The Topeka state journal., 1905-05-01

! y
remember that only 400 out of the /, 400
members who belong are Christians and
I the rest don't belong anywhere
One or two Of the ministers counseled
the plan Of action proposed by Dr..
Young but the majority of the 45 min
/ listers present were. in favor OF forcing
| to an issue an expression from the
mayor. A colOred minister Mr. Hart
from North Topeka, created consider
/ able amusement when he urged the
ministry not to spare the rod. Don t
/ hold up the rod but let 'er drop" said
he.
Adopted Unanimously.
After a discussion lasting over a good
/ " portion of an hour the motion to
adopt the report was made and carried
unanimously, DR.. Young Withdrawing
his objections. The only amendment
made to the report as originally drawn
up was that the congregations Of the
various churches in the city should be
! permitted to vote on resolutions which
VIII be presented next Sunday morning.
The resolutions will be uniform in char
acter and will ask for the endorsement
Of the report OF the committee
Rev. ]. W. Renwick presided as chair
man at the meeting.
Your committee reports as follows:
Some Statements.
First-The recent decision Of the
district court in the KaczynsSi-EdO ID
gins cold storage case, gave the liquor
men much pleasure and encourage
ment. We are not lawyers and do nOt
pretend to be able to go into the fine
technicalities of the law. but we do
! claim to have some common sense,
and when men who are known to be
friendly to the liquor element Of this
city are time and again released on
technicalitieS of law it looks TO us as
if the law existed to help out the
technicalities rather than express the
plain will of the people who voted for
D e1e@Ere AN-e eafuF
the constitution.
Second-Your committee called
upon Mayor Davis and asked him
what he was going to do in regard
to the enforcement of the law OF Kan
sas against saloons. He replied that
he did not know yet what his policy
would be. Your committee would ask
the people of Topeka what they would
think of a mayor, who, if gang OF
/ thieves We're hauling goods out of his
/ own grocery store would say he die
not know what his policy would be in
the matter? Or what would you
think of a mayor, who, seeing
/ the robbery going on. would say to
/ his chief of police, Tell those men
! they can have five minutes to stop
stealing my groceries or will have
them arrested" The law against steal
ing groceries is no more law OF Kan
sas than the law against selling liquor.
A mayor has no more right to have a
policy about one law than the other.
The only policy open to him as an
/ officer sworn to enforce the consttu-
ton is to do his utmost to see that
! every law is Obeyed, whether he be-
lieves in it or not He has no right to
do anything else, and any attempt to
do anything else makes him law
| breaker.
Third-If the administration of this
city shall attempt to inaugurate a sys-
tenn of fines of saloons. or shall at
/ tempt to close up some places and
] leave others open, on any plea of
making things respectable" or de
cent" it will act contrary to the dis
tinct will of the people Of this state.
expressed q years ago and not yet
repealed. Such an attempt is impOs-
sible. There never existed such a
thing as a decent saloon The mora
I decent it is called, the more deadly
it is. But that has nothing to do with
/ the issue. There are no argum entS in
I order. The law of the state says Sa-
looms are outlaws of all kinds,
whether they are called decent or
dives The mayor can have his per-
sonal opinion about the wisdom of
such a law. but as long as it stands on
/ the books he has no right even OF the
remotest sort to establish in any way
/ whatever any system of fines or
| license II he shall do so, with the
! cOnnivance or help of his police force
! he viii be liable under the law of the
state to Impeachment. Your commits
! Tee DeITeNeS IHdC InlS cannot BG over
emphasized. There is only one inter-
probation of the situation that is pos
sible. No citizen has any right to set
aside any of the laws of the state
That can be done only by the whole
people The duty of every officer OF
the law is to enforce law to the best of
his ability.
Some Suggestions.
First-We recommend to all the min
listers in Topeka and throughout the
state as far as possible that next sun
day May Z, that sermons be preached
on the subject of Law and its enforce
ment as necessary to the happiness,
power and stability of government, and
that an expression be taken and uni
form resolution be adopted by the con-
gregations-
the officers of this city and county are
evidently not doing their duty to en-
force the law we call upon the COVER
nor of this state to use his authority.
The constitution gives the governor full
/ authority to act in this matter It
says, THE supreme executive power of
the state shall be vested in a governor
who shall see that the laws are faith
fully executed. LSection 3, Art. /. Con-
stitution of state Of Kansas.l (See also
Art. following).
Third-Your committee to whom was
referred the matter of the women VINO
have been imprisoned for breaking the
windows of joints does not reeommeno
that they be pardOned out At time
when the one great emphasis of every
good citizen should be laid on law en-
forcement we do not believe that even
the Iawless acts OF those who believe
they are doing the temperance cause
good should be condoned or excused; II
is NOT the ultimate way to effect the
end we have in view. But your COM
mittee would nevertheless call atten-
tion to the fact that we believe the
punishment Of these women IS excessive
sn5 a -scathins rebuke to the officers
of the law who so quickly arrested
them. and to the courts that so swiftly
convicted them while the jointists and
their friends are so often allowed to
break the law with impunity and are
convicted so slowly on account of tech
nicaIities. To the eternal shame OF
certain officers and courts be it said
their principal claim to distinction lies
in their unerring and rapid conviction