The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-10-19
LIQUOR STILL AN ISSUE
IN "DRY" OLD KANSAS
Walter Roscoe Stubs Hopes TO Get Curtis Seat ir
Senate as Result of Fight on Saloons
Kansas Letter, No. by JOHN sNURE

AoAoeo A<NLNSA8 @ASs
TOPEKA. Kan, Oct. I9.-WhHe KAN
sas is prohibition State, oddly enough
the liquor question Is playing { part OF
much prominence IN the campaign here
II Is expected to weaken the Republican
State ticket. and this Notwithstanding
the fact the Democratic nominee for
governor Is the Rev. jeremiah d. Bot
kin, a Methodist minister. The cause
OF the opposition Of the liquor interests
to the Republican State ticket, from
w. r. Stubs all along the line. relates
to the law enforcement policy Of Gov
ernor HOch's administration.
Five years ago in Kansas, though
there was a prohibitory law on the
statute books, thirty-five counties had
open saloons. 1t had been the policy OF
State administrations. knowing the
strength of the liberal vote in Kansas,
20 avoid pressing the liquor business
too hard Politicians took the view
that votes from the temperance ele-
ment and from the liberal element were
desirable, and they played for them
Many a Kansas politician has gone
down to obscurity because he Incurred
the enmity of the liberal element. II Is
a tradition that no governor of Kansas
ever went to the Senate, owing TO the
difficulty largely Of getting along with
the friends of prohibition and The
friends of liquor.
Go After Liquor Men,
Governor Hocn and his attorney gen
eral. Fred s. Jackson, determined to pvt
all their eggs in one basket, an 10 drive
the liquor business completely out OF
the state by a stringent policy OF law
enforcement. A year ago. under this
policy, the number Of counties in Kan
sas in which there were open saloons
had been reduced to ive. Now, the
number is reduced to one. Liquor Is
sold in the open saloon in Leavenworth,
and In no other county, and Attorney
General Jackson says the saloons will
be driven out OF the last remaining
county before election day
1t seems not unlikely the attorney
general will make good his threat Six
months ago, LeavenWorth county hdu
200 saloons. Now, the NUMBER Ms Ms D zen
reduced to forty and they are IasI
The process that Governor Hoch and
Attorney General Jackson are emI 10y
! ing to eradicate the liquor business IS
drastic and sure II II is found that
LIQUOR Joints" are running IN town
| OF city, the attorney general MES pro
] ceeding in the supreme court OF the
! Of the municipal officials Ousted from
office Frcm such proceedings there can
| be no escaping the enforcement Ct the
| law
Jackson Renominated.
Now, Il happens that Jackson has
been renominated for attorney general
Moreover, Stubs. Republican candidate
I for governor, IS even more ardent IN
advocacy of temperance and prob BIZ
tion than Hoch. The liberal element
knows It has nothing whatever 70 hope
from Stubs and Jackson. It has lit
/ tie to expect from Botkin, but thinks a
| Democratic administration on the whole
might be more lenient than Stubs and
! Jackson would be. SO the support Of
! the liberal element is being thrown 70
| the Democrats. That the liberal ele-
ment f. strong in Kansas Is demon
strated by the fact that when Je1kson
ran IN the primaries for renomh alton,
/ avowed Candidate Of the liberal eIe-
! ment- Williams got 3J,Oo votes rms
! strength is easily great enough 70 SWING
| an election in a state Ike Kansas jack
/ son IS expected almost certainly 70 run
! behind his ticket Stubs will be knitted
| by the liquor interests and the liberal
: element, but his ability 10 draw ma-.y
| votes from the Democrats VIII Sc rye
| him in good stead and Will probably
/ about make up the various OBJECTIONS
| he will suffer from Republican sources,
! including the liberal voters Of his party.
l So far, the liquor interests are said not
] to have contributed 70 the Democratic
| campaign fund, hut there will be no
/ surprise II they do So
Reyolves About Stubs.
All the State aud National politics in
| Kansas, and most Of the county and
precinct polite, revolves around the