The Topeka state journal., 1921-12-31
WIN The BATTLE
Officers of Law Are Winning
Prohibition Conflict.
Kansans Are Becoming Better
Educated, Says Hopkins.
PROSECUTIONS TOTAL 300
Vigilance on Part Of Officers
Is Required.
Present Law Did Not Come
Thru Politics.
PROSECUTIONS TOTAL 300

(By the Associated PressJ
Altho fighting against heavy odds.
officers of the law in Kansas are
gradually winning the greatest battle
in the prohibition conflict-the battle
for law enforcement-Richa J. Hop
kins. attorney general, declared today
1.-THE enforcement of the prohibi-
ton law in Kansas has had the erect
of educating the people on the sue1ecL
So that overwhelming public Senu-
19ert is for prohibition" said Attorney
General Hopkins. with this puollc
sentiment and the cooperation OF all
officials. we can hope for the uluma'e Z
extinguishment of all liquor VIOLATIONS
Public sentiment in Kansas now, as a.
no other time. has its full heart anu
soul set against all crime. Our county
officials are doing wonderful work
500 Successful Prosecutions.
recent survey made by the attor-
rex- general shows there nave Oeei
about eight hundred successIul hquoI
prosecutions in Kansas since iaSt jan
uary; $500 gallons or hquoT anu 5, ou,
eG5 gallons of mash have been CON
fiscated and destroyed; five hundred
stills have been captured; the amount
of fines imposed amounts to approA-
4natetv 500, 900; and the average jan
eentenca of those convicted is Il1ty-
ssTha prohibition law, like all Grim
fnal laws. requires vigilance on the
mart of officers to enforce, 1opfA4lis II. -
eo1tfuued. IN the rural districts II
is an easy matter to MAINTAIN proi.lt',- proilloi-
ffoa- In the cities it is more GlIIlcdlt
ss strangers are constantly coming
and going and secret places are more
easily maintained. A.,
s.Probibition in Kansas and in the
United states did not come thru polI-
efr
cessitv. and by moral uplift Except
the Declaration of Independence, II Is
tbe most advanced step ever taken oy
8 nation. -, ~
"The liquor men pulled down the
7oof upOn their own heads, they loE-
cot cod. cursed religion. violated law
degraded the material welfare OF the
fountl,v and now are out OF business
The temple of Bacchus, Ike the tenn
pie Of Diana, is no more
eft must be remembered and under-
Stood once and for all, that prohlpl-
tfon is not here for a visit. 1t mas
come to stay and a wise man Will so
perceive and act accordingly.
Easy to Enforce.
"The eighteenth amendment, and
The Ve1stead act in. support thereoI'
renders prohibition more easily en-
forced IN Kansas. Some chronic or
tenders who think they can evade a
state law have a wholesome fear of a
federal law and its sure penalties.
The class Of people now guilty OF
participating in the violation OF the
tfrohi ibftory law. both state and ma
ffonal. is striking and significant
The criminals of the underworld VINO
originally considered themselves arls-
tocrats- in the defiance of the law
have now thronged to the illicit manu-
faeture. sale and carriage of liquor
and the class of professional hquo<
vf0lators are of a more desperate
character and kind than of few
years ago. Likewise, in the so-called
respectable walks of life, men OF greed
are yielding to the temptation OF the
rich golden profits
I'm Kan.--s we have the advantage
of what are considered first class and
drastic laws for the suppression on the
1sonor- traffic and the advantage OF
having practically all of them passed
on faVCrably by the supreme court
likewise we have the public sentiment
with us and with very, very few ex-
oeptous the hearty cooperation OF
local officers.
The So-Calcd Reformer.
THE average so-caned reformel
usually wants to stop every one else
from doing the things he doesn't wani
to do. but it IS just the reverse il
the liquor proposition. A lot of gooc
citizens who are glad and willing tC
testify against an automobile thief ol
a burglar would much rather not Dt
called upon to reveal the fact tha
John Jones his neighbor. has
private still and is making liquor only
for home use. for sometimes neighbo1
Jones owns the homemade still il
co-partnership with the neighbor call
ed on to testify.
"Of course it is only a question o.
sine until public sentiment will con
vince these people that this sly viola
ton of the law has a most demorahz
ing effect on their community anC
sooner or later a number of these so
called first families will realize tina
this evil will manifest itself in it,
most hideous form in their owl
homes and that with the bad grad
of liquor now being dispensed. vii
sooner or later make believers anC
Iaw-abiders out of class of peOpl'
who at the present time wink at tn
law when it comes to a personal ap
plication.
There is q studied effort on tn
part of the enemies of porhibition b!
subtle suggestions and open and vi
cious attacks to disCredit the law ant
its enforcement. But the main propo
sition that every good citizen. as vel
as every officer. is considered with
is impressing upon the law violators
whether they be rich or poor, profes
sional or amateur, that the way O