The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-06
KANSAS COMMENT
A SERIOUS CHARGE.

John Wiggam of Emporia was re-
Gently on train that was wrecked
near sedan. Kan. and to his personal
knowledge two people were killed but
the railroad authorities denied that
any deaths occurred.
On May Is. there was wreck on
the Katy" road near Muskogee. Okla.
and the railroad officials, after declar-
ing at first that no deaths resulted.
later admitted that two were killed.
g. w. Smith. an officer of the law
OF that neighborhood. was present
when the wreck occurred. and he has
We're five people killed; one was an
infant. whose mother was present. In
the face OF the evidence of Smith and
others who have no earthly object in
multiplying the death list. the railway
two were killed.
The most serious accusations are be-
ing made by the Muskogee papers,
which are asking what became Of the
bodies that are not accounted for by
the railway officials.
1t Is easy to understand why rail-
road people should desire to minimize
the casualties when a wreck occurs
upon their road. and they do it per-
sistently. There is always manifested
a determination to suppress. as much
as possible, all details touching loss of
life. And there is no saying how far
in the direction of lawlessness this de-
termination may lead. In the case re-
ferred to above, a witness states under
he saw her mother, a Greek. at the
wreck; but no trace Of the infant or
the mother has since been found.
To suppress the acts concerning
railway disasters resulting in loss OF
life is nothing short Of a crime, what
ever motive may be assigned for It,
and 1t Is reassuring to know that the
Oklahoma authorities are determined
to investigate the Muskogee mystery
until there Is no longer q mystery
Emporia Gazette.
WOMEN TIPPLERS.
A New York dispatch makes the
statement upon the authority Of q res
taurant proprietor that women are
drinking more than they used to. and
that more women are drinking. This
constitutes a somewhat serious charge
against womankind, particularly those
who patrOnize New York restaurants.
If 1t is true. But it probably isn't
true. It is possible that in one New
York restaurant more women drink
than formerly, but it certainly isn't
true Of the country at large. 1t has
been said that good many New York
women are acquiring the cigarette
habit, and it is doubtless true that
some OF them do smoke. But. even at
this distance, can't you make a pretty
6OOu 6Qc6S Ut tIl0 klIlu IHdI nave
taken up the tobacco habit? Silly, idle,
frivolous creatures they are, no doubt,
who might as we'll be smoking for all
the good they are likely to do the
world. present or future. And it is
about the same class Of femininity
that is drinking more, II there really
is an increase in liquor consumption
among women. The world is getting
better instead OF worse, and the wom-
en- are getting better with It; are help
ing greatly in the progress. in fact. II
is not strange that the croakers who
believe everything is going to the bad
have included women in their list, but
their fears in this respect are as I'M
grounded as in most others We are
willing to admit that New York is
wickeder than the rest Of the country,
since the metropolis insists upon the
distinction. but just the same. there
are lot of good people in New York,
and most Of them are women.-Atchi-
son Globe.