Mexico weekly ledger., 1914-11-26

grapes are worth double what ehe,
were, and our vineyards are on th'
Increase. Since the breweries hav'
been banished the saloons have hac
to go, and the Kansas farmers are Be
coming more prosperous; the boys
and girls are growing up without see
ing the inside Of a saloon. The TAR
mers are building up a better citizen
ship, better rural schools, and are saw
ing more money. We have enjoyed
since Kansas adopted Prohibition, bet
Ger houses. better Improvements, bet
ter stock. happier homes, and have
more 10 spend for family needs"
Having heard from the farmer, let
us hear from the laborer. The liquor
interest tells US; THE saloon is the
poor mans club" Enter John Grad
dock, of Weir, president Of the Kan
sas State Federation Of LabOr-and
a handsome man he is. Mr.. Crsddoek
speaks under date of October {, 1914;
AThe State Federation Of Labor has
never gone on record for or against
Prohibition; but I think the law is
satisfactory to the majority Of labor
ing men in Kansas. To substantiate
this statement, l win say we have al
ways been in favor Of woman suf-
frage, which strongly indicates that
we are with the woman voters on this
great moral question. ! algo think
that a vote for re-submission would
be a disgrace to the state"
And now let us close this section Of
the evidence as We began it-with a
statement from the law. Rise up,
Judge Charles Z. Lobdell, president
of the Kansas State Bar Association,
and give your testimony. You were
the county attorney who enforced the
law, the member Of the legislature
who helped to write many Of the
strengthening enactments, and for
ten years a trial Judge in the courts
that upheld the law: but II is rs pres-
ident of the State Bar Association, of
ficially the leading lawyer of Kan
sas, that you speak. Under date of
October z, 1914, Judge Lobdell says:
1.-THE question whether Prohibition
has helped Kansas is nj longer a
debatable question in Kansas; for it
has helped in moral and civic right
eousness, better homes and general
financial advantage. From ten years
experience as a trial judge. ! do not
hesitate to say that the rigid en-
forcement Of this law has in every
instance reduced the volume Of other
criminal business and, as a matter
Of course, has reduced court expens-
es. The law is now generally enforc-
ed and will be easily enforced. The
few places where such is not the
case are the criminal plague spots Of
the state. No community that has rig
idly enforced the ~prohibitory law
for five years could be induced to go
back to the ~saloon.ss
Judge Lobdell is not in politics
now. He practices law and runs a
bank at Great Bend; but, that Mr..
Fox and his friends may get a look
at real politics in connection with the
question Of Prohibition in Kansas, it
may be well to add, in closing, that
this year the Democratic party in
convention assembled, Endorsed Pro-
hibition, and demanded National Pro
hibition. So did the Bull Moosers, and
so did the Republicans. There is no
division of sentiment there.
Now there they stand; not men
picked up here and there, but the Of
fetal representatives of the state
the Supreme Court, the governor, the
encouragement, the official heads
of every activity of the Kansas peo-
pie = the doctors, the bankers, the
commercial clubs, the retail merch-
ants, the farmers, the laboring men
and the lawyers. These are the strong
men of Kansas. They know whether
or not Prohibition has helped Kan
sas. Their testimony is worth car
loads of statistics.
WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE.