The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-13
Prohibition Candidate Opens
His Campaign at Home.
Says Republicans Favor the
Licensing of Joints.
CRITICISES STANLEY.
Says He Kept Silent When He
Should Have Spoken.
COmmends Democrats Open OPP
position to Prohibition.

Rev. F. W. Emerson. candidate for
governor of Kansas on the Prohibition
ticket, opened the campaign for his
party in this part of the state with
speech Of nearly an hour and a half to d
crowd of more than six hundred people
at the Topeka Auditorium, Saturday
evening
Rev. Mr.. Emerson declared he had
hopes OF being elected on one condition,
and that was If the ministers and Chris
tian people of the state meant what they
said and would vote that way. Other
wise ne would be defea ted. He arraigned
both the Republican and Democratic
parties, saying that either of them oc-
cupied one end Of the political teeter-
board and in the middle was the liquor
element throwing its influence one way
or the other.
Rev Mr. Emerson said he never had
left the pulpit; that he is working in
the Prohibition cause with the same
views of right as if he were preaching.
But because of his love of country he
was interested in it's perpetuity. Our
country" said he. lis so great and
strong that l fear it does not know the
primary elements of greatness. 1 main
tain that it is not the silver and the
gold, the agricultural conditions nor the
commercial development, the army nor
the navy, that makes America what she
is, but her citizenship. The difference
between China and America is the diff
ference in citizenship. The paramount
question in my mind is the protection
of our own people. We need men as we
never before needed them. The wall of
protection is the wall of American cit
tzenShio, the men and the women to
whom the ballot has been uniustly de-
MED" He believed that in brick wall
it did not take a majority of the brick
to be soft in order that a dangerous
weakness might be produced. And he
applied the same principle to the mat
ter Of human government. The weak
place in the glory and honor of this
country he believed to be in its 900
drunkards. While he believed there were
other important questions in this ma
ton, that of suppressing the liquor bust
ness was above all. because it struck
a blow directly at the flag and the con-
Stltut1On. The protection of the home
and of manhood was most important
To settle this would be to settle most
of the economic problems of the times.
He thought we had done a great work
in emancipating the Philippines from
the tyranny of Spain, but he could not
forget that it was our soldiers who in
troduced the liquor business into those
islands. People tell us the labor cues-
ton is important, but understanding the
tolls and trials of labOring men and
having been in the heart of two or three
strikes, if the liquor element were re-
moved there would not be much left of
the strike There is not an economic.
political or social question but that
might be solved by the correct solution
OF the liquor question:
<ASAOSS the pathway OF the country
progress lay the log of the liquor traf-
nc, said Rev Mr.. Emerson. You know
that the settlement of this is at the
polls. We may pray and preach and
listen but unless you vote against the
liquor business the liquor men don't
care. The only place to fight the saloon
Is in politics" He related the circum-
stances under which the internal reve-
nue. act of 1862 was enacted and how
that the prophecies which Senator Will
IF a Oh Of
concerning it had come true. Since that
time the liquor business had been con-
tinually in the politics of the nation We
need no other argument to convince
men of the liquor evil than the 700. 900
drunkards in this country but there are
others as strong. Go behind the prison
walls and see that Is per cent of the
men have been placed there by the
drink traffic.
"Of the paupers, 80 of every 100 have
placed themselves where they are be-
cause of drink. How many of the WOrn-
en- who have lost their virtue have been
put there by drink. Think of the virtu-
Gus women whose hearts have been bro
ken by liquor. People say" he said.
that if you leave liquor alone it will
leave you alone That is devils He.''
Taking up the state campaign he de-
clared he believed w. II. CraddOck to
be a pure man personlly but that his
policy in ruling Kansas City, Kan, was
a mistaken one favorable to saloons
and houses of vice running wide open
He quoted Craddock as having said
that he was elected on a wide-oDen
platform and by the gods it was going
to be wide-Onen town The attitude
Of the Republicans was that of silence
which he interpreted best by spelling
backward, thus meaning license" One
of the candidates for Justice on the sll-
preme bench had declared that one of
the most damnable pieces of legislation