The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1881-09-02
HASpssoRo, Aug. IS, 1881.

HASDsBoRo, Aug. IS. 1881.
Editor Denocrat-Star.
/ send you the follow letter from
Governor st. John, which WAS ad-
dressee to the editor of the South
rm Baptist. Let the Governor be
heard
TOPEKA. Kan, July Is. 1881.
Your letter of the 11th instant
has Just been received. 1t matters
not what rumors to the contrary
may be put in circulation BY the
whiskey ring, prohibition IN this
State is a success. While II is true
that in places like Lesvenworth,
Atchison, Topeka, and Dodge City,
the Law has been disregarded, yet
1t is equally true that there are
hundreds of towns aud rural dis
tricts throughout the State where
the Law is honestly obeyed and
those who trample the law under
foot in the places frst named, will
In due time be brought to q realiza-
ton that their power for evil is not
81 great as the power Of the people
for good. We have already sue
ceeded in convicting two of the
leaders in Topeka, and other prose
cutions are now under way, which
we have no doubt will result in con.
viction; in fact the backbone Of the
whiskey rebellion is greatly weak.
ened at this place, and think It
will soon be broken. Law.breakers
ut Leaveuworth are also being
prosecuted, aud preparations are
being made to bring them to jus.
ticc in Atchisou.
The great mistake that many
make about prohibition in its re-
lation to the traffic 10 Intoxicating
liquors, is to expect that it will
have the effect of entirely suppress.
lug the use Of them as a beverage.
All our criminal laws arc prohibi.
tory. We prohibit larceny. arson,
murder aud all other crimes. Yet
we have murderers, horse thieves
and incendiaries. But we would
think 1t very strange ifit should be
claimed that the laws prohibiting
these crimes were failures, simply
because they are violated. / have
yet to hear the first person declare
the law prohibiting assault with in
tent to kill o failure because Cult
eau had violated it by an attempt
upon the life of the President.
You must bear In mind that the
people OF Kansas today are con.
tending against the combined
whiskey rings OF this nation. We
are not fighting aloue the rum
power of this State, but the friends
Of whiskey in Chicago, st. Louis,
| Milwaukee and many other cities
outside of Kansas are using large
sums of money 10 Kansas to defeat
the will Of the people.
All kinds Of falsehoods are 10.
stigated, circulated and published
by the enemy, to create, II possible
throughout the country, q belief
that prohibition is . failure. We
send back the answer that Il pro.
hibition Is q failure, why should il
make the rum: :,cwer resort to such
desperate and d:srepdtable means
for its deft stf
You need lave no fear for the
fnal result In this State. Our peo-
pie are in earnest; they are strug-
Cling for the protection Of their
homes; shey know that their cause
| is Just are determined to do their
whole duty, and have full faith
that God will give them the vic.
tory. Truly yours.
The Governor comes to the point
at once, when be says " All criIni.
nal laws are prohibitory. We pro.
hibit larceny, murder, arson all
other crimes. Yet We have mur-
ders, horse thieves aud incendi-
aries. But We would think It very
strange II it should b. clainsd
that the laws prohibiting these
crimes were failures, simply because
they are violated.n Would il be
claimed By any one, no matter how
much he might favor the liquor
traffic, that . prohibitory law in
our State would-uot prevent In q
degree the manufacture and sale Of
lliquof. l think mott Any Law that
| will tend to put away crime and 10.
crease the good morals Of q com.
munity or State ID q good one, and
ought to havo the hearty support
| of all good people. Who will cay
| that 10 ought noti 2
II Again, the Sabbath day is desc.
Grated BY many on our coast. VIII
any one say that the Law pertain.
ling to the sabbath ought to be re.
peaIed on that account ] Gambling
liz engaged IN, and the Law on that
lsubject violated, yet who will say
| that such D law Is not . good one.
IlMufdof II 6conmitted In the face Of
|law, and who will say that the law
il d failure because this is true. |
Venture to say that there is 10 man
living on our coast who would not,
liz he were to speak his sentiment,
but would say that the liquor traf-
&c is injurious to any community
where 1t is carried on, and Aw
!, that would remoye that injury
would be q good one.