The Topeka state journal., 1903-01-12

cowardice Is moral more than physical.
Shakespeare declares conscience doth Z
make towards CT US ali' On this basis /
we certainly might expect our present /
police force to be towards of the most /
arrant type. But what has particularly I
called my attention to this is the fact (
that our doughty policemen slept OF.
their arms at the police station last F'rl~ f
day night in direful apprehension that
their castle would be attacked by a mob. !
They talked excitedly about It. and de-
clared that there would be thirty or
forty men there TO meet any attack. and
that they would make it hot for any
persons who came, as they were IN
structed to shoot TO tEilLs nov what do
the citizens of Topeka think of that2
Who gave any warrant for the thought
that there was likely to be a mob2 What
do you think Of the spectacle of your
police waiting through the night expect
ing you to come upon them. and in
structed if you came to shoot to kilfy
And We may inquire who made Up the
force Of forty that kept the fortress
through that night of fear The police
force does not number that many. Very
possibly the police judge was on duty
and mayhaps his friend the county at
tOrney volunteered and served in view
of the happenings of the day Frank
Rayn0r Of 301 Kansas avenue about
whose business two policemen swoTe
they knew nothing, must have been
there. together with a platoon of other
JointIsts and gamblers. 1t was q noble
assembly OF brave men if not fair
women.
But another and more serious charge
which lodge against the police is thar
1 II is the habit of many of them at the
station to spend much time in card
playing and drinking, and that members
+ of the force have been found at the
headquarters in q state OF intoxicatiOn.
The card room until recently was the
7 long room on the south side of the
building But recently. on account of
/ the scarcity OF coal, that room has not
t been warmed. and so the police court
room has been used of evenings for off,
eiaI gambling and drinking These are
the gallant gentlemen who drag an old
woman to prison because she has dis
turbed one of the men who probably
keeps the station we'll supplied with the
choicest brands Of drinks which their
stock contains.
I charge in the next place that the
majority Of these men are grossly pro
fame and obscene and that the common
speech about the police station is such
as to offend the sense Of decency of any
man who pTetends to be a gentleman
This is simply notorious fact. The
lips of these men are blistered with
blasphemies and reek with filthy speech.
They appear to have lost if they ever
had any respect for purity or reverence
for the sacred.
I charge in the next place that the
police station IS a friendly and frequent
resort for the criminal element The
jOintist and the gambler IS a common
and welcome visitor. He feels himself
among friends when he drops into the
congeniaI circle OF the police
I charge in the next place that the
/ police are guilty Of scandaI0us conduct
+ IN connection with the fallen women who
at intervals are brought to the station.
do not include all in this charge, for
( there are some who have not reached
this level of Infamy But It IS true of
many Of them. If the wives of these
men could look in and see the liberties
+ these officers permit and take with these
fallen women. they would be shaned
I beyond expression. These lecherous.
unclean. sWinish brutes. sunk 50 low in
shame and lost TO self respect as to
engag &c IN indecent dauyingS in the city
( prison Itself-these are the men who at
the command of the mayor OF this city
stand guard over the decorators and
4 ViOlat0rs Of our constitutional law. who
( protect saloons. and dives, and gam
blers. but who are glad when an old
( woman who hates vice with all her
heart puts herself in their way to drag
her to prison and treat with the grosSest
rights. And the mayor of this city
F stands back Of the rank and rotten po-
lice force and police court and is re-
sponsible for their abonaina bic doings-
How long viii the citizens Of Topeka
allow It's police department to be a
kennel for the harboring Of this un-
speakabIe pack of CURSE
MRS NATIONS TRIAL
Referring to the treatment Of Mrs Ma
ton, DR. Mcfarland said
7 wish to say at the outset that from
the time Of her first appearance IN the
role Of saloon suasner. some two years
ods Of Mrs Carrie Nation When her
pOlicy Of violence was in most favor here
I opposed II. and I believe I prevented
many extreme things from being done
At the same time recognized that IN