The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-10

IN tAAL CITY murders are OF gOAtA4+e4a
occurrence; bold robberies and hold
ups are so frequent that women dare
not venture out alone and unprotect-
ed in the evening; while vice in gen
eral appears to have a firm hold on
the city.
It is, Of course. not to be expected
that law viii be respected and crime
suppressed in a great Cosmopolitan
city like Chicago with the same ease
as in a rural community. but Chicago
{ is so thoroughly in the grasp Of the
criminal element that the law-abiding
people have become aroused. and
most of the newspapers there have
become even more decided than usual
In fighting vice-and the majority of
Chicago's newspapers are usually
found UNFOLDING the right side of a
moral question. But the grip of crime
and lawlessness is so firm on Chicago
that ordinary reform methods seem
powerless to shake it off.
So notorious has the reign of crime
become in Chicago that a grand jury
has been in session making a special
study of the causes of crime there,
and in its report on this subject a few
days ago it said
This grand jury is unanimous in
believing that. inasmuch as a large
percentage of the cost attending the
administration of justice is due to the
liquor traffic, the liquor license fee
should not be less than 81 ,00O."
And in commenting on the full re-
port of the grand jury. the Chicago
News published the following edi-
toriaIly:
THE prevalence of crime in this
city. says the grand jury IN it's final
report made last Saturday. in a ma
jority Of cases can be traced to evils
due to saloons. to the lax administra-
ton of justice in the justice courts
and to the dance hall evil. That body
of investigators, under the efficient
direction of its foreman. Edward B.
Butler, had excellent opportunities for
arriving at right conclusions on this
subject
1.-The truth of the matter is that the
saloon influence has become so power
full in this city that it threatens to
submerge those who administer the
law The grand jury finds that a
portion of the police force is wholly
under the spell of this sinister infiu-
ence. It finds that drunkards and
minors are supplied with liquor freely
and that the practice of selling
drinks during prohibited hours is
common In short, the lawless sa-
loon element has the upper hand It
makes its own regulations, corrupt
ing the police. Crime is the natural
result"
The saloon cannot be prohibited in
Chicago, but in order to come as near
prohibiting it as possible the Chicago
council has this week followed the ad-
vice of the grand jury and has raised
the LIQUOR license to $1,000 a year in
the hope of thinning out the saloons.
hOf course this law viii be violated
the same as is a prohibitory law, and
It's enforcement will depend on the
vigilance of the police force. And
as the saloon element, according to
the News. has the upper hand in
AFFAIRS, crime and lawlessness can be
expected to continue until the power
of the saloon is overthrown.
The point Of it all is that the sa-
Ioon-the Joints a natural law
breaker. Liquor takes away the
manhood and the womanliness of
those who drink it. It breeds Grim
inals It is therefore no surprise that
the saloon overrides the law where it
is licensed just the same as the joint
overrides the law where the saloon IS
prohibited The lawless liquor ele-
ment is never satisfied. If it is per-
mitted to break one law, it insists on
breaking another. Vice and crime
are its natural offspring.
How nearly the description of con-
ditions IN Chicago fit Topeka on a
lesser scale? The joint in Topeka has
]
not only overridden the prohibitory
law. but it has very naturally fos-
tered vice and crime How many
murders and deaths can be traced to
the reign Of the joint in Topeka! How
many boys have become criminals
through its influence! How many
girls have been debauched because of
IT, A man of high connection now
lies in the county Jail facing trial for
his life because he murdered a com
panion in joint a few days ago over
a game of cards And remember the
five high school girls in Crittenden
home. to say nothing Of the many
others who are unknown.
And the joint-outlaw though 1t is
has even become a power in Shaw
nee county politics It has persuaded
certain influential political factors tc
enter into league with it-be it said
to their great shame-and through
them it is now dominating the Repub-
hcan party organization of Shawnee
county. It remains for today's pri-
maries to show whether 1t keeps thai
power or whether the law-Ioving peo.
pie of Topeka can shake it off.
Topeka is facing Just as serious :
| problem Of civic house CLEANING as {.
Chicago. Even If Righteousness anl
law prevail in today's primaries. thu
task viii only be begun. The ioin.
has too Arm a hold in Topeka to h.
driven out without hard strurqla
A FARM MAGAZINE.