The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-05
TIE FRUIT Or TIE JOINT.


The joints of Topeka continue to
furnish strong arguments why the
Ring should be turned down in the
Republican primaries next Saturday.
No stronger arguments of that kind
could be made than those punched by
the joints during the closing days Of
last week
Thursday night a victim Of the
joints died of delirium tremens in the
city prison, alone and uncared for-a
horrible death. Twenty-four hours
later joint gambling den was the
scene Of a quarrel between two men
over dollar bet. Shortly afterwards
they met in another joint and one
stabbed the other. The wounded
man at this writing lies at the point
OF death in Christ hospital, and even
before these words are printed his
spirit may have gone out and his
assailant viii be a murderer in fact as
wei as in intent. That assaiIant now
lies in the county jail awaiting the in
evitable event that shall brand him as
a murderer, and if the officers and
Jurymen do their duty, that will send
him to states prison for the remainder
Of his life
This will make three human lives
sacrificed in Topeka within a com
paratively few hours as result of the
Jolnts-twO gone out of this world
into an unknown eternity, and the
third probably doomed to spend. MANY
long, dreary years in a living death.
There have been others in the months
that have past. What is the price of
those lives? Who is responsible for
thelr end, and what do those respon-
sible get for their responsibility
First there are the brewers and Joint
lists who override the constitution and
the laws os the state for the sake Of
the dollars they get from their victims.
Second, the Schlitz combine that looks
after and protects the interests of the
brewers and jointists for the sake of the
graft the combine collects from the
business.
Ihlrd, the politicians who with the
Schlitz combine compose the Ring. and
who, for the sake of political gain. aid
the combine IN protecting Iawlessness
and vice.
These are the men who are directly
responsible for the murders, the deaths.
the debauchery, the vice, and the ruin
that is the fruit Of the joint Graft and
political gain is the price they get for
this ruin. The price the community
pays is far greater.
How much longer do the people of
Topeka want to reap this sort of fruit
They cannot escape it If lawIessness is
70 continue unrebuked. As the Stale
Journal has repeatedly pointed out, If
one class of lawbreakers is upheld and
protected in it's crimes. we must not
be surprised if other criminals also ven
ture to commit crimes. expecting the
same immunity. II jointist is allowed
to override the law that somebody with
influence may profit from graft, the VIC
icus man and the murderer will get the
idea that graft will also buy him i'm
munity-and is there not reason in mis-
beief?
The overriding of law is a terrible
calamity for any community. The mere
sale of liquor, although productive of
suicides and deaths from delirium, al
though it brings want and misery, is
not the worst thing about it. The
anarchy-the disrespcct for law that 1t
breeds-is worse. It is not surprising
that a gambling den was discovered in
a joint as a result of Fridays nights
murder. If the officers if the law do
their duty the keepers Of that place will
not be allowed to escape until they
are sent to Lansing for violating the
anti-gambIing law.
The remedy for this state of affairs
lies in the hands of the Republican
voters of Shawnee county next satur-
day. If they will take charge Of the
primaries as they should. and see that
only legal votes are counted. the Ring
and the Schlitz combine can be ex-
PEELED from power in Topeka, and the
joints driven out Otherwise the Ring
viii continue to reign, the joints will
run, and Topeka will reap the harvest
Of death, debauchery, vice and ruin.
TIME TO ACT.