The national prohibitionist. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1907-1911, 1908-03-19
KANSAS CITY PROHIBITION
Leading Daily Paper Published on the Ground
Asserts Success of Policy

Asserts Success of Policy
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, March 1o-(Special corre-
spondence) 1.-The Kansas City Star yesterday gave
its readers somewhat remarkable editorial upon
the enforcement of Prohibition in Kansas City,
Kansas, concerning which the liquor interests
have been flooding the country with false state
ments. The Star said:
"The significance of the recent story published
by the brewers in the East as to the ru1nous
effect of Prohibition in Kansas City, Kansas, is
in the fact that other city OF 100000 people
ever attempted to surrender the revenues derived
from the liquor trade. The most serious blow
that could be delivered against the saloon would
be an actual demonstration that city so large
as Kansas City, Kansas, could prosper without 11t
this revenue 1t may safely be concluded that
here is the bug under the chip SO far as the
brewers are concerned.
"To concede that the revenue from saloons is
not absolutely essential to the material prosperity
of the great cities would merely conhrm the claim
of the Prohibtonists that the saloon as an 1nst1-
tuition is useless burden upon society. No other
plea has ever been made for tolerating its legal
existence, and the brewers are therefore keenly
awake to the Importance OF the issue involved III
the law enforcement policy in Kansas City, Kan
"In directing the attention of the country to this
particular city, the liquor interests, with their
usual propensity for doing the wrong. thing, have
perhaps rendered fine service to the cause OF
Prohibition For, notwithstanding their claims
that Kansas City, Kansas, has been injured
by the loss of the revenue from saloons, the fact
remains that the city has broSbered to greater
decree thG, eveY before, IN the matter OF ITS
finances Taxes haze been reduced; every COM
1uercial interest has brofted by the elimination OF
the JOINTS and the most ardent advocates Of the
revemue policy haze been concerted to the 70asdom
of the Prohibition plan. The truth is certain to
become matter of general knowledge throughout
the country because of the emphasis placed upon
this case by the brewers themselves"
Last Friday the Star, in leading editorial upon
the same subject said:
enforcement of Prohibition literally
forced upon the city by Attorney General Jack
son at time when public sentiment seemed to be
favorable to the saloon policy. In the short
time that has elapsed the success OF the Proh1bl-
ton plan has been demonstrated to such re-
markabe degree that public sentiment has been
completely reversed 1t would be an impossi-
bility to force the saloon and the JOINT on that
CITY now. Every business man on the Kansas
side is in favor of Prohibition; the property own
ers are practically united in support of the law,
and the citizens generally are delighted with
present conditions.
"The success of Prohibition is not limited
either, to Kansas City, Kansas, in its application
to the cities of Kansas. Leavenworth and Wichita
were numbered among the wide open comnlrn-
ties where the hostility to the law was strong
enough to make state interference necessary The
results have been identical in both cities with the
experience of Kansas City, Kansas. The chief
Leavenworth and in Wichita is that the
brewers shall not be allowed under any circun1-
stances to regain their old standing.
"The policy which the liquor interests are ad-