The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-02
AGAIN "sI.nRDING KANSAS"

For fifty years OF belligerent history
tant- Fifty years ago the issue of war
in Kansas was slavery. Today IT Is the
saloon. Then the cause was national;
now it Is Mrs Ma ton. Then the fray
vast shedding OF spilled beer and plate
glass.
BY article Is. section 10. of the cousti-
tuition Of Kansas. as amended by vote of
the people in November. 1850, the manu-
facture and sale OF Intoxicating liquors
Is forever prohibited In Kansas. BY
statutes passed in pursuance of this con-
stttuttonal prohibition. in the legislative
sessions of 1881. 1885, 1887 and subsequent
ly, the sale of lIquor-except for medic.
inal scientific and mechanical purposes
by special permits comprised with Sc
we're penalties provided with great detail
and care The saloon man is In for a
fine Of 500 to $3.50 or 80 to 90 days for
each and every ofrcnse; and the saloon
patron is subject 10 the same pain and
penalties Moreover every public official
responsible for tho enforcement of the
law comes in for Ike penalties for re-
fusing to enforce. besides losing his Of
flee. Among the officials thus held re-
sponsible are the county attorney and
sheriff. the city mayor and police force.
the village marshal and town constables,
.lS vol fha
these officials fail TO perform their dulles
In regard TO the enforcement Of the
prUhibitory statute. he may either he re-
moved by c1vtl process or be prosecuted
crmIualIy and lose his office besides suf-
ferins tho fine al:d Imprisonment accord,
ed tho guilty liquor dealer All of these
provisions have heen sustained by the
supreme court OF Kansas In numerous
decisions
Section 20 OF tho Kansas prohtbItory
law is undoubtedly that which gives
the present crusade Its legal Inspiration.
II is Known as the search and seizure"
clause. All Hqnor places conducted With
out legal permit are declared by this
section TO be common nuisances." Sher-
IFS. deputies. cOnstabes, uiarshals and
police are directed to shut up and abate
them by SELLING the liquors and general
outfit and destroying them publicly.
Public officials are compelled by the
section to act on information furnish
ed by any citizen The stat
ute does not in so many words au-
thorize the common citizen to seize and
make destruction of saloon property. but
when the latter is declared by law 10
be common nuisance" what can tie
| guilty proprietor do If the unlawful com
mon nuisance" run by him happens TO get
! ahated?
The fact stands. that the Kansas sa-
loonkeeper. according to Kansas law. is
| engaged in criminal practices, and his
| liquor and fixtures are the tools Of said
unlawful practices; and how can the
| guilty offender demand of a Kansas court
the payment Of damages for the loss OF
| the tools Of his unlawful occupation?
| AS well might the mountain moonshiner
go to the United States court to re-
cover damage to his illegal STILL or the
safe-cracker sue for the loss of his tools
while engaged in prosecuting a burglary
Consequently, after one or two failures
at attempting Mrs. Nations prosecution
in court, the liquor dealers of Kansas
have been compelled to fall back upon
| the water hose and the fists Of their
wives for the protection of their prop
erty. The saloon can get from the law
no protection in the conduct of a bust
| ness which the law pronounces criminal
| But If Mrs Nation goes out of the