The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-05
BETTER AS IT is.
W.CT.U. President Discusses
PrOhibitOry Law.
Compares 1t With High License
Regulations.


Chief interest in this mornings ses-
sion of the Kansas Womans Christian
Temperance union, which is holding
its twenty seventh annual convention
at the First Baptist church, centered
in the address of the president of the.
organization, Mrs. Elizabeth P. Hutch
inson, of Winfield. 1t was voluminous
in the details of the history of the or
ganization and what has been ac-
complished, and on the topic of the
enforcement of law Mrs. Hutchinson
said:
Prohibition can be enforced when
we have officers actuated by an honest
desire to enforce it. Failure is not
due to lack of public sentiment, but
to dishonest officials. Prohibition,
laxly enforced as it has been IN KAN
sas the last few years. is better than
high license. Sales in Kansas are
small compared to those in other
states. Our opponents claim that
more liquor is sold in Kansas than
ever before. And since Governor Folk
has ordered Sunday closing, we are
even told that we are worse than Mis-
souri, Remember that for every dol
liar Kansas pays the national govern
ment on account of liquor, Missouri
pays s14O.
1--WE know that our prohibitory law
| is hagrantly violated in some of the
/ counties in Kansas We know, too
that many lawyers are partlceps Grim
inis, along with 1olntlsts ana otnsf ne
violators. There are lawyers who de-
pend on amassing technicalities IN or
der that they may confuse court or
win a case. A man who is willing TO
sell his legal talents to defend the out
| laws and those known to be NlOlaIOfS
| of law, is not an uncommon thing IN
! the courts of Kansas. JOintists, who
| over and over again have been charged
and convicted of violating the prohlpl-
/ tory law who have paid many INES
/ into the city treasury that they may
| carry on their nefariOuS business, ana
thus evade the law can always md
| class of lawyers who will band them
| selves together for money, to protect
them from the power of the law and
stand back of them in continued viola
/ ton
sWe are being criticised by papers
ont of the state for our lax of enforce
ment of the prohibitory law. Some say
| the law is a failure, others tnat the
/ people have permitted lawlessness on
| the part of the liquor element so long
that only occasionally a Mrs. Nation
1 arising or an insane man coming 10
| the front to wreck saloons can the pub
lie sense of shame be aroused to better
enforcement of our prohibitU.y law.
! There is a tendency on the part Of the
press in some parts of the state TO
check the whole thing I'D % Governor
/ Hoch Claims are made that condi-
tiOns are going from bad to worse The
! people who criticiSe are forgetting that
for years the temperance forces have
not had a man in the governors chair
that was outspolxen on reform lines. But
| today with man with the hnoW1 in
! tegrity Of character of Governor Aoch,
the people are aroused, AMI conditions
are being uncovered and brought to
light, that have been covered for years
| All reform agencies are at Work, ana
the forces of righteousness were never
more alert than now. New reforms are
| springing up in the anneXes O. the
churches in the good citizenship move
ments, and young people are develop
ine. as leaders But we have in the
state OF Kansas a chronic condition of
lawIeSsnesS and We must be patient,
for nearly the whole machinery IS in
hte hands of the enemy, and it viii take
rnucn firing and shattering of the
brCastV. orks befoln we can bring about
conditions of law and order throughout
the state. We are going to do it. The
prOhibitory law represents the VIII OF
the majority of the people. and It must
be enforced. Don't critlcise Governor
HOch with his past record Of virtue,
integrity and truthfulness, because he
has not brought things to pass as East
as we could wish
other matters of interest at this
mornings session were reports from
state sIIperintendents on work among
foreigners and miners, work among
colored. scientific temperance instruc-
ton. peace, Christian citizenship, pc
titions mercy, Sabbath Observable
work among railroad employees, prison
work systematic giving, school saw
ings banks, our Messenger and Union
signal. temperance work in Sunday
schools.
Election of officers for the ensuing
year will occur at this afternoon
session. Mrs. Hutchinson is a candi-
date for reelection and there is Etle
if any opposition to her. No Other
candidate is actively in the field.
At the session to be held this even
ing there is to be an address by
Ieonora NJ Lake national vice presi-
. dent of the Catholic Total Abstinence
Society of America.
Weather Indicaftnns
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