The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-27
IN GRIM EARNEST
Auditorium Mass Meeting Shows
Purpose of People.
Now Is the Time to Rebuke
Ring Rule.
SOME PLAIN TALK.
DR.. Evans Uses Some Rather
Strong Terms.
Little Less Than Thieves, the
Brewery Element.
Straight From the Shoulder "
Resolutions Adopted.

Ae0DOA a "a @AAt9 AN-S 1~-%e
Twenty-Five hundred people-2O0
of whom were men-hled formal notice
10y personal appearance at the Audi
torium on Monday night, that the day
of the ringster and the Schlitz beer
combine is over in Shawnee county and
Topeka politics.
1t was not a hurrah and frecrackef
meeting. 1t was devoid Of ali the frills
which attend a torchHght parade. THAI
crowd of $500 people was in earnest
terribly so.
Little less than thieves-little better
than thugs" was the way Dr. w. c
Evans characterized the brewery and
dive element which has fastened its
tentacles upon the controlling lever Of
county and city government. The
words. as the aggressive Methodist di-
vine pronounced them, sounded sick
ening and ghastly. The audience felt
their meaning went away think
ing. "A thinking crowd is always dan
gerous.
The meeting was unique and orig
inal marking q new era in conditions.
History has it that law and order gath
erings have "a 4ys contained ma
jority OF women. But the assemblage
last night showed that the men are
aroused. Four-ffths Of those present
were men voters. A single block Of
100 seats in the parquet was poled. It
contained SO men, all eligible Repub-
lican voters, and eleven women. Right
there lays the feature Of the meeting
That point means something shows
the direction in which the new political
storm is blowing.
Just occasionally did the audience
break into applause. But there was no
yelling or pounding feet, no roar and
rattle, such as characterizes political
gatherings. 1t was not in the interest
0I any particular faction or c<ique mat
the meeting sgas held lass night Al
was not for the beneut OF one person or
candidate. 1T was a demand 1or clean
hness, for civic decency Tor law ana
for order.
a great tribute was paid to the press
of Topeka. Dr. Evans pointed out that
all OF the newspapers of this city had
laId aside their ulfIerence of opinion on
other matters, and were one and a unit
in favor of the campaign now on to
purge the city and the county OF the
Joint and brewery control which has
lnsinuated itself into so many of its Of
fees.
The audience broke loose into a
storm of applause. Cheer again, -
cried DR.. Evans. And with one accord
the crowd gave evidence of its appre-
ciatiOn of the stand which the newspa-
pers have taken i'm this fight, so vital
TO the future welfare of Topeka and
Shawnee county.
just a touch of what the Republican
city central committee is planning to
do for Topeka was laid bare when
Harry Larimer, from the floor of the
house, getting the attention of the chair,
cried out: Watch the primaries. c.
K. Holiday or some worse man may
be elected mayor" A spontaneous
cheer went over the big hall
lit was 'nissiOnary-m king-meet-
ing" The majority. by far the great
majority of those who were present
went away to spread the udings. Per
sonal workers will be preaching the
gospel from now on until the day of
the primaries is over. The news they
viii carry is that the time has come to
rid the city and county of beer and
booze control. and that this can best
be done by every man favoring such a
measure going to the polls not only
to vote, but to see that the laggard
also cast their ballots, and still more
than that. to prevent the opposition
from repeating ana committing fraud.
a bedrock campaign is to be made. It
IS not TO be merely enthusiasm, but il
IS to be work and votes.
An eXtrem civ sensible and diDIo-
matte feature to the meeting was that
not the name of a single candidate was
mentioned. Not a single man was en-
dorsed or condemned by name The
speakers made pointed reference to the
al-nOuceable fact that the meetIne
was not for the benefit or for the in
leresl on any one man or group of men
nut for the good Of all=for the pIr-
pose Of cleaning and securing the city
ana county-fOr the purpose of denv-
ing further to1a~-u.,-e
gang rule.
The crowd began to assemble at haI1
gAsA Z o'clock. Just before 8. "OId be
lamp Sons Of Veterans drum CORPS .
1tlsL patrollng Kansas avenue. march
GO INTO the Auditorium to the shriT
music Of its flies and rattle of its drums
1he organization was stationed on the
Eostrum and played several selectfonss
" I'm ". f. Roehr, who presided over
Lhe big pipe organ. it furnished the
musical prelude" to the meeting. The
Eehfme was novel and taking
Auout o'clock the ministers begar
g assemble on the platform DR.. Evans
appeared few minutes afterwards anf
MS presence was greeted with cheers
tribute to the stand he has taken in tI1e
big fight.
James A Troutman advanced to tbs
'front.' OF the platform aud said: "Chas
S- Eieed was to have been chairman Of
this meeting. but was called to St Louis
this afternoon. so I was asked to take
his place. The purpose of this meeting
Is wen understood. On Saturday a week
ego the Republican party adopted E
new emblem.
Hark from the joints a joyful sound
Mine ears attend tho crv.
Iis Schlitz that makes the world g,
round
For Schlitz we-l live or die
when bad men conspire good rner
should combine. There is a conspiracs
fer booze and Doodle on in this county
and the good people should unite fol
law order and decency. If the gool
and intelligent people Of this communt