The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-14
THEY DRINK QUEER
MIXTURES IN KANSAS
Prohibition Does Not Prohibl
for the Man Who Must
Have Booze.

Uncle Sam has filed indictments
against agents of several wholesale
liquor houses and some express agents
doing business in the state, alleging
that the liquor was sent in sealed
packages addressed to fictitious names
and then sold by the agents of the ex-
press companies for express charges"
Millions of cases of liquor have been
sent into the state by this latter
method and for each case SO disposed
of the agent received so cents.
The result of all this is that some
new method of evading the law must
be invented, for in spite of the fact
that prohibition is a part of its laws,
and that its political parties stand
pledged to it's support, any man who
wants drink in Kansas can get it,
The know-how may be more compli-
Gated in some places than in others,
andsit may require more knowledge in
certain dry towns than in certain wet
ones, but If he has time and wants
1T bad enough, man may get drink
wherever he may happen to be from
one end Of the state to the other.
In the old days when the prohibitory
law was in the new broom stage only
druggists of good moral character were
permitted to sell intoxicants, and then
the person purchasing had to swear
that the liquor was actually needed as
medicine. The price charged was ex-
cessive and the quantity to be pro-
cured limited
But the new broom stage has long
passed, and for nine months out of ev-
cry twelve Kansas joys contentedly
along, ignoring the law when it can,
and enforcing it when it must. The
three other months in the year the
state is torn by municipal strife, for
it is in municipal; elections that the
Vets and Drys fight out, hammer and
tongs, the whole prohibitory question
all over again.
Prohibition in Kansas is today en-
tirely a matter of local option, and ev-
cry year at the spring elections the
battle is waged. If the Drys triumph,
the law is enforced as well as it can
be; if the Vets, as little as can be-.
But in either case the man who knows
how can get his drink.
The sDryS, as rule, consist of the
women, who have, the right of fran
chise at municipal elections; the min
listers alliance, and those men, usually
of the older generation. who believe in
the enforcement of the law for the
laws sake The Vets include the re-
mainder of the population. aE1
F. The candidates chosen are. selected
entirely on account of their attitude on
this question, and the campaign is
conducted entirely from that stand
point. The methods have the virtue of
being honest.
The Wet candidate gives key parties
to his adherents and addresses joyous
street meetings from the back seat of
an open hack. The Dry candidate ad-
dresses gatherings of club women, and
holds his meetings In halls.
The election is q ,twelve-hour spasm
in which every man, woman and child
in town participates. When 1T is over,
the losing side settles back to throw
every possible obstacle in the way of
it's successful opponent, and to grid up
it's loins for the next time.
Topeka, the capital, has vibrated be-
tween the Vets and the Drys until the
willy joint keeper, never sure of what
the spring election may bring forth,
has prepared himself for emergencies
by having a double set of fixtures, one
suitable for the strenuous use devolV-
ing on it when the Drys are in power,
and one fitted to the peaceful and pros
porous days Of the Vets.
OF course, there are no saloons In
Kansas; no one would dream of calling
them by that name. They; are all
Joints" whether the drinks are passed
over a polished counter by white
aproned attendant, or showed through
hole in the wall by a dirty first; and
instead of saloonkeepers they have
"jointists."
When the Drys are in power the life
of Topeka jointist is hard. He is la
BILE to arrest at any time. His arrest
will mean fine, which appeal to the
district court may remit. But at; any
rate it means the confiscatlon OF his
stock and the suspension and conse-
quent loss to his business, to say moth
ing of the inconvenience Of being IN
continently bundled into patrol wag-
on and hauled off to the police sta
ton.
Under such circumstances 1t would
obviously be very poor policy to nave
an expensive and elaborate establish
ment and large stock. Therefore the
jointist reduces his business to basic
principles.
He chooses his location discreetly.
His furnishings depend entirely on the
temper of the administration he has to
deal with. If it is just moderately dry,
discreetly dry, he does not have to OBJ
serve the same caution he otherwise
would.
In such a case, in an obscure room
in an obscure alley, or up an obscure
stairway he places two kegs and across
them board. Under this board is
small key of beer and a bottle or two
of bad whisky. On the board are three
or four thick mugs and as many
whisky glasses.
That is his establishment Ii he is
pulled, his loss is slight, especially If
he himself manages to get away, Wnlch
he usually does, having chosen his 10
cation with that end in view.
But when the dyed-in-the-wool
are in power, then the really serious
part of joint excepting begins. NO
mere obscurity will answer. Deep,
dark secrecy is the rule.
1t is then that the man who drinks
does not know who serves him. He
finds out where he can secure the de-
sired refreshment and makes his way
to it through devious and usually Ill
smelling ways.
But once arrived it is not matter
of opening the door and walking H.
No. indeed. He must know the rap
which is circulated around among the
drinking gentry who are known as
safe.
once inside, the mystery deepens.
A little dirty room it is, with a rough
board partition across the middle. This
partition is blank except for a small
opening just large enough to admit
| the passage of a beer mug.
There is no one in sight and no
sound. If the man is wise in the ways
| of the lawbreaker, he advances with
ont comment and lays the price of a