The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1908-02-21
Dry" City PrOspers.
(By William E. Curtis.)

Special Correspondence of the Star
and the Chicago Record-Herald.
New York, Feb. /, 190S.-WheI
I asked Senator Curtis of Kansas the
other day whether the enforcement
of the prohibition law in that state
has been injurious to business, and
whether it had retarded the develop
ment of the state, as has been SC
frequently represented, he referred
me to C. w. Trickett, the assistant
states attorney, who had been In
charge of the prosecution of the liq-
uor sellers in the thriving town of
Kansas City, Kan, which lies i'm
mediately across the river from the
Missouri city of the same name and is
the second largest live stock and
meat packing center west of Chicago.
1t has also an extensive grain and
-four trade, eighteen elevators, large
smelling and refining works, the Mis-
souri, Pacific, Union Pacific and Rock
Island railway shops and several 9th
er important industries. The popula-
ton which is about 100000 is COM
posed largely of foreigners, who are
accustomed to the liberal habits of
the European countries in drinking
wine and beer, and the slum element
is said to have been larger before the
recent cleansing took place than in
any other place of the same number
of inhabitants in the nation At the
same time, there has always been a
large and determined element in fav-
or of law and order and the enforce
ment of the prohibition law. For
many years the city government was
elected by the liquor element which
controlled the voting population and
was able to poll 1000 majority for a
mayor whose campaign platform
was:
Damn the constitution and the
laws At the state of Kansas The
salooA An shall rum"
Kansas City's Morality.
Mr.Trickett, having been appoint
ed assistant states attorney, was in
structed by Gov. Hoch to close the
saloons and enforce the prohibition
law In Kansas City, and he did it.
When | asked him to tell me how
1t was done Mr.. Trickett said:
ION the Sth day of June. 1906,
there were 256 saloons in Wyapdotte
county, Kansas, of which Fansas Citv
is the seat; there were 200 gambling
houses and more than 60 houses of
evil repute. On July 3, following,
there was not saloon nor a gambl-
ing house nor disorderly house in
the county, and there has been none
since. Today Kansas City, Kan, Is
the largest city In the world without
bawdy house. Bv reason of that
fact and of the publicity given to it,
l have received inquiries from Ger
many, France, England and Canada
as to the effects upon the morals of
the people, upon poverty and crime
and upon business and commerce.
There are thousands of good people
all over the country who believe that
the sale of liquor and dens of vice
are necessary to the prosperity of
city or state, and I recall that when
the fight started in our county dele
cation after delegation of business
men protested and said that If we
closed the saloon it would stop our
growth, destroy the business Of the
merchants, deplete the deposits in
the banks, stop the erection of build
ings, render houses vacant, increase
taxation, reduce the price of real
estate, cause people to go over to
Kansas City, Mo-, to do their shop
ping and spend their money. and ruin