at once and we hereby rotiev ,,o,, .hat
we must have unouestjonabia a,,,da,oa
absolutely satisfactory 10 the c,ornr,tttoe
OF Public Order which we to~dar, ,on1
stitute that all your Illicit goods tosather
with all the associated dxtures ana s,r. ,
nishings of the places where vo,,r ,,,iau,-
ful business has been carried q, sba,l
have been removed and shinned FROM tha
city before 70 o'clock moon Fridav nah
Is. 1901. Upon the strict and literal a.
servance of this demand we shall insist.
and II II shall be disreearded we vii,
take whatever measures are necessary for
its rigid enforcement
'If a long-outraged public shall ha com
pelled to resort to the fundamentaI rigbt
OF -vindication against crir,inais "a
thotc albot4.r. a. 49, /.