The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-05-03
SAYS PROHIBITION IS
THE BEST ASSET OF KANSAS
Governor Stubs Reply to tiilo Minister
lnquiry--.The Law Splendid
Success.

inal statutes, and that whom men vio-
late it they are arrested, convicted and
promptly sent TO prison.
81 assert that the prohibitory law
is now as easily enforced as any other
law on the statute book l have let
ters from 90 of the 3S district Judges
of the State. These letters are sub
stantially of the same character and
fully confirm my statements.
Such official statements issuing from
the chief executive of the State, should
certainly have more weight than the
deprecatory conclusions from imperfect
data o. those who have not found the
prohibitory movement effective in some
remote corner.
Again, the same high official says, in
contradiction to all such superficial con-
illusions:
"The people of Kansas are very
practical in their ideas and habits. IF
the prohibitory law had not given us
better civilization and higher type
of manhood and womanhood, it would
have been repealed years ago. If it
had increased drunkenness, crime and
perjury, as saloon men claim it has
done, the saloonkeepers would all be
supporting the law instead Of fighting
it, for it would increase their revenue.
"Whiie l am not an expert in the
affairs of the local government of Chi.
cage, / venture the assertion that con.
ditionS which are due largely to the
saloon and kindred evils of society con.
stitute your most disturbing and dis.
tracing problems. Usually cities hav.
ing an ambition to solve such problems,
commission delegations of its wisest
and best citizens to investigate the
treatment of these problems by other
communities. AS chief executive of my
State it would give me great pleasure
to welcome delegations from Chicago
to Kansas for the purpose of showing
them the results of prohibition. We
have had commissioners from Canada
New Zealand and Australia and even
now the governments of Italy and Rus
STA are investigating our methods of
dealing with this evil, the greatest
social and governmental problem on the
face of the earth today.
eff wisdom should cause you to
send such a delegation to Kansas / viii
guarantee they will not find business
man of standing in the State who will
not testify that prohibition is the best
business asset of Kansas"
AS a fitting confederation to these
conclusions of the chief executive
comes that of the chief justice of the
supreme court of the same State, Hon
w. A. Johnston, who writes:
"Topeka, Kansas, March "a, 1910.
"Hon. w. R. Stubs, Topeka, Kansas
| "Dear Governor:-In response t.
your inquiry, l will say, judging from
the litigation before our court, the pro
hibitory law was enforced at first will
some difficulty. Public opinion an,
greater experience, however, appears t.
have overcome that difficulty, and tn
law, although transgressed occasionally
is now effectually enforced and with n,
more opposition or difficulty than othe
laws prohibiting and punishing ordi
nary offenses. The closing of the saloon
and joints has had an excellent effec
upon the morals and material interest
of the people of the State. Among TIN
consequences of prohibition are, bette
homes, happier families, higher stand
ards of intelligence and education ant
of course, great reduction in crime
No statement or proof is needed t,
support the claim that these results fol
low the closing of saloons and tn
effective enforcement of the prohibitor
!, law. They are the natural and newt
able results, and these have been real
lied in Kansas. Yours very truly,
II "W. A. JOHNSTON,
"Chief Justice of the Supreme Court o
Kansas