The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-08-20
BRER RABBIT AND PROHIBITION

Even when it comes to rabbits the
eastern editorial writer's have to say
something about Kansas and revive
Tom McNears story. The Washing
ton Posts rabbit editor has said the
following:
We are in receipt of quite a number
of communications, clippings, etc.,
evidently intended to contest the
homieidal and destructive eminence Of
the southern rabbit under the gauzy
pretense of devotion to the truths of
history. From these we select two
specimens by way of Illustration. re-
marking at the same time that they
do not in the least affect our judgment
in favor of the Virginia, North Caro-
lima, and Tennessee man-eater.
Here is one contribution from the
Jackson County Journal, published at
Back River Falls, Wis:
IA correspondent of the Washing
ton Post tells of a rabbit which killed
a hound at m blow of its claws. A
rabbit is more dangerous than is real
ly thought. Last winter on Pocosin
creek John Hobbs while hunting rab-
bits, had his dog run one into a hol-
low log. AS he stopped to peep into
the log the rabbit leaped out against
Mr.. Hobbs with full force, breaking
his nose and knocking him upon his
dog with such force as to crush that
animal to death. The rabbit escaped.
We don't know as to the truth of the
story in the Washington Post, but Mr..
Hobbs is a living but disfigured wit
ness of the tragedy on Pocosip creek"
1t seems hat we recall a story quite
similar to this which, not so very long
ago, The Post reprinted from a south
ern newspaper. Our opinion of the
southern rabbit is not at all the result
of sectional prejudices, but of perfectly
impartial seal and observation.
Maybe it was a Wisconsin rabbit, as
alleged by our esteemed Jackson coun-
49, -- D--1-
River Falls region lends itself to the
development of q particularly ferocious
breed. Rabbits, like men, are the
product of their environment Our
very remote ancestors, we are told, had
long prehensile tails, so that they
could hang in the trees and car
the ravages of the dinosaur, the hip
pogrif, and such. Now that they wear
pants and dwell in flats, these Up
pendages have lost their g Thus
doth all-wise Nature work for us while
we exalt ourselves.
Another story comes to us from
Dodge City. Kans.:
"a few days after the Dodge City
supply of whisky was emptied into the
river here. by the sheriff, according to
a story which is being told down the
road, two jack rabbits in the Great
Bend vicinity ooh a drink of river
water that was strongly tinctured with
the booze. A short time afterward the
jack rabbits went up town and
whipped every bulldog in town"
This bears truth upon its face. We
are familiar with the quality and the
effect of liquor sold in prohibition dis
tricts and on the outer fringe of our
army post reservations. Only a few
ago, we saw in print a statement
by BrigaGier General William H. Car
ter, u. s. A, now commanding the de-
partment of the Visayas. in the Philip
pines, in the course of which he said:
With the well regulated post exchange
of former lays the weak soldiers had a
choice of evils, and generally chose the
lesser, the pure beer of the exchange.
So long as the misguided Christian wo-
men of America insist upon carrying
the canteen question into politics.
young soldiers, whose powers of resist
to temptation are below the nor
NAL or not firmly exercised, will con-
tinue to fall victims to the plaques of
the service in india and the Orient gen.
eraly-drunkennesS, absolute p
and disease" And if the whisky born
of prohibition laws has this effect upon
soldiers in the Philippines and else
where, why should it not have. a like
effect upon the rabbits in dry Kansas?
But all this does not shake our faith
in the southern rabbits pr-e-eminence
a destroyer of animal life when once
doubt these Kansas jacks, rendered
desperate by sumptuary laws and after
ward inf1amed to uncomfortable fury
by an inferior article of booze. proceed
ed to paint Dodge City with the red
life blood of the local bulldogs. The
remains, however. that a fair YER
dict cannot be reached upon the
strength of Isolated Incidents. Almost
any rabbit, after loading up with the
kind of whisky one finds in prohibition
towns, would resort to violence. The
test of rabbits, as of men, must be
made under perfectly normal condi-
tions.
The National Business league has