Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-02-14
THE MEN TAKEAHAND
Topeka Business Leaders Say
"Joints" Must Go.
AN ULTlMATUM TO SALOON KEEPERS
Keepers 0f Illegal Resorts In the
City Given Five Days to DE-
pose of stock and CiOse-A
Housing H;;ss Meeting.

TOPEKA. Feb. I1.--T!.roe thousand
male citizens of Topeka ia i,..;ss i.l..i-
ing here have decided that the numerous
Joints of the city must close their
places. They issued an ultimatum Civ
ing the ''jointists" until Friday next ut
II o'clock noon to quit business. If this
shall not be done. warning was given
that 1000 armed men would immediate
ly move on the Joints" and remove
them by force. This action is the result
Of the crusade started in Topeka less
than ten days ago by Mrs. Carrie Nation.
The meeting yesterday afternoon was u
remarkable one in every respect. 1t
was called by committee of the Law
Enforcement league and was attended
by nearly all the prominent business men
OF the city. A feeling of intense earnest
ness pervaded the meeting. Conservative
men who have hitherto advocated mod
GRAFTON in the dealings with the lawless
element insisted i'll unmistakable terms
that the time had come when patienc,
had ceased to be a virtue and that the
people of Topeka should take the law in
their own hands.
The meeting was opened with prayer.
After few short, snappy addresses.
which worked the audience to u high de-
gree Of enthusiasm, an ultimatum was
proposed and passed amid the ioudest
cheering. The ultimatum, which was
adopted by rising vote, follows:
''To Those Immediately Engaged In the
Illicit Business, Whether Wholesale or
Retail:
1--WE have to say that the long contro.
versy of uheA public with you must now
come to an emf. You have openly and
persistently defied our laws, you have
made yourselves the agents of even great
er criminals outside of the state, who
have supported you in your unlawful
traffic; you have gathered about you Il
criminal element that Is II perpetual
menace to the safety of the community
and have maintained places that engcn
der and encourage all vices: you have In
troduced the most corrupting and demor-
alizing factors and influences into our
local politics, and for years you have
scorned all appeals and warnings that
have been presented to you by the virtue
loving people of the community.
"Now we feel that the time has come
when we must speak to you peremptorily.
We cease now to endeavor to persuade.
We command. You must stop this law
less and iniQuitous business and stop il
Mt once, and we hereby notify you that
we must have unquestionable evidence
absolutely satisfactory to the committee
of public order which we today consti
tute that all your illicit goods, together
with all the associated fixtures and fur
nishings of the places where your un-
lawful business has been carried on, shall
have been removed and shipped from the
city before II O'Clock noon, Friday, Feb.
Is. 1901. Upon the strict and literal OBJ
servance of this demand we shall insist.
and if it shall be disregardcd we will take
whatever measures are necessary for its
rigid enforcement.
III long outraged public shall be com
PEELED to resort to the fundamental right
Of self vindication against criminals and
their abettors, the grave consequences to
evildoers which may result from such a
resort must rest with the detiers and nul-
lifiers of our laws and the Instructors CT
our governmental machinery
Twelve hundred men signed their
names to cards pledging themselves to be
ready at a moments notice to join the
army. which has been recruited to stamp
out the joints by the time the limit set
by the ultimatum expires,