The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-05-26

ton but prohibition has become the
greater evil in this state.
There are two great o1enses OF man
KIND violence and falsehood EVERY
crime which one person commits against
anOJner may be placed under one OF
these two heads. Now the world has
reached the stage of civilization where
violence cannot be tolerated; when 1t
teaches man that falsehood is the
fundamental sin Of human life And yet
such statute stimulates falsehOOd- The
young pick it up and thus you poison
the character Of the people. There prob
ably are but few men who at some time
do not have the desire to take a drink
OF liquor And when you make mad
mans law asking that he must make a
statement for the exercise OF a privilege
Whlcn IS his own natural one, then ne
is going to make that statement. The
politicians knew this and had the drug
store feature enacted. Every one Of
them knew it was the means of escape
from an otherwise rigorous prohibitory
law Some of the best men in this state
who have CHANGED TO be in the drug
business have been compelled to enactlies
year IN and year out. Half of your drug
store are not such at all but are saloons
IN disguise The whole thing has got top
heavy and has fallen over. And hence
1t stimulates falsehood in the man who
wants to drink it. to sell it. and the man
who wishes to be elected to Office. Your
probate judge must pretend that he
don't think man is keeping a drug
store Wnen ne knows he is.
But you say you want the prOhibitOry
law for moralitys sake. When you
make liars of the whole state what glar-
ing morality you have. Your nice mer-
chant hates the whole question because
he may lose some customers by what
ever position he may take What su
pine, serpentine morality that is Better
stand erect and look the whole world in
the face and be honest. And vet you
pretend that this is moral. Oh. but
these things make a man tired.
Governor Morrill, told a truth when
he said You can't enforce a law that
hasn't the public sentiment to support
It. 1 believe in law; there isn't better
legalist here stOday than I am. But not
everything that a lot of political jack
rabbits put on the statute book is law
People have the right of enforcement of
Jaw just as they have the power to enact
it. Laws are as imperfect as their
source We must use sense IN enactlng
law. But to say that a good officer
shall enforce a bad law IS to stultify
] human nature. Why didn't you enforce
the fugitive slave law? Because they
| set hounds upon poor humanity: and
that's the way with the prohibitory law;
/ it is uncandid, insincere, Internal and
never viii do any good.
Laws are supposed to be for the pro-
! lection Of persons: but the man who
| drinks says. Thank you I don't need
| your protection Liquor is a bad crit
! tur and you should not tamper with it.
! The less you have to do with John Bar
/ lycorn the better. But if you need it I
should be one of the first to protect
| you. The community at large cannot
/ take from any man a natural right:
and the man you try to protect does
not want your protection The man is
always injured by your attempt In
/ stead. teach your boys the injury of in
| temperance. When a man goes I'D to Il
bar and gets drink you can't get him
to give up informant about 1t and
| wouldn't be so base as to give 1t up
| in a case like that That is the reason
| evidence is by turning the screws down
| and compelling the man to give 1t.
/ When you have to purchase or force all
! your information; then you employ a
false means. The man is utterly held
! in contempt. You must hire spies and
| officers who are in the nature of sleuth-
| hounds; and they are not a very high
! type of men, either. You are trying to
bless the man who doesn't want your
| blessing; and the attempt to enforce
falls into disrepute. You had that kind
! of an experience with your for
I mer chief of police. Frank Stahl was
the veriest old crazy-horse. CWild
cheering). He was a regular wild man
from Borneo just come to town Mr.
Stahl is a gentleman but his mind is sc
| narrow that when he looks at one door
yonder, he sees the other Would yOu
send such man to rule an island ano
allow them not to eat any meat but tC
live off locusts and wild honey?
Another reason that the prohibitory
law is failure: In proportion as YOU
measures get stricter, the better class
goes out of business. the worst stay II
and you've got a class that is perfectly
willing to take any chances. When yos
tighten down the screws there is a clas;
of joint-keepers which would as soon g
to Jail as not. When he is in you fec
him; and when he is out he sells liquor
going on like Tennyson' sbrook, forever
Whenever you make this attempt it is {
failure.
81 was told by a man from Massa
chusetts that you never could enforc
the prohibitory law there because tn,
Revere House was in Boston. Their
the highest gentlemen went to drink ant
it was not considered proper to bother
gentlemen in a little private matter like
that.
you will never enforce the prohib