Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-10-30
BREWERS NAIL LID ON.
Refuse Beer to Three Kansas Town.
As Reply to Governors Crusade.

KANSAS CITY, Oct. 2s.-As the re.
suit OF the fight waged by Goyernor
Hoch against the saloon men and city
ofhcials in Kansas City, Kas., Rose.
dale and Argentine, the brewers of
this city have entered into an agree.
ment not to furnish any more beer to
tnose towns until the struggle is over.
Consequently l65 saloons in Kansas
City. Kas.. % in Argentine and eight
In Rosedale are closed tight.
This move on the part of the brew.
ers means loss of 3l5O.O0O annual
revenue 10 Kansas City, Kas.. an
amount sufficient wholly TO defray the
expenses OF the police and Ore depart.
ments In that city. The brewers be.
lieve that when the people responsible
for the war on the saloon are com.
PEELED to pay a heavier tax. In order
that the municipal government may not
be bankrupt, they will welcome the
return of the liquor traffic.
The fight against the saloons In wy.
andotte county. Kansas, began with
the w. c. T. U. A delegation from
this organization called OH Governor
Hoch short time ago and demanded
That he enforce the law, they having
hrst appealed In vain to the county
attorney, James S. Gibson, and to
Mayor w. w. Rose of Kansas City
kas.. as well as to the mayors of the
other cities affected.
Governor Hoch, through the office
Of the attorney general OF the state
shortly afterward Instituted custer
proceedings In the supreme court a,
Topeka against Mayor Rose and
County Attorney Gibson, and also ap,
pointed an assistant attorney general
to prosecute the liquor men In Wyan.
dotte county.
The constitution and state law of
Kansas prohibit the sale OF liquor In
any quantity whatsoever except for
medicinal and mechanical purposes.
rhe minimum penalty for d violation
OF this law is thirty days in Jail and a
fine OF 800 for each drink sold How.
ever, but Few men have been convict
ed in Wyandotte county Juries in the
lower courts In almost every instance
holding that the punishment is too
severe.
when the matter was taken up by
the governor and brought to the no
tice OF the supreme court the brew.
ers began to take notice and through
their action they hope In a measure
to defeat the plans Of Mr.. Hoch.
The three cities In the fight have
permitted open saloons for years. q
monthly fine system being resorted to
In Kansas City. Kas. each saloon mar
paid $50 a month. or $500 year, fol-
the privilege of running his place
rhis money went into the city treas
ury and was collected every twt
months. In Argentine and Rosedal,
the system was practically the same
1t was for openly agreeing to thil
manner OF violating the law that tn,
custer suits were Instituted agains
Mayor Rose and County Attorney Glib
son. The supreme court OF Kansa
has decided in number OF instance
that the state or county official VIII,
knowingly permits the violation OF tn
prohibition law and takes no action 4
liable to forfeiture of office.
| The suits against the mayor an
county attorney were fled sewers
weeks ago. but since that time neithe
has made any effort to close the u
looms. Nor did the action Of the 10,
ernor frighten the saloon keeper,
Thus the brewers in one day have q,
complished more than the executiv
has been able to do In months throus
process Of law.