Nebraska Newspapers

    STUBBORN FACTS.
It Is Conclusively Proved that Prohibition
Docs Not Prohibit.
DES MOINES \V1IISKY AT GRAND ISLAND ,
Hon. E. Eosewater's Reply to the Olaima of
Iowa's Ex-Governor ,
COMPARISONS OF CRIMINAL RECORDS ,
The Arrests for Drunkenness in the Largo
Oities of Iowa ,
EX-GOVERNOR LARRABEE'S ARGUMENT ,
fie Bliowa l > y Prohibition Testimony
that the Law Is Well Knforced in
the Klatcs of Iowa nnd
The Friday evening session of the debate
at Grand Island was opened by ox-Governor
r nrrabco of Iowa for prohibition. Ho was
followed hy Hon. K. Ilowvnter , editor of
'Jan OMAHA BEE for high llconso. The argu *
tncnU uro presented In full from notes taken
by Tin : UEU'S stenographers t
IH E / nr jxio ir.i.
JSx-flovcrnor Imrrnhco Claims that It
ia Well Knforced ,
Ladies and Rcntlemen : In rny flrst visit
to Omaha some years ago , ! forpot how many ,
it wai n lonff tlmo ago , I crossed the river on
the old ferry , and the Jlrst thing that at
tracted my attention was n sign-hoard with a
nice Inscription on it reading "First Chance. "
and a hand pointing Into , the saloon. I mudo
my visit nnd came luck , and on the other
nido of the hoard was the inscription "Last
Chance. " Now , this afternoon was my llrst
chance to meet thcso gentlemen In this dis
cussion , nnd this evening , I suppose , will ho
the last chance , and I want to innko ttto best
Of It.
I listened to their arguments this afternoon
tvith very much interest , and 1 must sny I
was very much surprised to hoar them Insist
on this ono thin ? , that prohibition not
enforced In Iowa , nnd yet It worked ruin to
the stato. It scorns to mo the gentlemen
crossed themselves a llttlo In that. Prohibi
tion docs not prohibit , hut still worked ruin
to the stnto. It Is ridiculous to attempt to
eay to you people of Nebraska that Iowa Is
ruined ; you all know thcro Is not n state In
the union fie thrifty nnd'prosperous in nil
Respects , materially , Intellectually and inor-
ully ; It is second to none. It is the queen of
the wOst , and Is very generally so recopnizod
by these familiar with the situation. 1 no
tice the statistics of Nebraska crops which
ahow well , but you can multiply it by two
nnd sometimes by three , and then you nro
underestimating the crop of Iowa. "Wo
raised last year about 3 0,000,000 bushels of
com , V0)00.000 ) bushels moro than nny state
in the union , neb oven excepting Illinois.
Why fs It that wo get such Immense crops 11
would infer from Mr. Wohstor's romnrks last
night that wo had almost better as republicans
.abolish . nil protection nnd determine logo Infer
for the suloon to protect our industries.
It Is unnccssnry for mo to expend any tlmo
In the praise of lovvu , und the condition of
our people , but so far as the condition or as
sumption thnt Mr. Kosowator referred to Is
concerned as to. the expenses of the courts , I
mrf sorry to say that a few men whoso con
sciences were not very good , jnon that nro
not scrupulous In doing what is right , did Join
In ivith some men selling liquor there secretly
nud rob the county treasurer. It was not the
fault of the law.it ; was the fault of the of
ficers , and they run up an unusually largo
crlmlnal acconnt la that county.
But , you may take the reports of the ninety-
nine counties of lo'.va , nnd thrco of them
Bhownbout one-fourth of the total expense.
Outsldo of these thrco counties , I think ,
-IJicio Is not n county but what the criminal
expense has been reduced In the last thre
years , and I believe Mr. Kosewatcr is con
vinccd that the Rtatcmcnts I made whlcli. h
ofcrrod to nt Beatrice are correct. You
tated that I said the criminal oxpcnso had
been reduced , and thnt I had falsified the
records of the counties. I would like to
know whether you still think you are correct.
My. Rosewater The only mistake 1 mndo
was this : that I had taken the report for one
year , nnd you said it was for ten months. It
would seem to mo there was nn expense of
$ for carrying on the court , nnd that
was considerable moro than it had boon for
'the preceding year.
\ Mr. tiiirrabeo That is not the only mlstako
/ pou made , If mistake you call It. I want that
* corrected before I go any further. I made a
Btatemcht , publicly , It scorn ? , and ho referred
to U hi Ills IJoatrlco spcechthat a great ninny
of the counties had decreased their criminal
expenses , and ho says I had falslflcd the
records. I will show him that ho did not
, compare a year lawhich wo had prohibition
With a year In which wo did not , and I will
phew him the expense was greater before
cthan It ww last year. It was not the only
mlstako ho made in petting ton months for
twelve , hut It was aroUtnko ho made In com
paring ono prohibition term with another
prohibition term. If ho will gobaclc to 1885
or IbSO or nny year prior to that ho will see
thnt ho has mndo n mistake , I want to know
whether you will admit It or not.
Mr. Hosowater If you will quote the
figures they will speak for themselves.
Mr. Larrabeo Very well , I will quote the
figures , commencing tack with the year ISSU.
The total convictions for the year 1833 In the
state of Iowa was 1T7 : ) ; la 1884 , lMtiin ;
lSS5li.19im : 1SSO , 1,045 that was the Jim
ycarof my llrst administration ; in ISSTV'O :
in ten months of 1SSS , SB. : In 18SS our law
was changed ns to the tlmo of the officer's re
port ; in IhSU , 1,103. ,
4 The number sent totho penitentiary for
these snmo years : 1S83 , : il3 ; 1884 , Udl ; 18SS ,
400 ; lSS45ito : ; 18S7 , , SOO ; ten months of 18S3 ,
" 18bV ,318.
1)30. )
1)30.Fines
Fines collected same tlmo : 1SS3 ,
127,095 ; lbS4 , $ . . : tSl ; ISM , KiOTi8 ; IBM ) , 40-
DO'J ; 1887 , fK > , S71 ; ten months of 1858 , 9,703 ;
SSO , $17,0 < > 3.
Expenses of 183:1 : , $ ,101,173 ; county attor-
ppy's i expenses , Sil.diO ; expenses of ISSI ,
county attorney's expenses , SU.OIO.
Now , the legislature during the term of
J8SO changed our law so far as the county at
torneys nro concerned. Wo used to have
fourteen district attorneys la tlio state , and
( .ho law was changed that session and iiuulo
plnety-nlno county attorneys , and additional
duties wcro imposed o'l the county nttornoys ,
'imd the county board of supervisors fixed
fcho compensation which these attorneys
should revolve , not only tor prosecuting crim
inal business , but all the business of the
* \ County , nnd they wcro allowed a larger com-
I ponsatlon than they had been allowed for-
' jcnnrly. The county attorneys la 18S7 were
jhnldtlU'/Jand the criminal expenses were
233,777. Wo did not have our full number
ft terms of court held that year , aud Instead
fit having th6 old system of fourteen district
fudges and eighteen circuit Judge ) , vro
Changed the policy and put the judges to
gether and made eighteen districts wltn
forty-four Judges , and we raised the compeu-
ipatloii Of our judges. And then ten months
lu 163 tl)0 ) criminal expenses were f'WO , I'JI ,
luid wo paid ttio county nttornoys f.VJ,518. In
1880 the expenses were $ ; i'JU,4'JO ' , and wo paid
Jho county attorneys tt ) , S97.
Tlio'coiinty hoard of supervisors fixed the
Compensation of the county nttornoys , and
thGY have boon adjusting nnil raising it from
< 1M cto time , nnd that shows the reason for
Uio Incrcaso in cotinwusatlou to county at tor-
poys.
poys.Now for jail sentences. Wo sent to the
County jail in 1833.131 ; 1834 , 153 ; 1885,103 ;
l83 , lSSlS37.2fll ; ; Icn months of ISi ? ' 127 '
Isso.iw. .
Now , that shows that prohibition had been
enforced In Iowa. U'ho number dt criminal ]
Bent to the penitentiary had been decreased ,
A prupor comparison would bo to take thrco
R-eurs during tht enforcement of prohibition
bfld throe years prior to that time , or take a
number of years together. Mr. Koscwntefs
comparison I would complain of because ho
nlmply compared ten months of prohibition In
ISS * , with twelvemonths of prohibition In
ISS'A ' and his showing Is not n proper one. If
I didn't know that Mr. Itosowstcr Is an hon
est man and disposed to tell tlio truth I should
say It was dishonest , hut I know Mr. limewater -
water Intends to tell things juitas they nro.
1 suppose tlio tables vrero made up for him
and I mistrust they were miulo In that man
ner Intentionally. I want to assure the gen-
tlemcn that they nro In bad company and I
want to assure them that they nro on the
wrong side of this question , and why I Know
it Is because I have traveled the same road
they are traveling now. I used to use a good
many of the satno arguments they nro using.
I would not torture statistics anil I don't believe -
liovo they would If they made them them
selves.
Now I nra sure that Mr. Uostwatcr and Mr.
"Webster know a great deal about Nebraska ,
and I would not attempt to quote statistics
nor tell the condition of your people hero in
opposition to what they state , but when you
come to Iowa I will not yield the palm to
them. I bcllovo I know Iowa better than
they do. I have lived- there thirty-seven
years nnd I liavo been In public life twenty-
two vcirs , and when they attempt to say.
that Iowa Is suffering from the cause of pro
hibition , I need not deny It ; It Is unnecessary ,
but I will deny It.
When they talked about the prosperity of
DOT Molnes and Mr. Hoiowater quoted the
question of rents this afternoon , I want to
say that Is too high , that Is more than it
ought to cost ; rents nro too high. They got
the rents up some time- ago when a boom was
on the property , and they have tried to keep
them there , and they are higher than they
ought to ho. I can take him to any nntl-pro-
hlbltlon town In Iowa and can furnish him
the same sized store-rooms , in Just as public
a position , nnd for one-fourth the rent.
As to whether or not prohibition prohibits ,
I wish my friends would KO and ask Stormy
Jordan , Ho had on ono side of the sign to
his saloon "Hoad to Hell" and on the other
sldo "Noso Paint. " Ho spent over ? . ! 0.0001
think lowing the state of Iowa and carried the
cases to the United States supreme court ; at
lost he came to mo and said , "lam whipped. I
lay down. I give up. " Ho wanted mo to re
mit the lines and I told him I would remit the
penalty if ho would pay the expenses and
$ T > 00. Ho finally cot hh wllo's mother to
ralso the money and ho paid thof50U and paid
thd expenses. I then told him "You sign
this agreement to keep out of the business
nnd I will suspend the sentence during good
behavior , " and 1 wrote it out and ho signed
1
v *
After the ; election ot Governor Bolos last
year you probably heard the cry made that it
was the end of prohibition hi Iowa , that it
was a rebuke to the prohibitionists. Jordan
had becnspendltiRtho summoraftcr , I released
Win from his obligations on conditions , In
Kansas and ho wanted mo to rclcaso him
from hla narolo. Ho says , "I want to enjoy
the rights of a citizen of the United States , I
want to go nnd sell liquor. " I told him that
was against'tho law. Ho says , "That Is
going to bo repealed nnd you might
as well let mo got ready beforehand. "
I told him , "Stormy , you can't ' open
your "Iloadto Hell" Jastas long as lam gov
ernor of Iowa , and you might as well go back
and attend to your business. " ila says ?
"There h no place for tno in Kansas City. " I
told him business was prosperous there ,
wasn't It ; but ho said It was the deadestclty
on the continent , and there wcro 7,000 empty
store rooms In Kansas City. "Why , " I says ,
"you must bo mistaken. " Ho says : "I know
what 1 am talking about. " Hoadmlttcd that
prohibition prohltits. nnd I can clto you hun
dreds of others , nnd if you will go with mo to
the records giving the number of sentences I
commuted you will agree with mo that prohi
bition prohibits. Ask the brewers of Des
Molues , ask the brewers of Iowa.
I know ono man In the business who was a
very respectable man for this business when
it was lawful , and I suppose ho could have
sold Ills property at ono titno for $100,000.
Ho came to mo nnd said : "I hnvo spent
more than halt my fortune nnd I want you to
suspend sentence or commute my sentence. "
Ho says : "Every dollar that you don't re
quire me to pay to Iowa I shall hnvo to put
in Improvements in Iowa. " I gnvohlmtho
conditions , one-third of the fine and the ex
penses of the county. Ho signed the agree
ment and kept out of the business , and ho
went into business in Des Moluos , and that
man within eighteen months made a clean
$100,000 m the electric railway.
I want to say to the men engaged In the
brewery business of this state , you nro capa
ble of learning imy.othcr business that is rc-
spcctablo nnd reputable , and if you will take
the advlco of that man you will get out of the
saloon business and go into a respectable
business.
I can cite another man in the same boat
with this ono. Ho has gene into an oat meal
mill In Ues Moines and I think ho U thriv
ing. Another ono turned his brewery into a
caaning establishment and I think he Is doing
well. The brewers of IOWH City said to mo
if we hadn't followed the advlco of our law
yers wo would hnvo saved this , but now our
property Is sacritleed and wo regret It , and
they would talk to mo about remitting their
lines nnd commuting their sentences.
There are a few counties in which the law
is not enforced yet , but each year during my
administration wo made some gain each
month. As I said to tno legislature , if you
will giro mo the power to remove the county
ofilcors , as you gnvo mo the authority to remove -
move the state oDlcers , I would give a bond
to close every salooa'insldc of thirty days. So
far as the law being enforced , I say it can bo
enforced. I used to think Just as you gentle
men think und I voted against the amend
ment when it was first proposed. But after
wards It came to mo the power that our sa
loon clement was taking in our politics ;
they were practically dictating to
our state government , und It will bo Just so
With Nebraska' ! ! you continue It.
You may say that high license reduces the
number of saloons and that looks like a stop
in the right direction , hut ono objection I
have to that ted ay Is that it legalizes the
business , licenses It , makes it respectable. I
would rather have a groggory In my neigh
borhood today than to have a respectable
gilded saloon , I have no fears whatever of ray
boys poing into a groggcry to learn to drink ,
but I should have fears if they had a gilded
saloon placed heforo them every day of their
lives. And your boys nro subject to the
same danger my boys nro , I know that men
who nre wealthy nnd well-off , living in high
positions think thcro is no danger , but you
must remember gentlemen that wealth has
wings and sometimes lies away and you may
bo loft a poor man , and before you know it
the boys are subject to this temptation , and
they forget that part of the Lord's prayer
which says : "L.ead'Us not into temptation. "
Now , gentlemen , so far as that is concerned ,
I think that is about all I want to say.
Mr. Webster and Mr. Kosowator still Insist
upon it that prohibition don't prohibit and
docs not decrease drunkenness , and they chal
lenge mo for the proof. J expect that my
statements of the conditions in Town ought to
boas good as theirs of Nebraska. I say It
has diminished drunkenness and diminished
crime. I will not wk them to take my word ,
but I will do what I never did before today
read a line from the public documents.Vo
have forty-four district Judges , four superior
judges and llvo judges ottho supreme court
and every ono of those supreme Judges nro
ardent supporters of prohibition. Without
exception , uvery state ofllccr that wo bavo
with the exception of Governor Boies and I
expect ho will bo If ho remains in oftlco are
in favo > - of prohibition.
Some time since I wrote to nil our district
Jmlees asking them to nmko suggestions as
to legislation , and among other things I asked
them to apprise mo of the elTcctof the pro
hibitory law In their district , particularly
upon rrlmo and criminal espouses. What
they had seen and observed of the operation
of the criminal law and whether they would
advise Us repeal and what they would advise
to place In its stead. I received in response
to those letters forty-ono answers ; thirty fa
vored the law directly , six were non-commit
tal , and live were opposed to it. In the Hrst
district , Judge Charles 11. Phelps ho Is of
Burlington und la 'a democrat nnd believes
Just as my friend Hosowater believes , and It
took him about six pages to express himself
upon It.
The next letter was from Judge II. 0.
Travefbfl of Htoomlleld. I will read a few
lines Just to show you his experience. "My
experience Is that wherever saloons are
closed crime is diminished. The temperance
sentiment In this part of tl 6 stdto is growing ,
nnd I thing that the recent decision ot the
supreme court of the United States In the
Kansas case , upholdldg the law , will result
in a growth of tomporunco sentiment all over
the union. It Is the most civilizing and
Christianizing event that has happened within
th ngt > , In my Judgment , our pronioltory
law should bo left Just as It is. "
I want to know If my friend Webster will
accept the testimony of the district Judges of
Iowa.
The next was from Hon. Dell Stownrtof
Clmrlton : "I would not advise the repeal of
the prohibitory law , I tun satisfied that this
district woula have been entirely rid of sa
and breweries for the past year or two ,
It the federal courts .had not Interfered with
the stnto courts. I trust that slnco the
prompt nnd clear decision of the supreme
court of the United States wo may have no
raoro of thin singular interference , and If wo
have none , I have no doubt of the ability ot
the courts of Iowa to enforce thU law ns
easily and completely ns any other law upon
our statute books. "
The next Is from Hon. J. W. Harvey of
Leon , nnd In It ho says ! "You ask mo as to
the effect of the prohibitory liquor law In
this district , nnd particularly upon crlmo
nnd criminal expenses. The law is well en
forced In this district. I am not awuro that
there Is n saloon la this district. It has re
duced crlmo at least one-half and the criiulnnl
expense In a llko ratio. I would not , anil do
not favor the repeal of the law. "
The next Is Judge Henry of the Third dls-
tflct , and ho says : "Tho liquor law has done
some good nnd has become pretty veil settled
by our supreme court. I doubt the expedi
ency of changing It. "
The next Is from Judge C. H. Lewis , oncot
the district Judges In Sioux City : " 1 think
the prohibitory law Is nil right nnd should not
bo repealed. Some additional legislation Is
needed to meet the cases ot some druggists ,
but 1 am not certain ns to what should bo
dono. The law is as well enforced ns any
other and has decreased criminal expenses at
least two-thirds. " ThatU Judge Lewis' opin
ion , Mr. Uosowatcr.nnd should bo pretty good
testimony. When I have read enough to con
vince you I want you to let mo know or clso I
nm likely to run over tlmo. [ Laughter. ]
Judge S. M. Ladd of the same district says :
"My own notion Is "that not any radical
changu should ho made nt the present time.
Thcro Is always too much talk In every im
portant cnso of different parties packing
Juries , and some method ought to bo devised
to nvoid suspicion. "
The next Is .Fudge Wnkoflcld of the same
district. Ho says : "I am satisfied that our
city having during the last year enjoyed n
season of great prosperity and growth has
aided materially In the change of affairs
here. As the saloons were driven out other
business cnmo in to occupy the vacant places
nnd prevented the depredation of real cstnto
nnd rent that would otherwise have followed
and created material dissatisfaction. "
Now , Mr. Hosewatcr and Mr. Webster , I
believe you would llnd the snmo results in
Omaha , that after driving out the saloons
you would have dry poods stores , merchants
nnd groceries occupying their places.
The next case is Judge J. H. Henderson of
the Fifth district : "Tho prohibitory law Is
now good enough nnd should bo given full
time nnd experience to test its cfllcaoy. I nm
well satisfied that the law as It now is , If en
forced will remedy the evil. If courts ,
Judges , sheriffs nnd other peace ofilcers. as
well ns citizens do their duty , wo will en
tirely suppress the evil under the present
law. "
Judge Ayrcs of the Fifth district : "I have
no doubt but that the prohibitory law has re
duced criminal offenses nnd the expense of
the courts In this district very largely , and I
certainly should not advise a repeal of it ; but
I would advise a modillcatlon or chaugo In
the pharmacy law. "
The next is Judge Wilkinson of the Fifth
district , nt Wntcrsot. Ho says : "Tho pro
hibitory law In this district is well enforced.
While there are clandestine sale of liquor , I
know of no saloons in the district. I have
no doubt but thnt crime and criminal ex
penses have been lessened by the observance
nnd enforcement of this law , and in my opin
ion the effect of it has been to lessen general
litigation , and I am not ready to advise its re
peal. "
Judge \V. R. Lewis , of Montczuma In the
Sixth district , says : "I would not recom
mend the J repeal of ntho prohibi
tory liquor law as I ocllevo that if It has the
same attention that the other criminal laws
of the stnto and the others receive th"o same
attention that it docs , which should ho the
cose , It will end the saloon nnd promote a
temperance sentiment and sobriety and in
every way a bettor state of things in so
ciety. "
Judge J. K. Johnson of the Sixth district
at Oskaloosa , was in the senate ot the time
they passed the amendment and ho was the
leading champion In the senate. Ho answers
ia three lines : "Thero can bo no doubt that
the effect of the prohibitory law has been to
reduce very materially , crlmo and criminal
expenses In this district. I would not advise
its repeal. "
The next Is Judge D. llyan , of the Sixth
district. Ho says : ' ! nm , free to soy that in
my limited experience on the bench and
twenty years at the bar that I would not nd-
vise its repeal. The use of intoxicating
llnuor is certainly a very fruitful source of
crime. This law is now generally enforced In
Washington county , Louisa county , Powo-
sheik county and Jasper county. In Ma-
haska county and Kcokuk county the law is
not so well enforced or observed. The crim
inal docket in Mahaskn , county alouo con
sumes moro tlmo and makes more expense
than in all of the flrst four counties named. "
The next is Judge " \V. F. Brannan of the
Seventh district. This is another democratic
ludgo , nnd ho is ono of the old-fashioned
.udges who believes that prohibition don't
prohibit , hut ho has done his duty la uphold
ing the law In later years much bettor than
ho formerly did.
Judge S. H. Falrall of the Eighth district.
Ho is a whisky man himself and ho advises
its repeal.
Judge W. P. Conrad of DCS Moines. That
Is tno city where there has been so much
depreciation of property. You would think
to hear them talk that Des Moines and the
whole state of Iowa was going bock to the
Indians :
"As to the operation of the law , my ob
servation is that It has largely diminished
crime In this district and very much lessened
the cost of maintaining the courts. "
Hon. Marcus Kavanaugh of the Ninth dis
trict uses this language : "It bos decreased
crime over 50 per cent and added largely to
Individual happiness. "
Judge Josiah Given ot the Ninth district
at DCS Moines , says : "As to the effect of the
prohlbitory'law in this county I state what I
think Is n matter of common observation ,
that drunkenness has boon very materially
decreased and that asldo from prosecutions
for the unfortunate of thnt law , criminal
charges are considerably less. Prosecutions
under that law have been very numerous in
deed and have constituted the larger part of
the criminal calendar of our court during the
last year. I would certainly not advise its
repeal nnd I do not know of any law that" !
would he willing to see placed In Its stead. "
Ho is on our supreme bench at * o present
day ; bo was elected a year nijo last fall.
The next r.iso Is Judge .7. J. Ncy of Inde
pendence. Wo have six or seven out of forty-
four of thcso Judges who nro democrats and
ho Is ono of them. Ho Is ready to enforce
this law but ho Is opposed to It.
I could go on all through and glvo.rou a re
port of thcso men. Just before tlio last ses
sion of the general assembly , I wrote to the
Judges again , but I did not wrlto so early as I
did before and did not got so many answers.
I only got about twenty , hut there was not a
chungoinono of these answers. I believe
the Judges nro today stronger In favor of
prohibition than they were then.
Now then , I hnvo in addition n little Ne
braska Horn. This U not onicial.nnd the other
was -written to mo olllclally. Hero I found
in a. paper handed to mo a statement from
of Nebraska and It is
twenty-one Judges ex
cellent reading , but as the committee has
seen lit to shorten up the discussion this
evening I will nnvo to defer the rcadlntrof It.
Brown , Peterson , Gibson , Jones , Wltzcr ,
Berlin , Welch , Hlchards , Tucker , Lctton.Ep- .
person , Trunklo , Fritz , Hulbert twenty-one
judges and cloven county attorneys , and
these arc some of the names I have given
you.
Another little statement. What you want
Is to got at the facts. I know that Mr. Koso-
waterand Uencrul Webster dcsiro to pro-
motp the welfare of Nebraska , They arojust
as mnch In earnest as you nnd I nnd they uro
lust as honest in their opinion as wo aro. J
btfllovo they nro mistaken and I ask you gen
tlemen to consider tno case , nnd If you take
my ndvlco you will not hesitate ono minute
to vote for prohibition. If I had a thousand
moro votes in the future I should vote foi
prohibition In Iowa , Kansas and Nebraska.
The saloon Influence Is n bad Influence ; it
Is llko other great money Influences , althougl
It Is moro unscrupulous , nnd aay of them are
had enough. Wo nil feel that , and whllo I
am Breaking on that subject , in relation to the
election In Iowa last year , my republican
friends hero today said it was a rebuke to
prohibition that Governor Holes was elected
1 want to say that It was no such thing. I
presume Doles got about 3,500 niorfl vote ? 01
account of being on untl-pronlbiUoulsU The
liquor organizations of ttio nation mndo a
desperate effort to defeat prohibition , hut I
will venture to suy that they did not have
over'J.MX ) votes , nnd what defeated the prohl
bltlon nominee was the fact that ha did not
got thoconlldenco of the fanners' alliance
upon the transportation qucutlou , and that
was tlio fault , and thutuloue.
That Is ono of tbo great questions wo have
to dcul with mid ono of the questions you
have to deal with hero In Nebraskannd 1 desire
sire to commend my friend for tbo strong
vork ho ha * done In hhvtp&werfiil paper In
hat direction. >
The saloon men control probably nine hun-
trod million dollars In Into I'nlted State * , nnd
hero Is no limit hardly to'tho ' inoncv nt their
ommnnd. Strong men are rinploveu to worker
or them , nnd i < oinotltnM they know It nnd
omctlmcs they don't. Itlght hero Is a llttlo
article that I want to readmit :
"A'o ono can deny that the license system ,
ns now existing in our city Im-j been n source
of corruption nnd Irregularity. It has had n
demoralizing effect upon , ipcmbors of the city
council nnd the city clerk , It has exacted
jollllcal support from loiv dives nnd bum-
ners ; It has compelled the orderly liquor
dealers to support with mpncy and Inllucnco
ho very worst element of the city and has
used the llijuor men to daJJio dirty work nt
> rimarles and elections. The reason for
his Is easy to i llnd , The II *
cense board is mndo up of the
mayor , prcsldent-of the city council and city
clerk , each holding an elective olUce. The
emptatton to abuse the position as a member
of the license board nro manifold. There nro
opportunities to make corrupt bargains. In
return for pecuniary or political support a
member ot the board can grant license to dis
reputable individuals or wink nt violations of
.ho license law. The average member of the
lecnse board plays for political power for re
election nnd ho keeps his uyo to the main
chance to galu tlio solid supjwrt of the liquor
men. "
That Is the opinion of n gentleman that I
respect. That is taken from thdO.M KIIA. BCE ,
a republican organ In the state of Nebraska.
[ Applause. ] I want to sny to you , Mr. Uoso-
water , I ngrco with you in that. Thn Influ
ence is demoralizing whcrovci it reachci.
You claim that you can correct this in the
future. I sny to you there Is no liquor law In
the land but what is violated every day. I
iiellevo It is violated In Omaha and I
know It Is violated in Lincoln , I hnvo
witnessed it myself. Is not the lawnealnst
keeping the snloons open ouSunday } Uo.vou
claim they nro closed in Grand Island at
night nt the time the law requires them to hoi
I know that In Iowa for thlrty-livo years
while wo had license wlno and beer they
violated the license every day by selling
drinks that were prohibited. I know that Is
the case in Pennsylvania. The Ucr. E. 1C.
Young sny.i thcro are at least -1,000 holes-ln-
the wall , and the report of the chief of police
says thcro are 8,000 holes-ln thc-wall in the
city of Plttsburg. You say because the pro
hibitory law is not enforced fully in Iowa , wo
should repeal the law , but go back to high
license , nna why won't ' It apply thcrol And
the law against polygamy In Utah ;
why not say that because that
law Is not enforced It should bo repealed !
Why not against gambling dens ! and I ven
ture to say there is not u city of ! J,500 In the
state of Nebraska without gambling houses.
And the same 1 would say In regard to houses
of prostitution , You don't ' enforce that law.
Why don't you repeal it ! You say there is a
difference. I say there Is no difference in
principle. The same argument that applies
to ono will npply to the other.
Ladles and gentlemen , I thank you very
lilndly for your attention , , nnd I wish I hail
linlf an hour moro to giro you a good many
facts. I nm sure It would bo Interesting to
you , gentlemen nnd ladles , mid assist you In
deciding when the day comes. I will say to
the women that in the state of Iowa there Is
not ono woman out of a hundred that is op
posed to prohibition , and when you find a
woman that Is opposed to prohibition there Is
something : wrong somewhere. [ Applause
nnd hisses. ] And I say to you , look after
your husbands ,
CITED.
Hon. E. llosowatcr Sliows the Failure
or Iowa Prohibition.
Argument of the Hon. E. Hosewatcr at
Grand Island , Neb , , on the evening of Sep
tember 19,1890 : H
Mr. Chairman , Ladles nnd Gentlemen :
Governor Larrabeo has , delivered another
very gentlemanly and courteous address , and
I again thank him for the manner in which
ho lias treated his subjectWo differ.nnd wo
differ honestly. Ho has cited to you the opin
ions of quite n number ot the Judges of the
state of Iowa in support of maintaining stat
utory prohibition In his own state , and I can
see no reason why that shquld inlluenco any
body thatis culled onto vote for constitutional
prohibition in Nebraska. This is not a ques
tion whether wo nro to repeal n law and it Is
not a question whether wo n'ro toonnct a law ,
but whether wo arc to insert iii the funda
mental law of the state a provision that does
not belong in it. Now , tho-Judgcs of Nebras
ka , the judges of Kansas , and the judges of
Iowa nro all politicians. They all depend u pou
popular support for their places , and they
gauge their opinions very largely
in accordance with public sent-
sentiment. You will notice by the letters
of those Judges the replies nro very much
as they think public sentiment in their local
ity preponderates. The judges of Iowa are
mostly republicans , and the republican party
of Iowa llko the republican party of Kansas
has made prohibition ono of its cardinal doc
trines , nnd no Judge or politician dares to op
pose it unless ho wants to stop down nnd get
himself shelved. Governor Larraoeo also tells
you that twenty-one Judges of Nebraska have
written letters In favor of the prohibitory
amendment ; but I find that these twenty-
ouo Judges represent simply twonty-ono out
of eighty-eight of the county judges of this
state and only ono of the district court judges
of Nobraska. Among thcso twenty judges , I
know ono or two at least that are merely like
some of the hired colonels that are tramping
through this state preaching prohibition.
Men who have been raised out of the gutter ,
so to speak , and have been sober long enough
to getn llttlo county ofllco. [ Great applause. ]
Over sixty of the county judges of Nebraska
have refused to give any such endorsement.
Now let mo call your attention to the exag
gerations and mfsstatements made in the
afternoon nnd last night In this house by Gen
eral Bradford of Kansas. When I was In
Topeka I was warned in advance that that
gentleman was given to reckless exaggera
tion and would muko statements hero that
were baseless and ho has fully sustained tils
Kansas reputation. For instance , ho has de
clared to you that -50 ministers of the gospel
in Massachusetts voted for prohibition to
every ono that voted against it. Wo had In
ttio Boston papers the names of eighty-eight
ministers who publicly announced themselves
in opposition to the prohibitory amendment
in that state and if It were true that for each
ono of these , two hundred and fifty voted the
other way , they would have 2,000 preachers
in the city of Boston. [ Laughter and ap
plause. ]
The gentleman from Kansas has declared
on this rostrum that the Incorrigible boys nnd
girls of Nebraska are running about at largo
unable to get into the reform schools of the
state because they are overcrowded , and ho
has charged hero Unit the reform schools of
Nebraska contain moro boys nnd girls than
these of Kansas , when the reverse is true.
Only a week ago , on September S ) , the follow
ing notice appeared In all the Kansas papers ,
which could not have escaped his attention :
"Sheriffs nnd others wishing to have boys
admitted to the reform school will . plcaso . . cor .
respond with the superintendent of schools ,
as it Is now f ull.and . hoys can only be admlttoi
as nvacanc ; may occur. " iigned by L. K ,
Kirk , president of the board of state chari
ties. [ Applause. ! As a matter of fact I cor
responded with the superintendents of the re
form schools of Nebraska mil Kansas a month
ago and I found thnt in thii'stato ' of Knnsas
their reform schools are DO crowded that
they wcro unuhlo to admit Bay more , ami the
only place where they uro. admitted now is in
in the jails. The report of ( ho state board of
chnritles for IbS'J ' so states' , and General Brad
ford could not bo Iguorant of'that fact. Ho
has paraded to you today the fact that the
district court docket of Ms , , own county of
Shawnec , Bin which is located the city of
saints , as they call Topekn , has been entirely
free from all criminal casoa , What Is the fact I
The criminal docked of btiaWnoo county for
the term that has lust opened. In
the month of September contains
10" criminal cases set for trluU They Include
trials for murder , perjury , grand larceny ,
burglary , bigamy , assaulU oa women , scllhnr
whisky , etc. ; for Tuesday , September 2 , they
hud ono grand larceny case , one perjury nnd
one murder , and I have the names ot ovcry
criminal right hero , and they nro all in detail
just as they wcro copied from the docket of
the court for mo by the .sheriff , Two hun
dred and live persons have been in Jail in
Shawnco county , Kansas , slnco January 1.
ItjOO. Out of this number llfty were United
States prisoners nnd thirty persons tire at the
present tlmo in that Jail , besides twelve now
in the city jail of Topeka ; llvo insuno per
sons are also confined then ; , as thcro Is no
room in the Kansas asylums. [ Applause , ]
Two boys ore there who were sentenced w
Juil because there Is no room hi the reform
school ; two girls under slxtocu years of ago
are lodged in thcro who should ho confined in
the school for girls at IJololt , but there U no
room I [ Appluiiio.J This In the great re
form state of Kansas ,
Hut now we pass to another phase of It.
The honorable ex-attorney general bos cited
to you the testimony of Judges of the su-
pronto court of Kansas but I will only clto
the opinion of ono very prominent npoitlo of
prohibition although 1m does not bcllovo In
It any moro than 1 do-Senator In nll * . I
will cite what Senator Inpulls thought of the
very foremast of these Judges about six years
ngo. when ho win elected for the second tlmo
to the United State * ) ncimtc. Senator Iiiinilli
said regarding this eminent prohibition
] , idgci "A man who gained hit polltlcul
career by writing editorials In favor of se
cession and drinking toasts to the
health of Jefferson Davis ; becoming
n republican by the promises 01
preferment , ho has been continuously in
oftlce with the accidental hiatus of ono jonr ,
During that long period ho bus continually
traftlcked in justice , defrauded his clients ,
basely plundered hit partner and Insulted so
ciety by his degrading nnd flagrant Immoral
ity. Ho has never mndo a promise that ho did
not break , nor had n f rlcnu whom ho was not
willing to betray , " I do not think cortlllcatus
from that sorto'f people In fnvor of prohibi
tion ought to go very far with the people of
Nebraska. [ Applause. ]
Now , I will devote myself for n little whllo
totho question of whether or not prohibition
does prohibit. My friend , Governor Larni'
bee , nud the gentlemen who preceded mo1
have asserted thnt prohibition Is M well enforced -
forced In ovcry prohibition state as all their
other laws against crime.
Governor Larrabeo 1 only refer to my own
stato. .
Mr. nose-water Well , I will speak of Iowa
for the present. I would bo very sorry for
the state of lown it all her other laws wcro ns
poorly enforced ns the prohibition law. [ Ap
plause. ] I should say that it would bo the
worst governed state in this union. There
nro 4,000 liquor dealers In the state of lown.
Can anyone conceive of a crlmo thai would bo
violated 4,000 times u day under the nose of
the police , under the eyes of the aheriflswlth
the consent of all their constabulary nnd all
their ofllcors with only forty or fifty arrests of
the lawbreakers each month.
Lot mo clto a few stubborn facts to provo
that prohibition docs not prohibit In the state
of Iowa. I hnvo the Internal revenue state
ments up to date up to within two Jays
nnd I find that slnco .May 1,1SOO , there were
3U7 persons or firms licensed to sell liquor ,
or rather having palil a tax or stamp duty to
the United States government to sell liquor In
the state of lown. Of thoso"0 nre wholesale
dealers , 131 are retail dealers In malt liquors ,
SS nro wholesale dealers in malt liquors and
1WH are promiscuous liquor sellers. [ Lauuh-
tor ] , I would llko to know how the governor ,
or any other prohibition speaker , can explain
this. I would llko to hear them explain how
It comes that there arocighty-olght wholesale
dealers In malt liquors and twenty wholesale
dealers in spirituous liquors in the state of
Iowa if the laws against liquor-selling are
enforced in that stato. I would like to know
why it Is that the constabulary and state gov
ernment hnvo been unable to deercaso the
number of these places instead of allowing
them to increase from year to year. I made a
mistake. In 18S1I they had : i. T7 , and in 1890.
slnco the flrst day or Jlr.y , they had licensed
4,51(1. ( [ Laughter and applause ] .
Now then , ( n the state of Kansas thev have
licensed something lllto 1,837 for the present
yeur , nnd I will piosontly read you the num
ber of stamps that have been Issued for the
different towns in Kansas for the benefit of
the gentleman from Kansas , who can explain
to you why the largo towns of Kansas have
a larger number of stamps for selling liquor
than the largo towns of Nebraska , and why
every little village und every little hamlet in
the state of Kaunas has permits to sell liquor.
The records of the collector of the Internal
revenue show thnt Atchison has taken out ( W
permits or stamps. The Atchison club has
ono and five of the stamps were issued to
women. You can draw your own inference
what kind of n resort thcso women keep.
Argentine has 23 stamps , .Arkansas City I2tj ,
Abilcno tiO , BurllngainoS. Beloitll , Coffoy-
vlllo 14 , Clay Center 9 , Dodge City 11 , Emporia -
poria ID , Eldorado 10 , Ellsworth 11 , Fort
Scott 52 , Galena 'M , Hortoti 21 ,
Hayes City 10 , Hutchison 24 , Independ
ence II , Junction City 25 , Kansas City , Kan.
73 , Leaven .TOrth 114 , Lawrence 23 , and Law
rence is supposed to have not ft drop of liquor ,
Lexington 15. Newton 22 , Osage City 10 ,
Varsons 'JO , I'ittsburg 35 , Salenu 20 , Topeka
Ul ,
In Topeka stamps have also been issued to
several women and three of the licenses have
been taken out since the repeal of the original
package business. Wichita has 1U7 licensed
liquor dealers and a population of only 34,000. ,
But before 1 go nny farther I will
plvo you a little of my experience in
prohibition lown nnd prohibition Kansas. A
week ngo last Thursday I started out for
Des Mollies and arrived thcro nt midnight.
I landed at the Savory house nnd mot a
friend from Omaha , a prominent real estate
dealer , who asked whether or not I wanted to
go out nnd sec the sights. Certainly , I said ,
wo will go. And so wo started out. The
very lirat thing wo did was to go to a hotel
that passes for the second best hotel In the
city. Wo stooped Into the drag store on the
corner and passing behind the prescription
counter found ourselves in a barroom. In
front of the bar stood three or four rough
looking fellows , all drinking' , and my filcnd
asked for a drink of whisky for each of us
nnd it was poured out. It was given us on
the counter , no questions asked , und the
money received. Well , when I got through ,
wo walked into the hotel and my friend says ,
'An undo of mine is living in this hotel and ho
Is up stairs , let us go and call on him. ' I
says , 'Do you folks make calls at midnight ;
Isn't ho in bed at this timol' 'No , ' ho says'we
will find him all right. ' Wo went uj > ,
knocked at the door nnd walked in. There
were two gentlemen present and just as soon
as I had been Introduced , our friend pro
duced a big bottle of whisky , and says. 'Now
won't you take a drink witUmoi' 'There-
no doubt in my mind but what you have
whisky there , said I , but I do not wish nny
Just now.1 After some preliminaries , this
gentleman offered to accompany us
on our tour. 'Now ' , ' said ho ,
'if you go over the river on the east side ol
town I would not advise you to go without n
revolver ; I do not think It is safe for any man
logo in that part of town after dark alone. '
ThU man is a manufacturer. I donot know a
place in the business portion of Lincoln ai
Uniuha where I would bo afraid to go , nt
at any tlmo of the night or day , without a re
volver. But wo went out. We got u cab and
wo found the identical cabman that had pi
loted my sporting editor through IJe.s Woines
when ho wai thcro last winter , and that
identical cabman took us around and wo
found several places where liquor was sold ,
and at ona of them wo had H bottle of beer all
uround. In duo course of time we returned.
It wns 1:30. : Now what woukl bo the condi
tion of things at half post ono in the morning
in the city of Omaha or nny other city In Ne
braska ! Every drug store would bo closed ,
and it you wanted to gut into a drug store
you would have to nug the night hell consld-
crably.or kick the door In before the TMght
clerk would open It ; but in the city of DCS
Molues the drug shops and grog shops run
wldo open after midnight and run open all
night , and that Is the tlmo when they run the
most. [ Applause. ] So WQ passed back to
the Kirkwood house and walked Into a drug
store. The clerks were marching up ant
down just the same as If It wcro midday , anc
wo asked for a drink of whisky : the clorl
said 'I cannot sell you a drink but I can sol !
you a quart.1 [ Laughter and applause. ] 1
said I do not want a quart of whisky , what
could I do with a quart of whisky. Ho says
the smallest quantity I can sell is half u pint-
I said all right , give mo half a pint , nnd si
the half pint was given mo and I have
brought it down hero for you , ( producing i
bottle of liquor. I [ Laughter and applauso.
Now I have not pulled the cork of that bottl (
slnco I bought it [ great applause ] and I asl
the governor now whether that isnotprettj
good testimony that prohibition does not pro
hibit In Iowa , at least after midnight
[ Laughter ] , , That was the flrst nlght'sper '
formanco , und I went to bed thnt night witl
a bottle safely lodged In tny vallso. The nex
duy I spent n great deal of my tlmo in the
different olllces , wltn the sheriff nnd the city
marshal and governor and other oftlcers , in
vcstlgatiug mutters and in conversation i
was admitted that whisky nnd beer could begotten
gotten In any quantity In the drug shops
joints or so-called tea houses and when I related
latod my experience to n prominent ottlcial o
the city , whoso business It WAI to arrest people
plo I won't name him-honskcd mo whethe
the druggist Inul asked mo to sign anything
said no. "Well , " ho say.s"when I buy llqiio
atthodrug store I don't sign cithorbccuuso 1
would make to much of a record , and the
druggists don't llko to make too much of a
showing. They have to Hie that statemcn
with the auditor , to they do not have people
sign for It , and timt makes a smaller show
IIIR. " I looked hi the city directory , nud li
looking over the business of tlio city of De
.Moines , I found n recital of the Jobbing trade
nnd I noticed conspicuously In the year of 13
the Jobbers sold & 00.000 worth of whlskle
and alcohol nt wholesale. 1 WO-H rathe
thunderstruck about It. I did not auppoto a
wbolcjalo store could exist there
but they told mo that ono wholesale drug
store did the largest kind ot a business ir
whisky and the proprietor * ) made u smul
fortune In It , ludcnvu-Jcnt of that tuo }
nld then xviu another JobbltiR hmino thnt
nlno dlil n very hcnvy wlilihy lin-.lw i. Tim
noxl owning 1 inutlo another tour. I ilMnot
vnlt until inldnlghU About So'oloolc liitlio
evening ! wont over toaphtro tifxtdoor to
hollp l .tor oDIco. It wm u ivttmmmt up-
pntriitly , and 1 win told llmt I could Ihul tlu
Irlnkliijplace below ami Kiimblln ut > eve If
: win ted to. I stepped In therw with my
'rleud who nrrnmpmlod me nil the tlmo itiul
found a man behind the barVo \ have given
ipRambling' this wcok , btvnmo lu.t wculc
was the fair , nnd wo nro now routing , mid
10 , but If you coino buck at 11 o'clock you
cnu got anything you want to drink , \Vv did
tot want to wait so loiur , nnd we pained to
another street within n block of the UogMor
ind wntkoil Into a so-called tea ahop-foM ton
nndvo imUeil the proprietor whether ho
ladnny whisky , nnd ho said certainly , ami
without any further parleying ho fmvo UN
.wo drinks of whisky , I drunk moro wliMcy
in Des .Mohu's tiian I hiuo drunk alt my llto.
[ Laughter ] . InnliUUm'tyouhuvabeor ' . Ho
suldyes. Then 1 suld ulvo tna n bottle , llo
mid all right ! ami o 1 have brought the bottle -
tlo along with mo ( producing n hollliO.
[ Great applause ami laughter. ] I will miv
that If Sam Small wiw hero 1 would not rlMc
IcavltiR It on the tublo-yoii see It l < An-
Iicuser-Iui ) ch boor-It Is good Imported beer ,
and the seal Is tmbrokun , and anybody who
wants to llnd out whether thl * Is real l"xw Is
at liberty to conio ilimnd taste It. SotliiMi.tlmt
was my experience In the cltyof UM Monica ,
nnd what did I llndl Ono single drug hou n
tind sold a whole carload of beer -7.00 ! hot/ *
ties within the month of Augim. Well ,
then I went over to the chief of police , or
marshal ns they rail him there , nnd asked
lilm to show ma the bcoki and records , and 1
found ( this is signed by him , so there N no
quest Ion about It , although it Is a pretty hard
signature to road Stmtnmn , or something of
that kind ) this state of facia : That in 1S8U
thcro were 5 < X ) arrests tniulo in the city of Des
Molnea for Intoxication ; 159 for disturbance
of the public qulof , Wl far nssiuilt urn ! but
tery ; four for disturbing i-ellglous tnectlngH ,
and thcro were hnulod In the patrol wagons
the number of f > , < KH persons. In January of
this year they hud hauled In the patrol wagon
! Kii ) persons. In February they hauled 1US.
Only ono of their patrol wagons of the two
which they have was in UHO , and the other
one was out of order , so they had to walk ,
these poor fellows. ] La ghtor. ] In March they
hauled 3S3 , lu April U41 , In MavDU , in Juno
1,0'Jl , In July 621 , In August SOS ; a toUl In
seven months of ,8W persons hauled In the
patrol wagon. And now I want to know
whether people In Iowa nro raised on un
steady legs [ laughter ] or whether i > coplo In
the state of Iowa nro so stingy thnt thovrldo
in the natrol wagon In preference to hiving n
cnb. [ Great laughter.j I cannot comprehend
It In nny other way.
In the cltv of Lincoln with Just , about the
same population or two or three thousand
moro than Des Moines , and In this grout
whisky state of Nebraska , the police patrol
wagon did not carry as many people in the
flrst seven months of this year as the patrol
wagon In the city of Dos Moines carried in
the one month of August. [ Great applause. ]
I cannot tell whether prohibition prohibits ,
but thnt Is the testimony so far ns I can get
it from the police record.
Now let us go down to Kansas. I went to
Kansas personally to see how It worked there.
I got into Lcaveiiworth on Monday morning
and called upon Mayor Hacker. Ho was u
gentleman elected on the prohibition Issue ,
and ho told mo thntthey had.mado the bcstef-
forts to enforce the law thut could possibly
bo made , and yet It appears thnt there are
about ono hundred and fourteen places that
hnvo procured permits toscll liquor from Un
do Sam. They hnvo a metropolitan police in
Lcaveiiworth. The police commission It ap
pointed bv the governor , and our friend Col
onel Anthony , who is sure that prohibition
prohibits , is on the police commission. Now ,
what is the fact ? The mayor said that the
city marshal was an extremely eaniest pro
hibitionist and thnt he has done everything
ho could do to enforce prohibition. Aftori
got through talking with the mayor I walked
across the street with a gentleman that for
merly lived in Omaha. Mind , wo were oppo-
sitotho city hall facing the mayor's ofllco. It
was just llvo minutes of twelve nearly noon.
Over thcdoorwas nsign : "Starof the West. "
Now my ft lend had never visited the "Star
of the \Vcst" any inoro than I had , but I took
it In at ij glance that this was a place where
tuoy kept something to drink. Wo walked In
and thcro was n counter with a few empty
decanters , nnd as wo got to the rear of the
store there was a door. We walked through
the door Into a barroom. There were two
men In front of the bar drinking beer. So
wo called for two glasses of beer. The bar
tender said : "Wo cannot sell you a glass of
beer , but wo can sell you a bottle of beer , "
nnd a bottle was opened for us by hlmsolf
and wo drank two glasses and loft one glass
for him , and walked off after paying for It
What other proof do j-ou want that prohibi
tion docs not prohibit in the city of Lcaven-
worthl If you can buy liquor at nigh noon
in daylight right across the street from the
city hall nnd the city marshal's ofllco , In an
open saloon , I do not think It necessary to
hunt for "spejlc easyu" nnd bootleggers.
The next evening I was in the city of Topeka
poka , and I called upon a gentleman who Is
connected with the resubmission movement
not the Mr. Tomllnson thnt General Brad
ford referred to , but another gentleman that
Is not conncctcu with the press , and ho told
mo that about the same state of affairs ex
isted In Topeka. The drug stores are selling
whisky to everybody that la ublo to subscribe
on a piece of paper that ho has the stomach
ache or some other diseaso. AVe went together
Into a club house. That was about 10 o'clock
in the evening. The club house is located on
Knnsas avenue , the wain street of To-
peki , in the very neighborhood of the
largest hotel of the city. There
wens three club rooms upthere , us I was told ,
thrco very largo rooms , and the three clubs
have nhout three hundred moinbprs. My
friend gave a peculiar rap on the door and u
littto whistle , the door opened nn l we were
ushered into a largo room. Six or seven gen
tlemen were sitting arouni ) thotablo playing
cards , and after I had been introduced anil as
surances hud been given thut everything was
safe , ovcry man pulled out a glass of beer
from the shelf under the table and put It on
the table. Then a glass of beer was handed *
to mo and my friend. Before parting 1 took
a look around the x-ootn , and in ono corner I
counted twenty-nine empty beer kegs that
were standing there , and I was told these
twenty-nine kegs represented the beer that
had been drank by the club during the week.
So you can see that prohibit ion is not so rlg-
idlyenforced In Topeka ns General Bradford
is trying to make you beliovo. I did not pur
sue my Investigation further , except that I
talked with the porter nt my hotel , nnd ho
said ho could got mo a bottle of whisky If r
wanted It , but ! had some whisky from Iowa ,
and dlti not want to load up with Kansas rot-
gut. Among the results of prohibition has
been the degradation of the druggUt. The
drug store ha ? been converted Into the saloon.
At the hotel were I stopped I mot a promi
nent physician nnd ho told mo that the most
ignorant clasa of people have taken up the
drug business. Nearly all of thorn
sell whisky and bottled beer. He
rvUIrd n Uul rmpcrlonai wlilrh
lu < Imilllh n KniKnt ilniiwUt , llo < nlli-t
nt u ilniK utoro nnd vrow out n prui'rln
Unit mul Imn.lisl It in I ho ilniifrtUt. Helm I
lirwrllicil two or HIM * w Ml known ilriiK * ,
und nihliM thnl ( o mi iiuiny diMi'lmn of ni | < i i
TlutilruiUlU K < > tlilidiftcroiileh inli'f luin \
drim * nnd w * < Uusl ) thmiioiil , ml fliwllvaft'-r
\vnltliiirn whllo ontim over in tliniloHormi.l
null "Tlu > io tMitfmmdfsl ICniKii * City itnicr
Klil * hnvo Ui'jit hiii'k my unliir-t , Ihn itftoiTi
have not eoiiw on tliuu , nnd nnvuiKthi'iiil nil
ortlor fern < | tin I iliinot MM ho\v I r.m nil
thli ptxMiTl | tlonltlnnii tlil < niiim , " mill tint
doctor MM to him , " \VVII , my friend , If ynti
haven't not the mimMilor | will iiiuwcr the
ouino purpose. " [ l.iiuithlvrl Till * U uu
nctmtl oii'iiriYiiee.
Now thum I * , one of our ivportoM nttlm
ti.biu , I wontiny which cmo , wi-nt down In
KUIIVIK a few mouth * ) UKO to rvport u cami
thnt wm hi'lng tried down ttmiv. nnd ho
wniitnd to got noiiio boor and win Infuriiicd
thnt In ordur to got It ho would have toMirn
nnn plow of paper thut ho win not well , or
ImdMinu'lhliiKtlm mutter with him ; no they
intiila out 11 paper nnd wrnto on It "ono U > ttlo
-t'oiiHiuiiptlwi , " | lminMoi-1 Thut 11
an net mil fncti Hint paix'r win lundinl to the
drug clerk , and hu Hold him nhottlo of l > ccr ,
and then they got four or llvo iMtttw ( if b < or ,
ovcry ono ot ono of thorn on the | in < .rrlitloti |
for''ciin ' ' umptloii. " ILmiKliler 1 And that
IH the wny thnt prohibition timlilhlt < < In thn
grvnt Hluto of ICniiHun , It li thiunont dis
graceful fmvo that ( HIM over IHVII jHTtiotnitixl ,
andovory ixviiocUihloiimu Hut I mme In con
tact with lu Kiuisiu , prumhuMit pronto ol all
kinds , admitted It , They wuld , of otiur .o ,
tlio republican party hiu committed itsi'lf to
thli thing.
Those oMIeor" nropltvlijod InhnMIt up IKS-
cauw Itli a party ilocilrlno and i < nno < i initlr
It I * roprosmitod at n muross when they nil
know It In a wham and n fraud , U I1 * thn promoter
meter of the ino .l arrant | I > ' | XK.'I Uy mitt rank
perjury. My friend , Uonci-nl Bradford , its
HUred you hero that hovtii n teii tomncM
inmi all througli life , and that , lie lias done
moro than any other mini for tlio oufon'o-
incut of prohibition In Kimsm. My In forma-
tlon down thcro was to the conlrnrv ,
Keputahlo citizens of topeka and
Leaven worth told 1110 that ho was
anantl-prohlbltlonUt before ho became attor
ney general , and never did liollovo in prohi
bition oMcoptmir In n public \viiy.
A plumber who nnt employed in General
Hrauford's ' house some years IIRO , and who Is
n ou' located on KIIIIHIM aveniio In Topckii.
told mo personally that ho found a hai-rcl full
of bcor bottlui In Drndlord's lioiw ? , and hit
helper IIUI.IL- the following uflliliivH
Stnto of Kansas Slmwneo County , si -
William Morrison , being duty sworn , ilvposc.1
nnd says that ho is thlrty-ono years of ug < ' ,
resides atTonokit , Kan. , and Is a plumber fiy
occupation ; that during tlio llmo linn. S , 11 ,
Itradford wasultoinoy goncral of the Htulo of
ICiinsns I was In tno employ of ( Jlirlstlun
States , and under the din-ctlon of Mr.
States went to the residence of Mr.
lir.ulford to < lo plumbing work ami In HID
collar of his residence I found a barrel of bottled
tled bcor , about nno-thlrd of which had boi-n
used. I helped myself to ouo bottle of boor
in the presence of Mr , Slates , the attorney
cciierul being also In the house , nnd on my
return the next morning to rosiuno work I
found the barrel thoroughly nulled HO that I
could got no more. This was about the tlmo
the said attorney general was prosecuting
whisky sellers for violating the prohibitory
law and confiscating liquors \\harcvur found ,
W. W. MOIIIIIMI.V
Sworn to before mo and subscribed In my
presence this Kith day of September. lbH ! ) .
S. B. IBII.NIUUT , Notary I'ubllc.
This nfllda\lt was duly scaled and certi
fied to.
Now then , I respect temperance men who
nro honest , but in the state of KansuH nlne-
tetiths of tlio temperance men are hypocriUi ,
Pharisees and frauds. ( Great applause. )
Wliilo Mr. Bradford was prosecuting attor
ney lu Kansas , St. John , governor , who was
an earnest and honest prohibitionist , repri
manded him for his IndilToronco iuproK'cut-
Ing whisky sellers , and Mr. Bradford wrote
such an Insulting response to Governor St.
John thnt thoTopckn Capital , the loadlngpru-
hlbitionist organ of Knnsits. snuffed out Mr.
Bradford's candidacy for governor two jears
ago in the following article which ui.iy bo
found in the llles ot that paper of Tuesday ,
February Ul , 1883 :
MIL niiADFoim's CAxninAor roi : ( lovrnxoii.
"Wo grow very tired over this sensolcss
sort of rot. Tlio Capital has notgoiio Into
ccstaelcs over Mr. Bradford's ability.
"When Mr. Bradford was county attorney
of Osngo county and very lukewarm in tryIng -
Ing to close the'silicons of thnt county , llov-
ernor St. John wrote him nn ollldal letter-
calling his attention to the fact. 'J'o this Mr.
Bradford made a reply informing the go'v-
oriior that saloons had rights and that tie was
fully informed upon his duties as county at
torney , etc. AS'o say Mr. Bradford
replied. Mr. Bradford's naino was
attached to the impudent letter , but
it was written by tlio attorney
of the whisky ring of thu state , Captain .loo
Waters of Topoka. Itvas upon the reputa
tion of this letter among imtl-prohlbltlonistH
thut Mr. Bradford secured his nomination ,
lie was not a prohibitionist whoa nominated
for attorney general.
"When the real contest for prohibition was
taking place nvo and six years ago , Mr. Brad
ford , in sympathy and in his otlioiul conduct
as attorney for Osage county , was with the
saloons.
"Of the recent decision of the supreme
court , wo hnvo only to say that the argu
ment presented by the attorney general to the
supreme court at Washington was written by
the nssIsUint attorney general. Mr.
E. A. Austin , who has really boon
the brains of that ofilco during
the post thrco years. The Capital has no
wish to detract from the uioro recent good
work of Mr. Bradford in proceeding ns the
law directs him to do against such towns as
refuse to close the saloons , but such fool
friends as the Osage City Press and the To-
pcKa Commonwealth make It necessary to
pifncturo the pretense of running Mr. Brad
ford as n prohibitionist. Captain Joe \Vat rs
writes n good letter , nnd Kd Austin a good
brief , hut It is more than probable thnt the
republicans of ICnnsas vlll nominate a man
who can write his own letters us well as his
own briefs. "
I say , fellow cltl/ens , statements from men
llko General Bradford must bo taken with a
gnila of allowance , and while I respect the
earnest , honest men who are prohibition
ists , I detest the sham and the
fraud nnd thn hypocrisy which It breeds ,
and I hoiii ! , fellow citizens , you will give that
matter the attention that when you vote on
the Itli of November you will not InuuguruU )
in this state a so-called reform that puts u
premium on perjury and fraud. Those people
plo In Iowa who have certified that they do
not want to repeal the law there , never had
the local option and high license systoin , and
for that reason they do know tlio differ
ence. Wo who do know the dilTercnco
ought to ho ahlo to know to let veil enough
ulono , and not to undcrtako that which has
proven Itself to be a Occlusion nud a snare ,
[ Applauso. ]
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A CURE-FOR ALL BOWEL COMPLAINTS.
Internally taKen Indnscgof from thirty loHl.tly drops In liuU a tumbler of wulor will euro
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