The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-04-16
KANSAS COlGlGENT

ERROR OF THE OPTION SYSTEM.
most OF the important city elections
IN local option territory this week were
won by the liquor element. Throughout
Illinois where the wet and dry
question was raised, there was a swing
back from the victories of two years
ago, to the saloon policy.
Tnere Is nothing surprising in this.
instead, there is an illustration of the
Iolly OF the local option system which
opens the liquor question to new agI-
tation and resubmission every two
years.
The saloon fight in option towns is a
nght between money and principle.
money Is always organized principle
moves upon inspiration-and frequent
~ lacks inspiration The victories won
In option territory two years ago. were
secured by praying women and fight
ing men who were thoroughly aroused
but who, having won their victory.
could not be expected to continue the
strain under which the campaign was
put through. The saloons, backed by the
gigantic brewing and distilling inter
ests merely packed their parapherna1ia,
Kept their forces in pay, and waited
their time at the next biennial election.
Two years is not the time in which to
test prohibition. Making town dry
Is physical as well as a moral pro-
cess. The drunk must have time to get
the blur from his eyes and the vomit
on his clothes. The individual and the
town must go through a regeneratiag
process and be able to test the "feeF Of
a System freed from alcoholic poison.
Prohibition is reformation. The way
to quit thing is to quit it-not to turn
back to 1t at frequent intervals, and
make the argument all over again.
NO town which vigorously enforces
prohibition. and honestly tests the
workings of the policy for period of
five years. will go back to saloons. It
may slip in that direction by a laxity
1r~w g. -
change the law, and the majority of
sentiment will not long tolerate the
lapse.
Two years isn't, long enough, tenn
porary experiments aren't far-reaching
enough. The pitting of moral right as
supported by decency and virtue
against booze and Doodle at stated in
tervals is a rank travesty on Justice
Ottawa Herald.
RESULTS OF THE NEW LAW
AS for the revenue produced by the
new tariff law, it can be judged how
successful the law has been by the re-
turns up to April 1. A year ago at this
the nine months ending March 81 were
about $3.50, 00O, 900. while this year they
are about $3.50, 100000, showing an in
crease of about $50, 900. A year ago
the deficit was over 100000. while at
present it's considerably under $2O.OOO,-
OO0 and there seems to be no doubt
whatever that it will be wiped out alto
gethe~ by the end of the fiscal year, and
that, too, without considering the re-
ceipts from the corporation tax. which
Is estimated will be from $25,000,000 TO
800 600 000 In fact as a revenue measure
there has probably never been a tariff
law on our statute books that has adj
justed itself so readily and so perfectly
to our expenditures. It will be admit
ted that a large surplus is never desir-
able, and of course we should not have
a deficit, but to have the expenditures
and receipts run along about together
Is 1ust the desirable attainment that
should be reached in a tariff law, and
Is the result under the law which we
are now operating. = Leavenworth
Times.