The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-27

The State Journal is not prejudiced
one way or another concerning the pro-
hibitory law It believes that the law
| against the sale of liquor should have
1 exactly the same consideration by pub
lie officials as other laws have and no
more It does not believe officers
should put in their entire time enforc-
ing the prohibitory law to the exclusion
Of everything else.
And because of this belief that pro
hibition should be treated exactly as all
other laws, the State Journal can
scarcely endorse the reported policy of
the new administration to license de
cent? joints and suppress only the in
decent ones. Laws are made to be re
spected and obeyed, and public officials
have no authority to authorize any OF
them to be broken. If the laws are not
coed they should be repealed, but it is
against the public welfare to allow any
kind of law-breaking to go unrebuked-
The crininal-minded can scarcely be
expected to draw the line between
breaking the liquor law and breaking
the law against petty stealing and 9TH
er offenses. and If the criminal class
sees public officials conniving at the
violation of one law. It sees no reason
why other laws should not be broken
if they can escape being caught or are
able to pay sufficient hush money to
buy of any corrupt officer who may
have sneaked into police uniform.
Chief Goodwin is to be congratulated
on the energetic measures he is taking
to drive out the disreputabIe dives in
the lower part of the city and to put
stop to the disgracefuI practices which
have been fourishing heretofore. He is
certainly doing a good work in that d.
rection, and it is to be hoped that his
energies will be directed against all
law-breakers in Topeka with equal
emphasis. The people of Topeka are
law-abiding citizens and they have no
sympathy with law-breakers of any
description.
For that reason it is to be hoped that
the report that decent" joints are to
be protected, or allowed TO run without
molestation, is not true. There is no
such thing as a decent" joint, because
every jointist is necessarily an outlaw
just as much as any thief. The saloon
is opposed to all law. as is exhibited
in Missouri in the fight that Governor
Folk is now waging for Supday-closing
in ST. Louis and Kansas City. Folk
has the right idea when he says that
laws are made to be respected and
obeyed, and as long as they are on the
statute books he intends to enforce
them. If they are not good laws the
people can order them repealed.
If the dives on lower Kansas avenue
can be closed, what are known as
decent" joints can certainly be shut
up. And in the long run the decent
joints may be the more dangerous; for
they entice into them men and boys
who would not think Of patronizing the
worse class of dives, and instiH in
them a disregard for other laws as well
as prohibition.
One of the worst results of allowing
any evil to exist openly contrary to
law is the lawlessness that it breeds
along other lines. And if Governor
Folk is able to put a stop to this sort
of lawbreaking in st. Louis and Kan
sas City, it is to be hoped that a man
Of Chief GOodwin's apparent ability
and energy can accomplish something
in Topeka, and that he will not give
his open consent to IawIessness Of any
kind in law-abidfng Topeka.