The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-08-25

States have legalized as n "ncccs-
sary" evil that has helped to make
her citizens thcr ichest per capita III
the country and the richest OF any
agricultural folk in the world; that
has given her permanent school
: fund OF Sl0,099.900 and has reduced
her illitcracy to an almost negligible
quantity.
1t is this insistencc upon what
slaves Of custom always have snccrcd
a. as Impractical" If not impossi-
bic. that has helped to give her bal
ancc of more. than million and a
quarter in her State treasury and no
bonded debt. save $4,000 held by
the permanent school fund; this alone
that makes possible the statement
that 9S per cent. of her 400, 900
school children never have seen Il sa-
loon.
For even while incl liquor interests
succeeded in cvading the law in
many instances and boosted that pro-
| hibition was a failure in Kansas.
government statistics showed that
the average annual consumption OF
Intoxicating liquors In that State was
$l.4S per capita, while in the neigh
boring State Of Missouri. where the
whiskcy ring ruled, It was SEA per
capita.
In other words. the average Kan
san had just $22.52 more to spend on
food. clothing. education and enter
ltainmcnt than his average neiehbor
iacross the Kaw. And just about that
much more to save on doctors. nurses.
fines. jails, poorhouscs and insane
asylums. And now that the United
States supreme court has upheld the
Webb law. prohibiting liquor ship
tmcnts into legally dry territory, Kan
sas is enabled to enforce legislation
that will virtually eliminate inloxl-
cants from her borders.
Again and again It has been said
prohibition is Il failure in Kansas;
that when the older generation re-
sponsiblc for its adoption passed over
! the reins of government to It's SONS
and daughters. for Kansas has rccog-
nized women's right as full citizens
Kansas would come back to her
senses"
That this prophecy was without
foundation is best evidenced by the
following statement from Attorney
General Dawson:
| The last two sessions of the
legislature answered these false
prophets by passing the most
! drastic prohibition law in the
world, killing the drug store sa-
loon. making 1t impossible even
to cure snake bites by the liquor
treatment and absolutely clap
ping down the lid and riveting
It on.
They were not satisfied by go
| ing this far. but showed their
appreciation of the benefits of
tSate-widc prohibition by max
ing 1t felony for the fellow
who violated the law a second
time. And I have just lately re-
] ccived from the warden at the
I pcnitcntiary veccipt for one
Red Mercer" who was sent up
| from Barber county as a first
| consignment 70 serve nine years
for violating the new prohibition
law.
The law that sent him there
was made by these tow.head-
cd. onc-galluscd boys who grew
to manhood on the Kansas prai-
ries without ever having seen u
saloon.
Yes; something's the matter with
Kansas. OF what It Is there can be
no doubt In the minds OF unprcju-
diced observer. And In view of the
effect In the Sunfiowcr State. there is
little wonder that an increasing mum.
her of persons believe that this ma
ton will be past the most dangerous
rocks In its course when tho thing
that is the matter with Kansas is the
matter with every square mile of ter
ritory from Eastport to San Diego
and from Walla Walla to Key West.