The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-23
PROHIBITION IN KANSAS.
Testimony of Men who Have Observed
Its Operation.

Its Operation.
To the Editor Of the indianapolis Journal:
The twenty-frst anniversary of the pro-
hibitory law in Kansas vas celebrated in
several places in that State the first day or
last May. 1t served as an occasion for
reviewing the history and workings of the
law for twenty-one years. One speaker
brought together the opinions OF men. liv-
ing and dead, which are worth reading by
every man everywhere, for prohibition is
yet on trial. Governor Stanley says: Pro
hibition in Kansas has been marked by very
beneficial results, which will be apparent
TO anyone who will travel through Kansas
and through any of the license States that
may be selected and note the difference in
the types Of young men in Kansas who
never saw a saloon and will avoid il. If
for no other reason than because it is under
the ban of law
Prof. James II. Garfield, Of Kansas State
University, and president of the National
Educational Association, says: When i be-
gan work in the State University i'm Law
renee, twelve years ago, every student was
Obliged to pass thirteen saloons on his way
to the pOstofice for his daily mail There
is not now a saloon In this city of 1900
people, nor anything that corresponds TO a
saloon. The mass of our school children
never saw a saloon, and do not know what
Il L lhtdiiE. 4 It ulOt a Gle VI II ItAAAAAAlAAAL
has so risen and has been so tempered that
no conceivable conditions or circumstances
could ever again make the saloon keeper or
the bar clerk respectable"
Judge w. c. Webb, one OF the ablest
jurists in the State, said: Il voted In 1890
against the prohibitory amendment. For
opinion as TO probable results was likely
TO be indicated. But il is not so now. Pro-
hibition has driven out of Kansas the open
! saloon, and has accomplished a vast deal
Of good-a t~housand-fold more than any
license law ever did or ever could. The
whisky traffic never had a single virtue nor
a possible merit. 1t was permitted only as
preferable TO a worse evil, the prevailing
idea for many generations being that UNI
less licensed and taxed. and so brought
within the control or restraint or law, II
would be absolutely free TO damn and curse
and kill the human family. Now that II has
been demonstrated that the law can and
will prohibit its open and public sale. and
prohibit the running OF drunkard-making
and beggar-making mills, there Is no longer
any occasion for men TO choose between
evils, for they can choose the good; and
prohibition has proven to be and is unmis-
takably good as compared with open sa-
looms"
can't recall a single person who voted for
the amendment that would now vote against
1t, while on the other hand you can find
hundreds who voted against IL who would
now vote TO retain IL In the Constitution.
L voted against the amendment. and have
never been a prohibitionist, but ! prefer
| TO cast my lOl among IttDCIldDlts law
abiding citizens as against lawbreakers
and nullifers. / believe the State is better
for prohibition. Crime has decreased. court
expenses have been reduced, communities
have been made more respectable. and
individuals have been made happier for It,"
Hon. j. W. Hamilton, state treasurer,
says: 1T is well known TO my friends that
when the prohibition question was first
agitated I was an anti-prohibiuonist. L
did all in my power TO defeat the amend
ment. The prOhibltory law has my indorse-
- not alone hnnnrea ~ e. tho Hnnfrfnn
of my party, but because / believe IL is
right. i do not see how any fair-minded
man who has lived in Kansas for the past
FIVE years can be otherwise than in favor
Of the law. / don't want my children. nor
any other mans children. TO grow up
where they VIII be CONFRONTED by saloons
with the law, and shall vote and work to
keep il in force"
Hon. p. G. Lowe, formerly state senator
from L~eavenwOrth county. says: Il OPP
posed prohibition because / believed il not
the best way TO deal with the evils Of in
temperance. / voted against the prohibi-
tory amendment. Hundreds Of men who
believed this law would prove Impractical
BILE, and work more evil than good. would
not now vote for an open saloon for any
thing. and 1 am one Of them"
Gov. John a. Martin was one of the most
resOlute opponents OF prohibition in 1859,
but before his death became a firm advo-
cate Of the cause-cOnverted by the logic OF
its success. In his last message TO the
legislature he said: Fully nine-tenths OF
the Thinking and drunkenness prevalent in
Kansas eight years ago has beer abol
ished. and i affirm. with earnestness and
emphasis, that this State is to-day the
most temperate. orderly. sOberiy commun-
ity of people in the civilized world. The
abolition of the saloon has not only pro-
NOTED the personal happiness and general
prosperity of our citizens. but 10 has enor-
mOusly diminished crime; has filled thou
sands Of homes. where vice and want and
wretchedness once prevailed. with peace,
plenty and cOntentment, and has material
~ increased the trade and business OF those
engaged i'm the sale OF useful and whole
some articles OF merchandise. Many OF
our jails are empty and ali show a marked
falling off in the number OF prisoners con-
fined. The dockets OF our courts are nC
longer burdened with long lists Of criminal
cases. The business OF the police courts
Of our larger cities has dwindled 20 one
fourth Of its former proportions. while IN
the cities Of the second and third class the
! occupation Of police authorities h prac-
tically gone"
GOV. L. L. Humphrey says. 'The saloon
as a factor I'm politics. as a moral iniQuftF
4 has been outlawed and made "a fugitiFl
and vagabond on the face Of the earth, oi
that part OF IL within the territorial hmiti
OF Kansas. The law generally Is being re-
spected and enforced. because by a sori
or educational process IL Is becoming iden
tilted in the public mind with other crimi
, nal statutes.
The Rex. 3. Kelly. United states pension
agent at Topeka. Kan, said that Their,
were fOrty-four counties I'M the State with
nal in iail. three with only one each n
. iail. while over go OF the total was In 81
. counties where the prohibition law wa
E most laxly enforced.
These testimonies from such men ar
r worth preserving. u. L. SEX.
I Fnafapa poIfz lime 81