The Columbus journal., 1910-04-27
TOPEKA'S NEW MAYOR.

Not in years has Topeka been 50
thoroughly stirred over the actions Of
its mayor As it is now over the attitude
of Mr.. Billiard, who was elected weeks
ago.
Never have the people encountered
such a strict law enforcement
Official as he. He says that all
laws should be enforced, however
obnoxious they may be to him
or anyone else, and that he pur.
poses to enforce them in the hope
that when the bluest of the blue laws
are put in effect the people themselves
will see their unreasonableness and de-
mand their repeal.
In recent years mayors have been
elected in Topeka on the law enforce
ment issue. Nearly all of them have
carried out their pledges just 50 far rs
they believed their actions would he
approved by the people, and no farth.
er. But Billiard did not have this cry
raised for him. In fact, the very op.
posite was true. Both daily papers, as
well as nearly all the clergyman in
town, called attention to the fact that
Billiard was treasurer of the Union
League, an organization formed to
work for the repeal Of the prohibitory
law. They said that Topeka would be
wide open" and loose in morals under
his rule; that saloons would become as
common as they had been in Leaven-
worth and Wichita, and that to elect
an atheist, as Mr.. Billiard was declared
to be, would have q had effect upon
the faith in a supreme being Of the
growing youth.
Billiard answered practically moth.
ing except to call attention to his half
century residence in Topeka and TO
ask ifthere had ever been any charges
against his business and personal in.
tegrity.
Billiard was elected. Then came
the awakening. Instead of'favoring
a wet" town it is said that he gave
his new chief of police this casual in
structiOn:
Topeka has been supposed to be a
dry town. 1t hasn't been. But you
will see to it that it is made dry-ab.
solutely dry-while we are in Office.
Don't temporize. By dry mean
DRY"
Then he looked over the Sunday
anti-labor ordinance. He concluded
that the law was unjust rs it interfered
with a mans personal liberty, more
especially because enforcers of the law
permitted one class of people to work
on the Sabbath while they prohibited
another class. He demanded that the
law be repealed. He sounded the
commissioners and found that q major
ity were against him. They were for
the ordinance.
He said:
I'VE will let the people decide"
He started petitions calling for a
special election upon the repeal
of this law. Yesterday he made his
most startling declaration. To a re-
porter for The Star he indicated that
if the people voted for the Sunday
anti-labor law there would be nothing
for him to do except enforce it, indi
eating at the same time that street
cars would stop running on the Lords
day; the Sunday newspaper would
have to come out on some other day;
sermons would have to be
preached on a week day; smokers
would have to buy their stock ofcigars
night; soda water 6ends
would have to quench their thirst up
on some other day than the first day,
and that livery rigs and saddle horses
will be kept in their barns from mid
night Saturday night until IL o'clock
night.
In fact, a great Sunday peace and
quiet will settle over Topeka if the
ordinance is not repealed and Mayor
Billiard is able to enforce it.
"The mayors duty" he said, lis to
enforce laws as he finds them on the
books. 1t makes no difference whether
he approves of these laws or not, and
I'll confess that some of them are
obnoxious to me personally. But that |
makes no difference. I'm going to see
hat they are enforced. When blue
aw is strictly enforced for all alike
here is apt to be q revolution, and
hats what l hoIe for"