New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-27
PROHIBITION IN KANSAS
Not Enforced in Spite Of the In
fuence of the Woman Voter.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: The other day I ran into street
meeting on Broadway whore the speaker was
misstating facts in regard to affairs in Kan
sas. Having lived ia Kansas for several
years am in position 10 state facts. Were
I the father Of one or several sons. | would
hate 70 have 20 bring my son o. sons M IN
Kansas The conditions in that prohibition
state were so bad in 1912 that cast my vote
in favor Of woman suffrage. thinking that 10
might help. have seen more boys drunk
in Kansas under the age Of fifteen, than
have ever seen Of men over twenty-one In
any other state. While there, between
the years Of 1905 and 1918, any person over
tweuty-one years of age could buy all the
liquor he had money to pay for, from travel
ling men. representing the liquor houses OF
Kansas City. Covington. s.. Louis and Chi
cage.
Prohibition, 20 be Of value. mus. prohibit
absolutely the importation Of any liquors, Of
any kind or description, within the confines
of the prohibition states. One OF the great
est crimes the United States government Is
guilty Of land the government Is guilty Of
many, many crmes) ia the granting OF
rectifier's license. II it be legal 70 sell liquor
in any state the liquor should be sold only
in the original package, sealed on the prem
Uses of the maker in the presence Of legal
ly constituted agent representing the gov
eminent of the United States. IL is useless
to go into all the ramifications Of the recti-
fer's business, because oil tho men engaged
in the liquor business are familiar With all
its phases. II the business OF the manu-
fscture and sale of liquor were conducted
along the lines that have Just lined out, the
expense OF maintaining criminals In the sew
eral state prisons would not be a. great -
it is now, because when a person took hquor
he would be taking the original manufactured
article, and not the horrible substitute swal-
lowed every day, and the liquor that 10 sold
in all prohibition states Is always the worst
that can possibly be put over
IL seems TO me that tho suffragists msks q
mistake when they ring the liquor question
into their talks. have often heard Il
claimed that when women obtained the vote
the saloon would be no more. Facts do not
bear out the claim, because In the State OF
Colorado a person can buy all the liquor
that he or she has the money TO pay for, and
Colorado is equal suffrage state While
| was in Kansas the hotels IN tho large
towns In the state, such as Wichita, Fort
Scott, Leavenworth, Hutchinson, Kansas City
and other towns too numerous to mention,
paid fine Of 500 month. You can, there
fore. see that prohibition was and is q Joke
so far as prohibiting the sale OF liquor Is
concerned. All It amounted to was that the
large hotels could pay their fines monthly
thereby cutting out all small dealers. am
not prohbitionst, neither do believe II
right ever to drink 10 excess
/ also ran into a stree, meeting being con-
Quoted by lady. While / stood on the curb
she made the assertion that the rent payer
and the laborer, and all other citizens Of
this city in moderate circumstances were
paying the bulk OF the taxes, while land
owners were being let of easy. | have known
OF instances where town was being bonded
for public improvements, such as graded
schools. sidewalks. water works, and many
other things that the renter enjoys as we'll
a. the owner OF the land. II is entirely pos
sble and often has been the case that eco
monte conditions were such that the renter
and person OF moderate means saw NJ 70
change his place OF abode because OF better
financial inducements offered in other towns
not bonded The owner OF land and i'm
proyements is generally 20 be found in the
receipt OF his tax notice every year X the
owner OF the building. or the land, as the
case may be. is without tenant. the tar
bill is the first claim against his holdings
Therefore. any ten-yesr-old child Of ordinary
intelligence can see that the land owner Ia
not without his troubles as well.
ROBERT BRUCE GORDON.
| Brooklyn, Oct Is, 1915.