The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-28

plenty OF time. HIS prediction pledges
have been accepted at their face value.
And due allowance was made for the
confusion occasioned by the food,
which put for time SO much extra
duty upon the police force and made so
many extraordinary demands upon the
city government 1t was easy to see
how much the lawbreakers took adj
vantage of those conditions to recover
much of the ground they had lost. But
those conditions no longer exist. For
nearly three months the affairs of the
city have been normal The time has
come when the public is disposed to ask
what has been done.
The prevailing feeling is one Of dis
appointment. There has been a good
degree of activity on the part of the
police in raiding lawleSs establishments
and arresting offenders. There has been
a complete change in the police court in
dealing with criminals of the classes in
question. The present judge shows
them no favors. They have been con-
victed upon such evidence as is always
sufficient to convict other criminals,
and they have been given the pre-
scribed penalties. In nearly every in
stance the jointistS have appealed their
cases to the district court and giving
bond, have been released. And in about
every case they have gone straight
from the police court to resume their
business. Some joints have been per-
manently closed. Not few have been
driven into more obscure locations. The
majority have been compelled TO do
business with a small stock of goods
in sight and with a good deal of eau
ton. In other cases it has been diff
cult to see any particular change as
compared with their methods under the
former wide open administration The
gamblers seem to have been left wholly
unmolested. 1t is hardly. credible that
they all left town Immediately after the
election. The impression prevails that
they have gone right on as formerly
and that their 40
nored by the authorities
Recently a number of cases appealed
from the police court have come to trial
in the district court. So far but one
conviction has been secured. The ma
jority have failed for some reason or
another, except that the reason has
never beer any doubt as to the guilt
of the defendants. In some way the
cases have been improperly made up,
an Interpretation of a supreme court
decision has ruled out the testimony
necessary to convict, this. that and the
other difficulty has arisen, and some
ground has been found for acquitting
men who, if the charge against them
had been murder, would have been con-
victed on half the evidence. We are
told that this is law. l reply that it is
wind and dust in the public eyes. 1t
is useless to try to convince a man of
common sense that it is impossible to
convict men who carry on criminal
do, if there is a disposition to convict
them.
What We are asking for is results.
When a railroad company puts a man
in certain high position they expect
a proper showing of the outcome of his
mana cement. He is not put there for
his own sake but to do business for the
profit of the company. If we can not
show satisfactory results he is invited
to resign and some one is put in his
place who can. The city administra-
ton up to the present time has not met
expectations. The public will not grant
for a moment that the task is an i'm
possibility If the present officers de-
clare that they can not do it, that will
be taken simply as a confession of their
incapacity. The mayor and the city
attorney and the chief of police must
get together and find some way to make
up cases against these fjointists through
which a man of such meagre ability as
the present saloopkeepers' attorney can
not drive coach and four. The people
are minded to ask questions. They are
concerned to know. not simply whether
they have honest officials but competent
officials as well. They will be con-
vicced only By results"