Unwilling Fathers

For 56 years the constitution of Kansas has forbidden the sale of intoxicating beverages. Since Federal Repeal, however, Kansas has had no law defining what constitutes an intoxicating beverage. For three years juries have with a few exceptions held that alcoholic beer and ale, widely sold in Kansas, were in fact soft drinks. For three years outraged Drys have loudly demanded a law to make their prohibition constitution work. Last week a prohibition law was finally put upon the statute books of Kansas.

Two members of the Legislature, Representatives George W. Plummer and Chris F. Schrepel, were sponsors of a bill declaring that any beverage containing more than one-half of one percent of alcohol was "intoxicating" in Kansas. The Plummer-Schrepel bill passed the House, then passed the Senate and went to conference because of a Senate amendment. That amendment specifically classed malt beverages containing not more than 3.2% of alcohol as non-intoxicating. Last week the bill thus amended came again before the House, still bearing the names of Messrs. Plummer & Schrepel.

Up rose Oldster Plummer to make a desperate appeal:

"As men of God--and that I believe you are--vote against this iniquitous act and prevent it going out to destroy the reputation that I have built up in 67 years."

The House voted, 75 to 36, to make the Plummer-Schrepel 3.2% beer bill the new prohibition law of Kansas. Democratic Governor Walter A. Huxman had already announced that he would sign any prohibition bill providing a reasonable definition of "intoxicating" beverages. Thus, last week, a squiggle of his pen made two Drys the unwilling fathers of legal beer in Kansas.

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