Evening star., 1908-01-14

state commerce. There should be legis-
lation making liquor subject to the law
and authorities Of a state as soon as IL
crosses the line
1T Is question whether such law
would be constitutional. but the states
should, at least. be given an opportunity
to test its constitutionality. In the second
place, the government should not issue
licenses authorizing the citizens of state
to violate it's statutes. authorizing them to
sell liquor in states where its sale Is pro-
hibited by the local laws. 1t would seem
to me that both these propositions are
reasonable and just. and ! have myself.
with other members. introduced bills en-
bodying them in both the Senate and
House of Representatives Thus far they
have not received much attention. but the
subject is becoming more and more i'm
portant because of the enactment of pro-
hibitory laws through the southern states.
Formerly liquor selling was prohibited In
Maine and Kansas only. Now there is
prohibition In six or seven other states to
which such laws as l have proposed Will
apply and where experience will show that
they are very much needed. II Congress
would pass law giving a state the right
10 control its liquor traffic prohibition
could be enforced"
Prohibition Sentiment Growing.
'Is prohibition sentiment growing In
Kansas"
Yes. should say that it was, and there
is no doubt that large majority of our
people are in favor of absolute prohibition.
The question is submitted Indirectly to the
people every few years. and the majority
in favor of prohibition continues to grow"
What have been the results Of prohibi-
ton in Kansas" i asked.
Sentiment is divided on that question.
In my judgment they have been beneficial
to the community at large. l do not think
prohibition has made the slightest differ
ence in the volume of business transacted
or in the growth of the population. or III
the value of our trade or in the prosperity
of the people. At least prohibition has
not diminished our commercial or indus
trial activity. The resubmssionists make
an effort to prove that prohibition has re-
tarded the development of the state. but
do not think so. l do not think that
Topeka or any of the other cities in which
the law has been enforced are any less
prosperous or progressive than those In
which the law has not been enforced.
believe that Kansas is better state un-
der prohibition than it would have been
under high license. or local option or any
other system of regulations. AT least 1t is
no worse, and prohibition certainly has
had a marked effect in diminishing crime
and poverty.
Decrease of Criminals.
Il cannot speak personally of any
other city except Topeka, for that is
my home, and there 1 know by per-
sonal experience that the criminal
dockets of our courts were always
| full prior to the enforcement of the
prohibition law, and the county attor-
ney's office was kept continuously busy
preparing for criminal prosecutions
The first term of court when l was
county attorney there were over 100
criminal indictments besides IL large
number Of informations. But, as the
saloons were closed and the liquor traf-
tic SlInnrpSSed the number d Grim.
inal cases gradually decreased until
the last term of court while l was In
office there was not a single indict-
ment. And / believe the record in
other counties where the prohibition
law has been enforced is similar to
that in Shawnee county.
The jails and poorhouses throughout
the state are usually vacant. Ii the
sheriff has any boarders they are in
for horse stealing or for other of
fenSes which cannot be attributed to
whisky, and the only people you find
in the poorhouse are helpless old men
and women, or cripples who have no
other means of support, and are not
brought there because those who should
take care of them are spending their
money for liquor.
There is no poverty In kansas: no
community in the history of the world
was ever better off. Up to the recent
financial furry the deposits In our
banks averaged 500 for every man.
woman and child In the state, ana the
later returns show an average of $50
per capita in the banks. Since then
the farmers have sold more 1f their
cnops, and there is now more money
in the state than there ever was be-
fore.
Mr. Coburn. commissioner Of agri-
culture for our state, has recently is
sued a statement showing that the
value of the crops of Kansas for 1907
was $266.397, 749 and that the value
of the live stock on our farms is
$463, ,64S, ,6O6. This is an increase from
1906 Of $39,313, 130.
The Crops Of Kansas.
The crops from the farms Of Kan
sas will average $3.50 for every man.
woman and child in the state.
"The following are the principal items
| in Mr.. Coburns statement. showing the
| quantity and the value of each OF the
| crops: