The Wichita Citizen from Wichita, Kansas • 1

WICHITA, KANSAS, MAY 1, 1931 NUMBER 41 Prohibition In Kansas Is Fifty Years Old Today VOLUME VIII Became Effective on May First, 1881 What of the Next Fifty Years? miles, speaking in churches, school-houses, and other meeting places proclaiming the advantages which would come from the prohibition amendment and telling of the evils of the liquor traffic. Kansas today is celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of statewide, constutitional prohibition. The pioneers of our state, fully aware of the blighting influence of the liquor traffic, set about to outlaw an evil which was a state and national curse. Kansas has reasons to feel proud of the fact that the movement which was started here a half century ago and has steadily spread to every part of the union and helped to bring about National Prohibition. There is not one sensible argument which may be advanced in favor of liquor as a beverage.

Then why all this agitation about the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment? Well tell you why Because brewers, distillers and a few men of unlimited means stand to make additional millions if they can cause the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment or have the law changed permitting the sale of light wines and beer. These men are gambling millions on the successful outcome of their campaign of discredit. They care not a whit for blighted lives. They will stop at nothing to gain their ends. Wickersham said in his report, the Eighteenth amendment was better enforced than any other Federal law.

But we hear no hue and cry to have the laws against murder, smuggling, gambling, repealed. We have the Eighteenth amendment. It is a part of our national constitution. We expect to keep it as it is. No right thinking citizen should entertain the glimmer of an idea that it will ever be changed.

What we need now is an aroused public sentiment. The high handed methods of the wets need to be exposed. The drys need to be more alert to their responsibilities. A few years ago a certain section of the United States was visited by a terrible flood. Buildings were wrecked, crops destroyed chaos reigned supreme.

Those who viewed the wreckage after the waters subsided could see no way out. To bring about normal conditions looked like an impossible task. Apparently no one knew where to take hold. Finally an able business man made the suggestion that every person clean up his own wreckage; that every householder straighten out his own back yard. In a very short time order was restored.

The task which looked impossible when viewed as a whole was very simple when each one took care of his own little part. Vote in State Was 91,874 for, and 84,037 Against Amendment By MISS MARY DOBBS Corresponding Secretary of the Kansas W. C. T. U.

For two or three years preceding the prohibitory campaign in 1880, Kansas passed through a period of agitation and organization. There was special vigor and activity in the formation and maintenance of temperance societies. Temperance sentiment, which sometimes grows legar-thic, asserted itself and became a dominant force throughout the state. The legislature was petitioned for the submission of a prohibitory amendment, but the petitions were not numerous, nor the petitioners hopeful. The question was not an issue in the election of members in many districts.

The legislators were chosen in the usual partisan way, without much reference to their standing upon the temperance question. But the period of agitation through which the state was passing and the general demand for remedial legislation resulted in the nomination and election of a large list of strong temperance advocates to the legislature. Favored by Governor St. John In his inaugural address to the legislature in 1879, Governor John P. St.

John made the following recommendation: If it can be fully accomplished, I am clearly of the opinion, that no greater blessing could be conferred by you upon the people of this state than to absolutely and forever prohibit the manufacture, importation and sale of intoxicating liquors as a beverage. Yet, desiring the passage of no law in relation to the enforcement of which there could be any doubt, and with a view to the adoption of such measures only as will be backed up and enforced by the moral sentiment of our people, I respectfully call your attention to the first section of what is commonly known as the dramshop act and recommend that same section be amended, etc. At a conference of Temperance leaders in Topeka, Judge N. C. McFarland prepared the constitutional amendment in the exact form that it appears in our fundamental law.

George F. Hamlin, of Linn County, introduced the resolution in the Senate; the judiciary committee, with Al-merin Gillette as chairman, reported it out favorably, and in the committee of the whole, upon the motion of W. W. Guthrie, of Atchison, 37 senators voted for it and none against. In the house, T.

J. Calvin, of Labette County, chairman of the Temperance Committee, recommended its passage. The roll call on final passage was Yea 88, Nay 31. Thus, by a two-thirds majority in both houses, the resolution was submitted to the people for popular vote in the general election of 1880. Vote Fairly Close Among the organizations which took active part in the campaign of 1880 were the Independent Order of Good Templars, The Womans Christian Temperance Union, and the Kansas State Temperance Union.

The saloon keepers and brewers organized under the high-sounding name of The Peoples Grand Protective Union, and spent unlimited sums of money to defeat the amendment, but when the ballots were counted the vote stood 91,874 for and 84,037 against, and the 0000000000 0 WOMENS TEARS DECIDED VOTE The late Mrs. M. F. Greever was the woman in the case of the Kansas prohibition law. Mr.

Greever was a represen- tative in the legislature from Ton- ganoxie in Leavenworth County, When the roll was called to deter- mine whether the legislature should submit the prohibition amendment to popular vote, Greever cast his vote against the proposition. Mrs. Greever rushed to his side, tears streaming down her cheeks, My dear husband, she sobbed, change your vote vote for me and your state. Greever was shaken. In a trembling voice and before roll call was completed, he called out to the clerk to change his vote, That vote meant the two-thirds majority needed to pass the reso- lution.

oooooooooo Federated W. C. T. U. Anniversary Service The Wichita Federated W.

C. T. U. will hold an anniversary meeting today (Friday) at the Y. W.

C. A. building, 140 North Topeka, starting at 1:30 oclock. A business session will occupy the time until 3 oclock when there will be a tea and program commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of prohibition in Kansas. It is expected that all the members of the various unions in the city will attend this meeting.

Friends of the members will also be made welcome. Anyone who was living in Kansas at the time the prohibition amendment was adopted is especially, invited to the meeting. Short talks will be made by prominent W. T. U.

workers. Two of the speakers, Mrs. Mary Sibbitt and Mrs. Margaret Ruff, both of Wichita, were living in Kansas at the time prohibition was adopted. Miss Mary Dobbs is president of the Federated Union and will preside during the program: The other officers are: Mrs.

A. W. Stoner, secretary and Mrs. A. B.

Grim treasurer. Presidents of the Wichita unions are Mrs. W. L. Baker, College Hill; Mrs.

Lucy Worden, Mary Dobbs Union; Miss Elizabeth Stewart, Gordon; Mrs. Nettie B. Robinson, Stevens; Mrs. May Mitchener, Sibbitt; Mrs. Essie Kelley, Willard, and Mrs.

L. Carmichael, Zion. Mrs. Mary Hutchinson is the Sedgwick County president and Miss Ruth Myers president of the young peopled branch. oooooooooo DRY LAW IN MAINE Maine adopted statutory prohi- bition in 1851 but constitutional prohibition was not adopted in that state until 1884, three years after Kansas made the law a part of its constitution.

0 OOOOOOOOOO 0 Its a queer world. Remain silent and others suspect that you are ignorant; talk and you remove all doubt of it. Gov. John P. St.

John, Republican governor of Kansas, who was elected for his second term in the fall of 1880 when the Kansas State Prohibition Amendment was adopted by the voters of the State. prohibition amendment, The manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors shall be forever prohibited in this state, except for medicinal, scientific and mechanical purposes, became a part of the fundamental law of the state. To the legislature of 1881 was given the task of providing the enforcing act. This was known as the Murray law, and became effective May 1, 1881. Chief Justice W.

A. Johnston, of the Supreme Court of Kansas, was a member of the legislature of 1879, and is probably the only member now living. W. C. T.

U. Was Back of State Campaign Women Traveled All Over the State Making Talks in Churches and Schoolhouses The Womans Christian Temperance Union was organized in September, 1878. In the annual meeting of 1879, the plan of work committee made one of the objectives, work for the pending amendment to the constitution. The closing words of the committee were do anything and everything right to secure the ballots of men, each one of which is more precious than gold. And the record continues: We did all these and more.

We held temperance meetings everywhere. The air was full of temperance. We were continually before the public in song and addresses and when election day came some went to the polls in squads, while others stayed in some church or other headquarters to hold prayer meetings. Timid women, and most of us were exceedingly timid, went to the polls and urged women to throw their vote on the side of the home and temperance and we prevailed. The women were a mighty force in influencing voters.

During the campaign, the president of the W. C. T. Mrs. Drusilla Wil-and her husband, traveled 3,000 It is the firm opinion of many that in no other way will -the United States ever become a really dry nation.

The people of Wichita must keep Wichita dry. Topeka, Hutchinson, Kansas City and every other center must likewise take care of its own law enforcement problems. With every community on the alert, seeing to the election of the right kind of officials, backing the officers up after they are elected, keeping in touch with conditions, continually promoting a campaign of education, a dry nation will speedily result. Ex-Governor Pinchot, of Pennsylvania, said; In my estimation there are enough drys in the country to maintain the dry law, reinforce it and see to it that it is made effective. There are enough drys provided they are all awake.

In Wichita it is conservatively estimated that not more than 7,000 persons actually patronize bootleggers or make home brew in their homes. This leaves 104,000 who are not in the outlaw class with reference to prohibition. If the people in the United States who think dry would make as much noise as those who are fighting for repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment, the cry of the wet element would never be heard. Are we in Wichita going to keep awake now that the federal officers have come in and cleaned up our back yard for us What of the next 50 years Yes, what of the next six months in Sedgwick County I. J.

S. the responsibilities and served from 1924 to 1929, Claude Myers was then elected president and is still serving in a very acceptable manner. These four men held a get-together meeting one day during last week at the luncheon which was held in connection with the campaign to raise funds for World Outreach. Local Y. M.

C. A. Has Had Four Presidents The Wichita Y. M. C.

A. is very proud of the fact that all the presidents and past presidents of the organization are still living in Wichita and active in Y. M. C. A.

work. The local was organized 46 years ago. A. A. Hyde was the first president.

He served from 1885 to 1918. Following him came W. S. Hadley who was head of the board from 1918 to 1924. W.

E. Marshall then assumed I am sorry, said the dentist, but you cannot have an appointment with me this afternoon. I have eighteen cavities to fill. And he picked up his golf bag and went out..