The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-10-27
PROHIBITION PROOFS.
White Trails Fox to His Lair.


To the Editor of the State Journal:
Since the appearance of my article in
the Saturday Evening Post on the
practical working Of prohibition in
Kansas. the Brewers association,
through it's various aliases, has made
many attacks upon tin various forms
have trusted to the intelligence of the
people who desire good government to
realize that the Brewers association.
under its various masks. would not
stick to the truth. and that it would
misrepresent the facts and distort and
garble statistics and So / have not is
sued a defense of the article. But now
comes the Brewers. aasocia ton in the
open, and Mr.. Hugh F. Fox, the Sec
rotary Of The United States Brewers
associa ton, prints q two column reply
to my article in the Saturday Evening
Post Of a current date. That reply, in
such a dignified publication, demands
a definite answer and that answer
am glad to give. sa
We will take up the charges one at a
| time, item by item. Mr.. Fox's first
| charge is that in. the Emporia Gazette
of February: Z, 1914, IL an article
headed: Plenty of Booze in Emporia;
March 2, Emporia. Kan. Not a Dry
Town! Prohibition Only Keeps Liquor
Out About a Month at Time; March
4. Booze and Cards for Kansas Women;
Society in Prohibition State Mixes
Bridge and Booze-an article by Mr..
White himself" I hereby submit the
affidavit Of the mayor Of Emporia:
r. M. Hamer, being duly sworn, de-
poses and says: That he has read the
files of the Emporia Gazette of Febru-
airy Z, 1914; March 2. 1914. and March 4.
1914, and that he finds therein no arti-
cles under the heads quoted in the arti-
Gle above, nor no articles that Could
truthfully be put under such heads.
As to Federal Licenses.
| Charge No. 2 declares that there are
in Kansas 638 licensed dealers in vari-
Gus kinds of liquors in possession of a
federal license. The facts are: That
any bootlegger who does business for
| ten days or less, or for week or for
| one day, and is then convicted =. and
thrown into Jail and driven out of the
state, has to have a federal license.
Many of these licenses are bought OF
the United States revenue collector aft
er the man was in Jail for violating the
state law, to prevent prosecution under
the federal law. And the fact that in
in population of IN millions, and
, that the average life of such a license
| in this state is less than thirty days.
proves, if nothing else proves. that
| Kansas is dry. 1t is also charged that
there are seven wholesale liquor deal
ers and twenty-four wholesale dealers
in malt liquors The facts are they are
wholesale drug agency houses selling
patent medicines outside of Kansas to
their trade, and are not dfsposing OF
these patent medicines to Kansas drug
stores as there is a law absolutely pro-
l1fbitfng these patent medicines in the
state. and the law Is enforced. This
disposes of charge No. b. yssss~.
I There Is no charge No. In Mr.. Fox s
| article.
Charge No. 4 concerns the inmates in
the Cook county. Illinnds, asylelG com
xx,f<t> he inn toe IF he 20 6
Insane Asylum. This is one of Mr..
Fox's charges which is absolutely cor
rect. I. took the figures from state
charitable report and since that report
was made transfers and changes have
been made in the Cook county asylum
and subtractions have been made from
that asylum to the Illinois asylum
which render the statement untrue at
this time, but it was true at the time il
was made.
Kansas Has Lower Death Rate.
| Charges Nos 5, and 8 concern the
mortality from homicides and .acci-
dental deaths and from kidney dis
eases, and the annual death rate OF
Kansas. Mr. Fox's charge is that my
based upon statistics. have before
me the affidavit Of DIR. J. 8. Crumbine
secretary OF the state board of health
! and dean Of the medical college of the
1 state university. DIR. Crumbine is not
the paid agent Of an association whose
principal customers are the brothel, the
! gambler and the barkeeper, and he has
j no interest in keeping those institutions
alive. (These figures show the death
! rate is much lower in Kansas from
these diseases than the average state.)
The following are the sworn figures
given by DR.. s. ]. Crumbine, secretary
Of the state board of health:
@ @ 4 = 81 =