The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-18
BERGUNDTHAL'S TURN.
Home Defenders Wait on Him and
Leave Letter.

Home Defenders Wait on Him and
Leave Letter.
Three of the Home Defenders. Miss
Blanch Boies, Mrs. ]. w. Stout and
Mrs. +. NJ Coleman, called at the office
| OF Mayor w. S. Bergundthal this morn
ing 70 leaVe with him a communication
In regard to the liquor situation in To-
peka. The mayor happened to be out
and did not meet the representatives of
the temperance cause. When he found
1t later and read it he laughed.
4 guess I'll have to appoint Miss
Boies chief of police" he said Il don't
suppose she would be content in
minor position
Mr.. BergundthaI was not disposed to
regard the matter seriously. The letter
follows:
ITO the Honorable Mayor of Topeka:
Kansas is in a most deplorable con-
dition on the liquor business and rapidly
going from bad to worse. Every admin
feet Of the great god Bacchus, the su-
preme ruler and governor of politics.
Bailey's action in appointing Probate
Judge Hayden shows how completely
the temperance people and law and or
der workers of the Republican party
have once more been whecdled and hoo
dooed. And since you were elected
mayor how many joints have really shut
up shop and gone out of business? And
what has become of the general move
! VI
out the rebel liquor traffic in Topeka
and redeem the good name of the city
from the Parker regime? Think of
Lindsay sending up fifty liquor cases
and all thrown out of the district court
for alleged technical errors. Also Galen
Nichols only made one case stick at
the cost of over a thousand dollars for
his incompetency. Doesn't the Republi-
can party have any competent men to
put in these important positions?
s4gTba Ra1fp Stark ease stuck To the
supreme court. No technical errors were
found in the Carrie Nation trials.
Blanche Boies is having no trouble on
that score
that all this is not accidental any more
than some other things that are occur
ring.
sThe dailies have wondered time and
again why the jointists get due and
timely notice of police raids. Perhaps
you have an Arion, Eagle. Elk, Turner.
or other liquor fraternity agent on your
force.
David Overmyer boosted in his Audi
toriurn speech that the convivial order
of Elks would never be brought to obev
the constitutional prohibitory law and
we were amazed that the dignified may
or of Topeka would go to the rum-rid-
den city of st. Joseph, to join In the
antics and designations OF these ami
mails, lending them his honor and in
fluence.
AT Columbus, Ohio, the Iquorites
have a large organization of the In
ternational Order of Owls with such Of
fees. as 'Blinker," Property Owl 'Sapi-
ent Screecher,' First Vice Screechcr
and sScratcher' This is no joke and
shows what degenerate organizations
will do in these latter days
Birds of a feather will flock together
and evil associations corrupt good man
ners.
mo wonder insanity is on the increase
and chivalry and manly dignity and de-
corum on the wane. Where is that fine
sense of propriety and respect that how
cred and animated our grandsiresE
'''rhere is a most serious as well as
ridiculous side to all this.
when lawyers. judges and officials
go into the 'antic business, pose as ant
mails and mingle with Summers and or
ganized violators of constitutional law,
il is time to call a halt. The SOBER,
earnest, Christian people have right
to expect better things. When an Arlon
Judge returned the liquors and rebel
Joint paraphernelia the other day 70
So many of his fraters. why did not
your men seize and DESTROY them. Then
those hon tea villains, who have been
arrested often, fined sometimes, but gen
orally turned loose by the said Arlon
district court Why don't you hold them
on their federal license and then burn
their fixtures right then and there IN
stead of passing them on to the GUS
today of their friends?
You arrest poor tramp, warn him
to leave the town and he has to travel.
Start these whiskey rebels for the SUI
burbs and across the city limits, then
let the sheriff. who used to be such
conscientious Christian gentleman, es-
cort them across the line of Shawnee
county In other words let the officials
of Topeka and Shawnee county do
their sworn duty and this unpleasant
matter will be settled. This spasmodic
arresting. appealing to the distric
court and release on technicalities must
cease. Appoint a few loyal women on
your police force, give the order and it
will be stOpDed.
I'VE trust that you will not recog>
nize the grand hailing sign of distress
of the Topeka jointists and as the gov
ernor has shifted all responsibility on
to you, after appointing a liquor pro-
bate judge to checknate law enforce
ment at every turn, take matters in
your own hand. The plan is to make
you the scapegoat of the Republican
administration at the capital.
I'VE await your further action with
profound anxiety.
COMMITTEE HOME DEFENDERS"