The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-01-23
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BY JAY e. HOUSE
(From Philadelphia Public Ledgsr5
Touching a Matter of General
Interest.

Touching a Matter of General
Interest.
AS old Ed Howe is wont to put IL,
we don't know much, put tners =.
| one topic of very general interest," upon
which we qualify to speak Dotn eA~
pertly ami authoritatively. we rea s
! to statutory prohibition. or the tIaAiic
1 in Intoxicating liquors. II IL. .hs
anything We do not know about the
| operation or the workings OF statutory
prohibition it is due, not to lack OF OPP
portunity, but to incapacitySto ASSUME
late it. For more than thirty years
We lived, Off and on, in a state IN
which prohibition was regarded as a
rite second OILY to the sacrament OF
| the Lords Supper. NO newspaper
dared to tell the truth about the IN
side workings OF the law. no citizen
| had the hardwood or the courage
publicly to reflect upon it. We inter-
| ject the purely personal note long
enough to say that as chief executive
of the capital city OF the state we nao.
forcement of the prohibitory law In
| that community upon our shoulders
Recalling the experience OF those
years, we wish the government agents
Joy in their new Job. 1t Is one OF our
most cherished memories. that we
spent fourteen months constructiyeiy
in jail because we refused to testify
against a bartender whom we had
observed III the act OL pcoSAtl6
cants across the bar OF club in which
we were guest. And so We lay claim
Ito speak expertly and authoritativeiy
upon a topic which Is of very general
public interest.
There is no word to say for liquor.
and nothing set down hereiiF should
be construed as testimony or argu-
ment in behalf of the condemned
lubricant. Despite the shrieks of the
New York newspapers, LIQUOR Is done
so far as open traffic in 1t is con-
cerned. The old days will never como
back. But we hazard the opinion that
the struggle of the people for their
, "hooch" will be the most spectacular
of the domestic episodes to engross
the attention of the country for some
years to come. Now that prohibition
is here. beating 1t becomes the most
, alluring and fascinating of the indoor
sports. And beating prohibition is a.
game that is always in season and can
be played anywhere. A man denied his
liquor by law merely redoubles his ef-
| forts to secure it.
Il We lived some eighteen years in the
capital city to which we have hither-
. to alluded. 1t was and Is a fine, clean.
outstanding town, much above the
average of its kind in general INTEL
ligence and culture, It's, it one may
use the term. located under the gun"
The eyes of the state always are upon
state, county and city. all with author
ity to enforce the prohibitory law and
few of whom are averse to playing TO
the gallery on the issue, function at
never quit drinking. There was liquor
in probably 70 per cent of the houses.
Due to the state OF public sentiment.
the "hooch" was eliminated from pub
3 at a private dinner or entertainment
of any kind bne met the same brands
| of intoxicants encountered at con-
vivial affairs held in the wet" areas.
: The only difference was that the now
i. was likely to be a little more gener-
Gus, the disposition being to drink up
the visible supply and trust to luck or
Ingenuity to secure another. A danc-
!, ing club famous for its champagne
, punch had a waiting list from the
it was dissolved by mutual consent of
its members when America entered
: the war.
| During the era OF prohibition in the
state two or three generations of girls
and boys were born, grew to woman
, hood and manhood, built nests and
settled down to rear broods of their
own. 1t was the boast of the pro-
ponents of prohibition that these girls
and boys had never seen a saloon. And
probably that was true in degree.
But about the usual per cent of them
ttdTncQ 10 anu, WflGH lHtJ earns
to have homes of their own, served
) the customary appetizers and emoi-
} lients to those who came to visit
them. During all the years OF pro-
hibition the legislature of the state.
; session by session. drew the coils OF
legislation a little tighter upon the
| traffic in booze" In the end It
) passed the "bone-dry' act which made
possession of the minutest quantity of
| liquor prima facie evidence of law
| uinla finr and GIIhiarfad affandpF
to fine and imprisonment. There was
2 more drunkenness in polite society
t after the passage of the "bone-dry''
: act than at any period during the less
; rigorous enforcement of the law. They
, say. the young fast set" which has
come into recognition during the last
) two or three years. is the hardest
, drinking fast set" the town ever had.
One Of the best jokes in connection
with the passage of the, ''bone-dry"
| law was ''on' the social club which, on
the occasion of each session of the
Legislature, opened its doors to the
legislators. Many succeeding legisia-
lures accepted the hospitality of this
club, which chanced to be the handiest
place in town for stranger to get a
| drink. The one in question was a
hard-drinking Legislatures. Habitues
of the club expressed the opinion that
it has consumed more liquor than any
| previous legislative body In the history
OF the state. Just before it adjourned
1t passed a law making possession of
liquor punishable by a fine of 500
and thirty days in the county Jail.
Constitutional prohibition should be
easier to enforce than the statutory
article. The source of supply In
choked. But as one who has had ex-
perience. we wish the government of
ficiais upon whom the job OF law en-
forcement is wished much Joy. Men
are willing to fight for their country.
rhey are anxious to fight for liquor.