Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-05-23
PROHIBITION IN KANSAS
Where Men are Behind the Law, Il
Works 70 Perfection.

Il
| Hon. John s, Dawson, attorney gen.
eral Of Kansas, delivered an address at
Chicago April 1912, on What Prohibi-
ton Has Done for Kansas" The con-
stitutional amendment prohibiting the
manufacture and sale in the state, of
intoxicating liquors except for medical.
scientific and mechanical purposes was
adopted in November, 1880. II has
therefore been in operation long enough
to AFFORD a reasonable test of the effects
, Of statewide prohibition. Mr.. Dawson
acknowledges that for quite number
Of years the law was openly defied in
many Of the larger towns and cities. II
took long and bitter fight for the peo-,
pie Of Kansas to convince the law de-
tying liquor interests that they were
really in earnest about banishing the
Infamous traffic from their state. But
they are convinced at last and for some
time the prohibition laws Of the state
have been as consistently enforced as
those against other common forms of
criminal conduct. In estimating the re-
suits of prohibition, however. allow
ance must be made for the delay oc-
casioned by this protracted battle
against anarchy, and yet, In spite OF
this, these results, as summed up by
the attorney general, are thoroughly
convincing. Here are a few Of the
more important Of them.
l., Illiteracy has been reduced from
40 per cent to less than per cent and
this Is confined almost entirely to the
foreign element in the southeastern
portion Of the state. ,ts W - Eiif'
Q. Eighty seven Of the one hundred
and FIVE counties OF the state have no
insane, fifty-four have no feeble mind
ed, and ninety-six have no inebriates.
There is only one pauper In every
three thousand population. Thirty
eight poor farms have no inmates. In
July 1911, fifty three county jails were
empty. and sixty five counties had no
prisoner serving sentence; some coun-
ties have not called q jury to try q
criminal case in tenyears, and a grand
jury Is so uncommon that half the peo-
pie would not know what II Is.
Il 3.aIn 1880 the bank savings deposits
in Kansas were $so.ooo.00o; today they
are s2Oo.oOo,oOo The state Is now the
richest per capita in the Union. the
average wealth being $1,700. whereas
the average for the nation is only 81
200.s Missouri, which adjoins Kansas
and is rich in natural resources, has an
average OF less than $500. During the
panic Of 1907 Kansas sent s50,000,o60
to New York to relieve the money, mar
ket, while Missouri sent nothing.
| 4. In 1880 the death rate In Michi-
gan, Wisconsin. Iowa and Kansas was
|lpracticaily the same, seventeen to the
thousand Since then the death rate
OF Kansas has gradually fallen till 1t Is
now only seven and one-half. while
that Of the other states has slightly
increased. A Ha85 ieth =
S. The per capita cost Of intoxicat-
ing liquors IN Missouri Is $40; In Kan
sas Is $1.4S. 1855 4as - a lsissH
8. It has demonstrated that the sa-
loon is not business, but a parasite
on business. gl 2. 30 ira
7. It has taken politics out Of the
saloons and the saloons out Of politics.
Every political party in Kansas now
stands for prohibition. and keeping
Joints dives, and brothels out Of cities
is as much the business policy Of the
average city as keeping the streets
clean, water pure and the public parks
attractive.
In answer to the question as to the
relative value OF prohibition and high
license as q means Of abolishing the
evils of intoxicating liquors. Mr.. Daw-
SON says: There is no relative value.
High license is not menrs Of abolish
ing the evils Of intoxicating liquors.
The only solution Of the liquor prob
lem is its total suppression. High IL
cense Is first of all confession that
the liquor business is a bad business.
It Is bad business, and tax upon a
bad business, a cruel, vicious, and
wicked business means that the state
says to the rum seller: You are cor
rupting the morals of my people, you
are undermining the manhood OF my
young men, you are robbing the cheeks
of my young women Of their bloom, you
are poisoning the blood Of my babes,
you are wrecking my homes, filling my
jails and furnishing spawn for the
brothel. You are at the back Of all the
villainies Of the age, and are turning
my people into drunkards, lunatics,
and suicides and you make very
large amount Of money out Of this In
famous business, and I shall require
you to stand and deliver to me very
considerable portion Of this dirty mon-
ey which you are making this villain
GUS fashion," ,Hfi
Does prohibition prohibit? "Of course
not" answers Mr.. Dawson. Neither
does a gun shoot nor ship sail nor
piano make music Of its own accord.
It takes a man behind the gun to make
It shoot, sailor to sail the ship, and
an artist to play the piano, so' too,
with the prohibition law. 1t Will sleep
away the years in the musty tonnes OF
a law book and never prohibit any
thing unless there are faithful execu-
tiyes behind It." 1t has been shown IN
Kansas he declares, that 1t can be en-
forced even in a community where
popular sentiment is against 1t. 1T
takes Just three men," he says, Ito do
II, a Judge, sheriff, and a prosecuting
attorney. These three and no more,
who fear God and nobody else. and de-
termined to enforce the law-not all
the saloon keepers and brewers and all
their followers and sympathizers can
prevail against them. Most important
of these three is the Judge, and chat
is the officer to whom the liquor inter-
ests give the most attention and the
temperance people the least You must
have judge or your law enforcement