The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-21
CALLS IL "A fAKUE
Mayor Billiard Says Prohibition
Is a Failure.
Says That Principle of the Law
Is Wrong.
HURT CITY AND STATE
Asserts That 1t Has Driven
People Away.
But Anyhow He will Enforce
1t Here.
IURT CITY AND STATE

Stating frankly that he is for open
saloons in Topeka and Kansas and that
he believes the liquor laws are detrl-
ment to the growth and prosperity OF
the state, J. B. Billiard mayor of To-
peka charges that the prohibitory law
is a farce and that it has been dis
NAL failure since its conception.
Since the mayor was elected to office
last April it has been known that he
was against the prohibitory law. A.
though he claims that he has done his
best to enforce the law as the city's
executive and that he will conduct the
enforcement of the laws to the best OF
his ability, he never has given PLAIN
statement of his ideas to the public
before.
In an interview with a reporter for
the State Journal this afternoon, the
mayor makes plain his stand as mayor
and his position in relation to the pro-
hibitory laws in the state.
1.-THE Law Is Farce
From what I have been able to see
| in my experience in Topeka and Kan
sas.'' said the mayor, 1.-The prohibitory
law as it now stands is farce. 1t
goes to extremes and on that account
the people pay little attention to it
| The principles involved in it are wrong
and the law was not made from the
standpoint of the people-it was made
from the standpoint of those who do
III htACfN JUST 49,
obey It.
I think that the prohibitory law in
Kansas IS contrary to the rights and
the freedom of the people. L think
that this law is against the personal
privileges of a majority. There are
very few people in Topeka or Kansas
who are not affected more or less by
the law but in order to enjoy privileges
which concern themselves only, they
invent and carry out some manner o.
lon hi Ia w
causes a large majority of the people
to become criminals-in one sense of
the word-they are constantly on the
alert to dodge its issues.
Believes 80 Per Cent Use Liquor.
ct believe that fully 80 per cent of the
people use liquor in some form or other
that Is, they have it for pleasure or
medical purposes. Out of this 80 per
cent 7 would say that 10 per cent Of
the people abuse the use of liquor and
become public nuiSances. Thus il
| means that this prohibitory law IS
made to punish 90 per cent of the peo-
pie in an effort to subdue the 10 per
| cent who need it. And I am sure thaf
the law fails in its purpose-in trying
to prohibit everyone from using liquor
it covers such a wide field that instead
| of furnishing for the abuse of liquor it
Furnishes for the use; The persona
| jority of the people areNabused by the
law as it now stands.
Says Laws Hurt Topeka.
1.-THE prohibitory law hurts Kansas
and It hurts Topeka-not only in the
! different ways I have mentioned but
financially. Thousands of dollars leave:
this city and this state every month
this money going to outside cite:
| for liquor. People who would make
| their homes here otherwise have
| moved to cities outside the state
| and a good class of inhabitants are
| affected in this manner. 1t is nothing
| unusual for a man to send to Kansa!
| City for case of beer. a key of bee
| or a jug of whiskey-and barrels o
| this outside liquor is being shipped il
the state very month. With a prope
| regulated law this money could be KEEP
in the city and the state and the PEG
pie would profit by 1t. AS it is nothin:
comes here but the liquor.
Criticises Other Police Forces.
81 have found from questioning
| members of the former police force
| men who have served under forme
administrations-th in an effort t,
| make a good showing for Topeka, tn
| police were given instructions to bool
/ common drunks as disorderlies, vag
rancy, ETC., rather than register then
| as DRINKS. Then when the annual re
ports were made out, it was found
/ that the number of drunks for tina
year had been exec edingly small. Thi
was done, as I have said, for the pur