The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-13
CLOSING KANSAS sALOONs.

The rebuke which has been administer
e to the authorities of the state of Kan
sas through the enforced closing up of
the Topeka saloons represents the ulti-
mate expression of an aroused public
sentiment. 1t divests the work of Mrs
Nation in that state of many of the fool
ish attributes which have attached to it.
and has lifted it to the dignity of a val
liable public undertaking.
Tie open and notorious violation of
law, whether INDUCED in by private cit
izons or by public servants, is certain
sooner or later to receive it's deserts.
The blame for the maintenance of sa-
looms in Kansas cities does not rest with
the proprietors alone, nor, in anything
like the same degree, as it attaches to
the politicians and office-holders They
have in existence a law in that state
which it was not designed should be en-
forced. They enacted that law in the
complete consciousness that the people
would not submit to being deprived of
their right to consume alcoholic drink
as a beverage They knew when the
law was enacted that liquor would be
sold surreptitiously. They know and have
known for years through the knowledge
their senses bring them that the law is
and has been openly and VIGOROUSLY vio-
lated and that the demoralizing inau-
oEce was in operation on society of see
ing the law set at naught, and the sa-
loon proprietors treating that law with
absolute contempt
10 state Of society which tolerates
such a condition can BE- otherwise than
Ursound at its basis. Tho continuance
o. such a state of things means moral
AMI political corruption. Even the class
of men-representng the more intei.i-
gent elements-who have just made the
demand upon the salo2nkeepers. and who
have supplemented Mrs. Nations work
by compelling the saloons of Topeka to
close. have their share of the responsib /
ity, and it is by no means a small share.
7 hey have year after year voted the
retention in Office of the men who b.
their subserviency to a Ease pubic SEN
timent have allowed the law 20 be thus
openly violated, and who would not dare
to face the necessity Of having that law
repealed or so amended as to free Kan
sas society from the Danger involved in
its continued maintenance and disreg lrI.
He is no true friend of the liquor traf
fc who will insist that those saloons
should be allowed to continue in OPERA
ton. The retail sale of liquor is a recog>
nized industry. 1t las tie right to pro-
tecion that any other industry has "a
long as it as the sanction OF the law
behind it, 1t has, or should have, no
more immunity from the penalties at.
tached TO the violation of law than an2
other induS-1y. The social question in
VoiFed in tie maintenance Of places for
the retailing of saloon intcxicants with
d the sanction OF the law does not ca ! COR
settlement at this time, and will not s,
long as the condition of the law remains
as it is But whether the saloon is ne
mately to disappear as a social and
business institution, it is certain that
men viii continue to consume intoxf-
cauts as a beverage and we hope and
believe that the American people will
never give their sanction to any law
which will prohibit that consumption.
Whatever form of regulation may e.
vail of the liquor traffic. neither Mrs
Nation nor any other influence will ever
wean mankind from the desire for stimu.
lants which is born of the stress AMI
strain of modern existence.