The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1901-02-15
TOPEKA SALOONS
MUST GO.
Big Mass Meeting Held and Ultimatum
Issued.
One Thousand Men Agree to Move on
the Joints and Remove Them
by Force.

TOPEKA, Kan, Feb. 10.-Three
thousand male citizens of Topeka, in
mass meeting here to-day, decided
that the numerous joints of the city
must close. They issued an ultima
tum giving the jointists till Friday
next at IL o'clock, noon, to quit bnsi-
ness. If this is not done warning
was given that a 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 Topeka less than
ten days ago bv Mrs. Carrie Nation.
Rev. +. w. Emerson, pastor OF the
Christian Church Of Topeka, who
aided Mrs. Nation in her saloon
smashing here last week, opened the
meet ting with prayer. Afver a few
short, snappy addresses, which
worked up the audience to a high
degree of enthusiast m, the ultima
tum was proposed and passed amid
the loudest cheering.
The ultimatum, which was adopt
ed by rising vote, follows:
"To those Immediately engaged in
the Illicit business, whether whole
the long controversy Of the public
with you must now come to an end.
You have openly and persisteutly
dehed our laws; you have made
yourselves the agents of even greater
criminals outside of the State, who
have supported you in your unlaw-
full traffic; you have gathered about
you a criminal element that is per-
petual menace to the safety of the
community and have maintained
places that engender and encourage
all vices; you have introduced the
most corrupting and demoralizing
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-loying portion of the COM
mnnity.
Now we feel that the time has
come when we must speak to you
peremptorily. We cease now to en-
deavor to persuade; we command.
You must stop this lawless and
Ubiquitous business, and stop it at
once. And we hereby notify you
that we Must have unquestionable
evidence, absolutely satisfactory to
the Committee of Public Order,
which we to- day constitute, that all
your illicit goods, together with all
the associated fixtures and furnish
ings of the places where your un.
lawful business has been carried ON
shall have been removed aud ship
ped from the city before IL O'Clock
noon, Friday, Feb. l5, 1901.
Upon the strict and literal OBJ
servanca of this demand we shall
insist, and if it shall be dieregarded
We will take whatever measures are
necessary for its rigid enforcement.
Ii long-outraged public shall be
compelled TO resort to the funua-
mental right of self-vindication
against criminals and their abettors,
the grave consequences to evildoers
which may result from such re-
turn mustrest with the defiers and
nullifiers of our laws and the OBJ
structors of our governmental ma.
chinery."
AS the reader finished and sub
mitted the ultimatum to the APP
prevail of the audience, old men aud
conservative ministers of the gospel
leaped to their seats in their en-
thusiasm and waved handkerchiefs,
gesticulated and cheered to the echo.
The cheering lasted for several
minutes.
Twelve hundred men signed their
names to cards pledging themselves
TO be ready at moments notice 10
join the army which has been re-
crulted 10 stamp out the joints by
the time the limit set by the ultima
tum expires.
There seems to be no question that
the next few days in Topeka will
see interesting developments, posi-
bly, Lloodshea.