The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-17

but the editor is supposed to bear the
brunt of the fight without even a pleas
ant word return for his trouble. and
for his inevitable loss of business.
Convince a country editor that his
leading advertisers desire a temperance
campaign, and you can have it, The
way to make the will of the Lord in
your town prevail, is to be practical.
Go to the men who advertise in the
local papers; these men are always
church members-for poiicy'5 sake, il
for no higher reason-also, they are
often moral towards. Convince them
that If they don't go to the editors and
demand that all the news be printed
and that the law and order league be
sustained, those merchants will lose
trade This is bold, blunt way to do:
but it is as efficacious as meditation
and prayer. If the merchant weakens
and wobbles, go a notch higher; go to
the banker who lends the merchant
and the editor money; demand that he
line his friends UP for decency. In a
country town the country banker is a
tower of strength for some one; If he
gets on the wrong side it is the fault
of the leaders of decency.. The banker
is amenable to pressure of public sem
timent. Put on the screws; don't send
preachers and women to him: don't
send lot of fellows who belong to the
other outfit to him. Send his friends.
Harness them up and make them go.
Then having got your SNOWFALL of re-
spectacle size, take it around to the
editor. He will double it. The editor
desires to do right He has sense. He
knows which side his bread is buttered
on. But If the temperance people don't
work in a practical way with the ed
itor, they will lose him.
And having lost the editor the cause
is lost Stop and think of this proposition;
hibitory law is enforced with anything
like r1s1dHy, there is at least one news
paper of a state reputation which is
standing up for the enforcement of the
a NJ ir. r17av~ he lou
is openly violated, some newspaper of a
state influence is standing by the viola
exception to this rule. Get the news
papers WITH you and you have the saloons
town the temperance people are whipped.
Perhaps the editor is the cart; perhaps
he is the horse. He may be the cause
of the temperance sentiment; or the tenn
perance sentiment may have been the
cause of his stand. There is always some
doubt about that matter But this much
is certain: where the temperance people
and the newspapers work together, in
q practical way with the merchants and
banker and business interests, the law is
enforced. In other places, where other
conditions prevail the saloons run wide
This is the newspaper situation in Kan
sas in so far as it affects the enforcement
proved. There is hardly a country paper
in Kansas, outside of Leavenworth and
Wichita. which may not change its At
titure for the prohibitory law, if the
temperance people use a little practical
common sense in dealing with the matter.
The more they abuse the editor and
belittle him and call him names and
worse for them If he is a moral coward
all right, then scare him into decency.
| If he is afraid for business reasons to
take a stand for decency-fnd out just
what those business reasons are-what
advertising merchants are backing him
your private sentiment public sentiment
Is not to call Lord. Lord in the market
get down to brass tacks. Be practical;
that doesn't mean to be crooked; but it
doesn't mean to just be good and stand
around with, your mouth full of gum
drops while the other fellows are getting
Mr. H. A Lewis of Hutchinson spoke
of the situation from young mans
standpoint. He began on Topeka and fol-
4 lowed by a few warm ones for his home
/ town with its insipid officials and their
inability to find the joints. Mr. Lewis
is fair and feshy, and until William Allen
in the audience thought the Hutchinson
attorney was the editor from Emporia.
Mr.. Lewis was city attorney of Hutchin
son one term, but states that things have
gone. to the bad since that time In
speaking of the rise and fall of Hutchin-
son, Mr.. Lewis said:
Small events have far reaching effects.
good chopped with her hatchet at Wich-
| tia, the blow caused the spark that ig-
nited. the bomb under the resorts Of
Hutchinson. It caused the good people
to arouse themselves. shake off their
lethargy and demand that the joint
must CO. and it went. And with the
passing of the joint went the gambler,
the crook and the prostitute.
Our city was in a beautiful condition
Our mayor good citizen and busy
lawyer had the honor of serving the
city during those two years as city at
aggressive marshal and we had no trou-
BILE with the jointists. They simply knew
tried. The bootlegger and his co-equal,
the express company, sold all that was
on the market. Plain DRINKS were as
scarce in our city as they are plentiful
| in Wichita. Our city warrants were raised
ness prospered. The town was free from
crime. But the good people during the
victorious vets after the election
Robert Morris of Tonganoxie, Sen
ator R. T. Simon of Caldwell, and Sen
ator J. K. Codding of Westmore1and
were among those who made speeches
at the Tuesday afternoon session of
the State Temperance union at the
First Methodist church. Their subject
was Moral or Legal Suasion: Which
or Both?" 1t is the common belief
among the temperance workers that a
state prohibitory law, however ineffec-
tive, is an important adjunct to sue
moral suasion is bolstered by temper
ance laws. Mrs. Lottie A. Case spoke
on 1.-The Present Aspect Of the Army
Canteen." It was expected that Rev.
bernard Kelly WOULD appear also, but
he was not present.
COMMITTEES NAMED.
The following are the committees
named at Tuesday afternoons session
of the State Temperance Union conven-
ton:
Nominations-Rev.D. NJ. Sieeth, Lyn-
don; E. B. Cowgirl, Topeka; Rev. w. V.
} Burns, FL Dorado; A. C. Pierce, juno
J ton City; DR.. Newton, Ottawa; H. 5.
| Lewis, Hutchinson.
RaSn111tinnS-RaU ChoG Sheldon
Topeka; J. w. Breidentha1 Kansas
City; P. J. Thwait, Humboldt; w. M.
Moore, Munden; r. T. Simons, Ca1d-
! we'll
Credentials-Miss Mayme Marquis
Rev NJ. G. Hamm, Mrs. A D. Finley,
NJ. A. Conlsy, Robert Morris.
MuTNccc ADDICTED