Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-09-01
Prohibition in Kansas,

|
of the few states, besides Maine, where
prohibition has been given a place in
the state constitution, the result OF Its
attempt to stamp out the liquor traffic
absolutely and permanently, is of spec
ial. interest here. Mr.. Matson has
plainly made a careful survey of the
situation and his conclusion is that
prohibition has done much for Kan
sas and that the sentiment of the peo-
pie Of the state as a whole IS largely
in favor of the continuation of the sys-
tenn and the enforcement of the law.
Nevertheless his observations show
him that even with constitutional pro-
hibition the battle for the suppression
of the saloon is only partly won and
that it is really only another form of
local option, after ALL So it is evil
dent that in that state, as in our own,
laws do not enforce themselves, and
only public sentiment can make a con-
stitutional provision effective.
Mr.. Matson says that constitutional
prohibition has resulted in two evils
in Kansas. First in the places where
it is not enforced, it breeds a con-
tempt for all law; and, second, it has
resulted in relaxed efforts to reform
the drunk9rd. There are three or four
of the larger cities of the State where
prohibition has never been thoroughly
enforced. During recent years this
number has increased, and today there
are probably not less than 80 towns in
which Illegal saloons, Or Joints" as
they are termed, are operated openly.
In these towns a system of monthly
fines which amounts to a license syS-
tenn is in vogue, so that Kansas now
practically has local option. These
towns are now governed entirely by
local sentiment. Outside of two or
three of the larger cities in which the
saloons are recognized as perma-
Iclll luSlIlutioil, tHNi iiiuiiiNiPe'i >e'i'i
paign in many Kansas towns cores
ponds 20 the local option fights in the
towns of other states. The mayoral-
~ campaigns are usually only a con-
test between the wet" and dry ele-
ments. This is true even in Topeka,
the capital of the state, with it's 40
600 inhabitants. At the present time
| the "dry" element in Topeka has just
won Il decisive victory, and the
chances are that the saloons, which
have operated openly for a year or
| more, will be compelled to close.
| Eut while the law is openly violated
| in a score of the 105 counties of Kan
sas, in all the others it is enforced
| with practically no violations. Mr.
! Matson says that there are counties in
| which the county Jail has not been oc-
| cupied for eight years, and in which
there is no poorhouse or poor-farm, for
| the reason that there are no paupers.
/
strictly rural population, although
! there are towns of 10000 people or more
in which the prohibitory laws is com
| paratively we'll enforced.
The bright side of the picture is
shown by the fact that the towns and
counties in which the law is strictly en-
forced are, as rule, better off finan
| cially than those which allow open
! saloons and collect a monthly revenue
| from them for the support of the city
| government. The towns in which the
monthly fine system has been longest
| in force are deep in debt they are COM
PEELED to maintain a large and expen-
siva police force, and the criminal
nearly always crowded. The opposite
is true in the towns which will not
tolerate saloons This is aptly illus
| trated in the history of Hutchinson, a
town of 10000 Inhabitants, and, with
the exception of Wichita, the largest
| town i'm the south-central part of the
state. After allowing Joints or H.
| legal saloons, to run for a number OF
years under the monthly fine system
practically a license for the support o.
the city-a dry" government was in
stituted two years ago and the saloons
driven out. The result is given in 6
recent statement made by the mayor
Mr.. F. L. Martin. He says:
For the first time in the history o.
the city of Hutchinson the floating
debt of the town has been reduced
during the past two years. The stree
fund has changed from deficit o
$4,000 to surplus of $4,000, and the gen
eral fund from a $4,000 deficit to {
$5OOu deficit. Not one dollar of Joint
money went into the treasury in thi
time. In the eight years prior, whel
the saloons were running, the floatin:
debt was increased by $4,000. Of thi
SIS. 900 was refunded and $4,000 was lief
over for us to pay. During part of tina