The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-15
KEEP UP FIGHT.
Attorney for Temperance Union
Tells of Work.
Paying Little Attention to New
Liquor Law.
PRACTICAL METHODS.
breaches Temperance Rather
Than Make War.
Hardest Opposition That of
Business Men.
PRACTICAL METHODS

In order to get definite idea of
the progress of the prohibition move
ment in Kansas at this time, State
Journal representative called today
upon J. K. Codding, attorney for the
state temperance union, and asked
him about the work and what the
union was doing at this time. Mr.
Codding is not a temperance crank,
nor does he work upon exalted the
ores or along rabid lines, but rather
devotes all the time ne can spare
from his law practice to the practical
work Of enforcing the prohibitory
laws of his state. He has never had
any trouble with anybody and is one
of the first to meet an exjointist half
way and help him in some other line
Of work
The drastic prohibitory law passed
by the last legislature goes into eff
. feet the last of this month and there
Ihas been a lot of talk about its prob
able effect, but Mr.. COdding is paying
more attention to the details of the
enforcement of the general law now
In effect than he is to the new law.
He believes that the greatest success is
to be gained for the temperance cause
by painstaking and thorough work
in the last few strongholds of the IL
quor interests of the state. Practi-
cal and common sense methods Will
win every time with the liberal ele-
nent in any town if patiently and
carefully applied, according to Mr..
Codding. His theory in ridding a
town or city of joints is that there are
three elements to deal with-the ex-
tremists among the law breakers, the
extremists in the prohibition ranks
and the middle class who do not lean
very strong either way. 1t is this last
class that Mr.. Codding appeals to in
his work. He tries to show them the
advantage Of a dry over a wet town
from a business and a moral stand
point and has succeeded in nearly ev-
cry instance. Speaking of this matter
he said:
Opposition of Business Men.
'The hardest opposition to over
come, and the last opposition to sur
render has been the misguided busi-
ness interests of the large cities, who
quasi business institution, which inter
ests, by their action at the late mu-
nicipal elections and by the statements
that we have received from many of
them, are free now to admit, after try
ing it, that the saloon is not business
institution to be regulated, but that it
IS a parasite on business, a gold brick,
if 1 may use that expression; and that
these business DV their
vote and by their action at these mu-
nicipal elections. plainly said. to what
little there is left of the liquor inter-
ests of Kansas: We have tried the
experiment of an enforced prohibitory
ia W in the large cities of Kansas. and
the results of that experiment have
been so satisfactory that we propose
hereafter to make the dry policy as
much part of the business manage
ment of our cities as we are ma king
good streets a part of it. And you can
see. with this business element of
strength added to the moral force that
ever has and ever will contend for the
prohibitive policy from moral reasons,
how hopeful the outlook is and how
strong the force is back of the pro-
hibitory law in this state. I do not
for a moment want to take one whit
from the force and the power of what
/ consider the better sentiment that
stands for the law in the state, and
that is the great moral, religious and
civic principle that first placed the law
in our constitution and upon our stat
ute books and has so valiantly kept it
there through all these years Of
course this is the real power back of
the throne, and this is the real
strength of the prohibitory sentiment
in Kansas yet the addition to it of this
great business force is a wonderful
source of strength and a permanent
one. because it has come, not because
of argument or the presentation of a
fine theory, but because the business
men have been trying it out in CITY
management and they are for it; be-
cause it is a sound business princiD1e
Il might add that another strong
evidence of the popularity of enforced
prohibition with the business interests
of the state is the action of the last
legislature. Coming as it did right
fresh from the people. no special eff
fort having been made to elect wet or
dry legislators, and no pressure being
brought upon them in any way thew
passed the most drastic and the most
effective prohibition laws perhaps in
all chriStendom, doing it at the close
of five years of active and vigorous
enforcement of the law all over the
state.
while the unenforced prohibitory
law in the past years may not have
been. popular with the business inter-
ests of the state. it is clearly apparent
forced prohibtory law of Kansas is
popular with these interests
Advance Temperance Cause.
Mr.. Codding's plan, it seems is
not make war upon the whisky in
terests, but rather to fight for the
temperance cause against whisky. BY
this means he gains the attention of
the liberal element, in the majority in
every community. and once given
chance to demonstrate the advantage
OF a dry" system the fight is won
more quickly and without the dis
agreeable accomplishments of a town
torn by faction and the whisky ele
ment supported in a measure by the
business interests and the liberal ele-
ment
The results of the recent city cleo
tions in this state have a most i'm
portant bearing upon the wonderful
advance OF the temperance cause in
prohibition Kansas the past year. The
index of sentiment In these elections
has more direct bearing upon the
final success of the practical temper
ance people than the passage of anv
state law or the cleaning out of doz-