The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-27
Plan A new WAR
Women Will Move ON the Drug
Stores.
Aim is to Have the Liquor Per-
mitS Revoked.
WILL MAKE AN APPEAL
Ask Ladies to Withdraw Names
From Petitions.
Every Druggist Must Have %
Women Signers.
Expect to Conduct Campaign
of Prayer.

The "Home Defenders are again on
| the war path. This time they viii not
WELD the hatchet on the joints under
! the leadership of Mrs. Nation, but will
start a moral SuaSion campaign against
the drug stores. The movement will be
carried on as quietly as possible by the
Home Defenders, assisted by the min
listers of Topeka, if their aid can be
secured.
According to law every druggists ap-
plica ton to sell liquor must be Signed
by 25 women in the ward and an equal
number of men who must be property
owners in Topeka.
The object of the campaign will be to
| induce the women to withdraw their
names from these petitions.
There are about 500 women who have
agreed to support the movement. The
work is to be conducted quietly and
the women wish to avoid having their
plans made public.
This is an organiza ton of Christian
women said Dr. Eva Harding today,
Ito aid the law in suppressing the il
legal liquor trade carried on by the
druggists. Every one knows the drug
stores are much harder to suppress than
the joints, and / believe this is the only
lawful way of accomplishing the work.
THE only time in the history of To-
pelxa when no liquor was sold was when
Mrs. Nation carried on her war on the
jointists here. Mayor Hughes promised
to close all the joints as soon as he got
and SO he is no better than Mayor Par
ker. I had nothing to do with the as
sault on the mayor, and / do not believe
that horsewhipping is the proper way to
go at it
We intend to go to the probate court
and secure the names of the women
who have signed these permits and in
duce them to withdraw their names. If
we encounter any difficulty, which we
undoubtedly will, we will go to their
houses and pray with them.
There are about 500 women in this
movement and the town will be divided
into sections with a certain number of
women to look after the drug stores in
each section.
1.-The idea originated from a speech
Judge McCabe made to Chief Stahl, in
which he said: There are only two
ways of settling the liquor question.
One is to induce the women of Topeka
to withdraw their names from the petit
tions and the other, to employ spoilers,
which will eliminate in a law suit
When asked whether the marks put
upon houses about town last Monday
night was done by the organization DR..
Harding said:
Il have not the slightest idea. but it
may have been done by some of the wo-
men who wish to be ready, when the
time for action arrives, with the adj
dresses of the women whose names are
on the druggists petitions
I understand some such movement
is on foot" said Mrs. ]. NJ. Dumenil of
1924 Clay street, who is president of the
Home Defenders. We intend to get
the ministers of Topeka to cooperate
with us in our plan. Something must
be done with the liquor question. We
expect to be prominent in the April
elections and hope to make some de-
cided changes. The Home Defenders
have not been active for the past two
or three months and as organization
it does not exist. But the women who
belonged to the Home Defenders and
several prominent church members ex-
pect to cooperate with the ministers
and do something
''I am not al liberty to disclose any
plans at present as we have not fully
decided just what course to pursue"
Judge w. f. Pagan, of the probate
court, said with regard to the law about
these permits;
Every permit issued to a druggist
and an equal number of property hold
ing men. / suppose that the men must
be legal voters, but I am not sure
how the law reads that point. The
idea that if a drug store changes hands
his permit goes with it is entirely in
correct.
1.-The new owner must secure another
permit, and the petition be posted for
30 days, until an investigation can be
made as to the character of the place
and the petitioner.
mo charges have been made of late
against the druggists in this court, but
/ understand there have been two OF
three cases from Oakland in the justice
court, which were dismissed. After a
permit has once been revoked by the
court, the same person cannot hold an
other permit for five years.