The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-07-05
CALL ON REDDEN.
Women Of Praying Band Inter-
view Him.
Say He Gave Old Excuse About
Not Closing Joints.
BRING THE EVIDENCE.
That Was the Burden Of His Re-
ply.
An Elaborate Address is Pre-
scented to Officer.

SouC6O 10 VmC0rs
The praying band women, who visited
Governor Stanley a few days ago, gave
Judge "A. l. Redden a call on TIE
Fourth of July. and told him some of
to know about the prohibitory law.
A carefully prepared address was
read to the judge by Miss Blanche
Boies. of horsewhipping fame. and Mr..
Redden was asked why he had not ex-
ercised his authority as assistant coun-
ty attorney and closed up the joints.
In reply Judge Redden told the wo
men that he was ready to close the
joints provided the evidence upon which
to act should be furnished to him.
Miss Boies said. in speaking of the
interview:
I'VE wished to know why our county
and state officers don't make some ef-
fort to enforce the law, when the law
is plain. We thought perhaps they
had lost their law books, and had for
gotten what they contained. We don't
wish these men to imagine they are
fooling US when they tell US they are
doing all the law empowers them to do.
They can't fool all the people all the
time Mr.. Redden gave US the same
old excuses about being willing to en-
force the law if people would only
bring him the evidence. That reminds
me of the story of the man who agreed
to kill all the rats on certain planta-
ton, provided the proprietor would give
him his dinner. The dinner was Set
before him, and eaten. Now go ahead
and kill the rats, said the proprietor.
All right, bring on your rats. said the
man. That is the way Mr.. Redden acts
about these liquor prosecutions.
The women who went with Miss Boies
to see Mr.. Redden were Mrs. Hedges.
Mrs Howard and Mrs. Dunn They first
called on Mr.. Redden in the early part
of the week, and he told them he was
H. k1<<~~- H. I-~~<
and invited them to come on July 4.
The meeting occurred shortly before
loon yesterday
1--WE wrote out what we had to say"
said Miss Boies, because none OF us
are good takers
The address is as follows:
"A. L. Redden, Assistant Attorney
General:
Your Honor. For the benefit of some
ignorant or misguided lawyers and
judges, not yourself we beg leave to
chief Justice of the United States SUI
| preme court has written the decision.
see 123 u. S. 623 to-wit: If any state
| deems sthe retail and internal traffic II:
ardent spirits injurious to- its citizens
| and calculated to produce idleness, vice
or debauchery see nothing in the con-
stitution of the United States to pre-
inn Hent II the from trafio ana nr.hibitinr
| it altogether, If it thinks proper
Acting upon this established principle
| of jurisprudence the people of Kansas
passed the prohibitOry amendment
Again the supreme court of these
| United States, 81 u. S., 32, has declared:
| If the public safety or the public morals
require the discontinuance of any man
| ufacture or traffic. the hand Of the leg
| islature cannot be stayed from provid-
| ing for its discontinuance by any Incl
| dental inconvenience which individuals
! or corporations may suffer.
he Ine fclo fryy~ 70 nj
property by wholesale il necessary. for
| the public good. by stopping such man
| ufacture and traffic, thereby rendering
said property absolutely worthle
Hence the .Hurrel bilr is in harmony.
! authorizing all saloon fixtures seized
| and destroyed. Once more allow US to
| cite a most important ruling of the
i highest judicial authority. the supreme
court of this nation: No legislature can
bargain away the public health or the
public morals. The people themselves
| cannot do it, much less their servants
| Government is organized with view TO
| their preservation and cannot divest
| itself of the power to provide for them
| See 101 u. s., S16.
That is that no legislature can legal
| ize or license vice, immortality, crime Or
| wrong, therefore all license laws. high
| or low, and all fines permitting the yio-
| lation to continue, are Illegal and un-
| constitutional.
And now in conclusion we would call
| your special attention to section IA of
| the constitutional law of this state
| which reads:
Tt shall be the duty of all sheriffs
| and constables, in their respective ceun-
| ties and townships. to file complaints
| and make arrests for violation of this
| act, whenever they shall be Informed
| of violation thereof. and any such
officer who shall neglect or refuse to file
such complaint or make such arrest.
| upon being Informed of the commission
of such offense. shall be subject to fine
not exceeding one hundred dollars, and
| his Office shall be vacant Provided,
| that no such officer shall in any event
| be liable to cost of any such prosecu-
tion-'
..There is no ambiguity about that.
1t is not the business or the duty ol
any citizen. except such said officials,
| to file complaints and prosecute these
liquor outlaws. That is what We elect
or sherifr who does not do SO. when his
attention is called to such violation BY
any reputable person. thereby forfeits
and resigns from his Office. The law
| makes his Office vacant, without further
cause or proof
HAS not the governor or the attor-
ney general the power to suspend such
derelict officials as well as county at
torneys, and appoint some one to per-
form their several necessary duties
during custer proceedings?
Just one more question and we are
done. Under the plain provisions OF
tne ABOVE law anu recent Iuhttes VI tisS
Kansas supreme court, in the cases
from Wyandotte county. how can ex-
Chief Stahl and his men be held fespcn-
sible for costs and expenses In carry
ing out prosecutions of law violatorsl
"And lastly. by way of postscript
(this would not be womans plea
without an addendum) are the druG
stores privileged law-breakers or arr
they amendzble the same as any Other
jointist and can they be raided by th>
authorities as at Ottawa and their H.
| quors and fixtures conf1scafed?
Thanking you for listening to us -
kindly and patiently we await your re
ply or any informati you may chooe<
to give ourselves or the public"