The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-05-26
About $500 People Present at
Auditorium in Evening.
JOAB MULVANE TALKS.
officer Who Fails to Enforce
Law Should Be Impeached.
Z. ID. COburn and Rev. Charles
M. Sheldon Speak.

may OF OF city 10 LlidAE lcAE any PD-@NS
not prescribed by the law" said Joab
Mulvane during the course of his
speech before the prohibition mass meet
ing at the auditorium last night. He
was speaking of the manner in which
the officials fail to enforce the prohibit
ton law, and was one of several speak
ers who which occupied ten minutes
time at the meeting.
Amy officer who fails to do his duty
according to the oath he takes upon en-
entering office" he continued, lis a per
jurer and ought to be impeached unless
he voluntarily resigns.
IF a citizen is elected to office and
he is confronted with a law which he
does not like to enforce, he should re
sign. The offices are not thrust upon
any man: the candidate usually makes
strenuous struggle for the once ana
once there should do his duty ana en-
force every law as it is found upon
the statute book.
II mean no personal reflections in my
remarks" he continued. Il am speak
ing Of the law and of officers simply as
they are and as they should be- Their
duties are very plain, and to an I'M
biased mind there can be no hesitation
as to what should be done.
The prohibition mass n Getting last
night was attended by perhaps $500
people. Nine speakers made ten min
ute talks 1t was quite a notable gath
ernlEs IN aQQlDOu 10 there belll5 OAA tA-1
stage practically every minister in the
city there We're also 3oab Mulvanes
Edward Wilder. W. W Mills, Kew. Z.
NJ Sheldon T. +. Carver, DR.. L. +.
Grubbs. Robert Stone, ]. w. f. Hughes
and Professors Harshbarger and Ellis
of Washburn college.
F. d. Coburn was elected chairman OF
the meeting and IN accepting the honor
said:
ITO a man proud of Kansas. all Of
whose years of majority have been
spent within her porders, and in his
humble way for her upbuilding; VINO
is proud Of her magnificent and bound
less ma terial resources but prOuder yet
of her splendid citizenship; her civic
virtue, her manly men and wOmenly
women, and proud, too. of this beautiful
capital city, it should seem a great
honor to preside over gathering SO
representative of all these as is here as
sembled. In this spirit this honor is ac-
cepted by your charm an.
notwithstanding the lofty purpose
and patriotism of our people as whole
there is constantly at work among US
an element whose determination or ten
dency it would seem is to supplant law
with laWlessness; good with evil; pros
perity with poverty; hope with despair;
sobriety with drunkenness; water with
whisky the Sunday school with the
saloon and slot machine, and the Bible
with beer This element or its spirit
never tires, and is never more active
and never more pervasive than when
clean-minded honest people are in
church or in bed This element is sleep
less in its efforts to advertise to the
world that Topeka, the capital city of
prohibition Kansas is theirs, of them,
at heart with them and for them. It
has apparently had of late much en-
enlargement, aid and comfort from
those in high places whose solemn Oaths
are registered with God to uphold our
constitution and n aintain our laws. It
has desecrated this civic temple this
day. as I am advised, to exploit to all
the world, as best it might, its contempt
for laws that restrain liquor selling
and drunkenness. thereby melting de-
|iiance of other or all laws which inter
fere with what this element is pleased
to call its personal Hberty-a liberty ii
. always exercises to the detriment of so
ciety. and whose correct designation is
anarchy. Surely these people are not
your spokesman!
This meeting here tonight is for Civ
ing public expression from representa-
tives of the various legitimate business
interests of this fair capital city of this
fair state to the sentiment that Topeka
in spite of other representations, stands
for sObriety. decency. honesty in officia
as well as in private life; for the con
stitution and for the law; against an
archy in whatever guise or by whom
soever melted, by whomsoever abetted.
The following vice presidents Of tn
meeting were then elected: W. W
Mills Col. J. W. f. Hughes, George w
4ADCAEAs 41OWCs D. L. ANASelGyt y
w. Gleed. P. W. Griggs, E. R. Simon
M. T. Campbell z. A. SimmerweH d.
M. r. Mitchell DR.. S. G. Stewart, Rev
w. r. Mitchell, Thomas NJ Balm. Mrs
A J. Arnold, Miss Viola Troutman, S
H PITCHER w. B. Kirkpatrick, Luthe
Nellis, Prof. ELI G. Foster, Mrs. T T
Carver, Mrs H. o. GarNey, Mrs. J. L
Mcfarland, Mrs. W. A. Johnston, J. T
Griffith. John r. Mulvane, c. c. Nichol
son. DR.. L. NJ Powell. Rev. J. B. Nc
Afee and A. Troup.
Rev. DR.. COuntermine Of the Firs
PRESBYTERIAN church led the meeting 1
prayer, during the course of which h
referred to Mayor Parker as follows:
Bless our mayor, o Lord: take ava
his heart Of stone and give him on
filled with a love of God and a sense c
duty. Open his eyes that he may rea
lie that he is occupying a position c
honor and of trust Unstop his ear
that he may hear the voice of Go
and the voice Of the citizens; and tn
voice Of conscience and duty and re
spOnsibility. o Lord, remember til
homes that are desolate because Of tn
officials who have violated their ohicis
oatns- DO away with the lawlessnes
that exists and soften the hearts of on
hardened officials"
Rev. c. NJ. Sheldon presented the FOL
ITO the People of Topeka and
Shawnee County, Who Believe in La
and Order:
TT IS a fact which we are oblige
10 acknowledge WIN righteous llQlSDa
tion against those who have made it s.
that q condition Of lawlessness exists
Topeka which is a cause Of great dar
ger to our municipal life. The fact
this lawlessness is so we'll proved an
the effect Of it is SO apparent that
needs 10 further statement.
What is needed now IS the deliberai
united action of every man who believe
in civilized society and of every woma
who loves her children to do thos
things that shall result in what X
have a right to possess city whel
the laws of the people shall be respecte
and obeyed. as those laws have been an
can be-
Granting the possibility Of such r.
gpect ana obedience, it is not an II
justice to say that the present lawles
ness is the direct result Of the delibera
a4ure en- the pazt of our city AZ