The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-11-19
For TIE CLARToN.l
Fabius VS.. Prohibition.

EhU1uS vs. EEOllQltlQM,
!. We are greatly relieved at beinj
4 brought face to face with the question
the discussion of which has been pro
> yoked, and we take advantage of the oc
casion to put the 'prohibitionists of Mis-
sissippi" fairly before the people First
then, our objective point is to secure th,
passage by the legislature of a fai
local option law which will concede anC
secure to the people of each county il
the State, the privilege of determining
at special election properly and legally
conducted, whether the liquor traffic
/ shall be tolerated any farther. Second
we concede that the expense of this
election, because of the clamOr raised on
that point, shall be borne by the persons
e who ask that il be held. Third, we
agree that where the liquor traffic is
prohibited under any such law, it shall
be lawful fer producers to keep for sale
and sell wine, made from grapes raised
in or brought to this State, in quantities
not less than quart; and for druggists
to sell Yinous, spirituous or malt liquors
for medical purposes under stipulated
restrictions. Standing upon this plat
form We have been and are greatly sur
prised that the legislature of Mississippi
should have twice refused our bill "We
are cast down but not destroyed" 1t is
only right to say that the leaders in this
great work of social reform, as rule
are total abstainers as who will not
be when he sits down to a calm consider
alton of the subject in its bearings upon
this world and that which is to come?
While this is so, many persons, in COM
mon with ourselves, are satisfied that
the growth of native grapes and the
production of native wines, and the sale
of such wines, under proper safeguards,
would result in great benefit to the peo
pie, and would work out a great temper
auce reform. We might in that event,
realize what is meant by the wine that
makes glad the heart of man. We GER
tainly could if the devil would not put
it into the heart of man to doctor our
native wines" with cream of tartar,
bone charcoal, Juniper, and preparations
of lead, and then clear them with pow
dered marble, gypsum, blood, salt and
sulphuric acid!
| 1t would seem that the discussion Of the
question broached is premature, there be-
| ing no local option bill and no election
pending; but we are not disinclined to
approach it, and, in doing so, shall not
waste much space in demonstrating the |
proposition that the liquor traffic as it |
prevails among US is great evil. Add
ed to this, that it is an evil so wide |
spread and deeply fixed in the habits of |
life of the people, that it requires gov
ernmental regulation of some sort. This
done, we shall insist that the test of ex-
perience points to legal prohibition as
the wisest, completest, best mode of
treatment. We say here and now,
speaking for ourselves, that we are not
so far welded to our theory as not to be
convinced to the contrary when reason
and fact lead in that direction. If our
opponents can show us better way we
are willing to follow them, We would
not ALLEVIATE generous, active, benevo-
lent reformer by an absurd adherence to
plan shown to be injudicious. With
this disclaimer and explanation, it is
hardly necessary for us to say that we
make no war upon gentlemen who
choose to engage in the open saloon
business, in the mode and under the
regulations prescribed by law. The bus
mess is perfectly Ia1etul, and when a
authorities the issuance of a license
ought to follow. The keeper of saloons,
viewed from legal standpoint, is Just
as honorable and Just and upright as the
dealer in d-y-goods. He is entitled to the
protection of the law and to all the legal
rights and remedies provided for all
other classes Of citizens. He is to be
judged by the same standards as other
men.
Let us say here and now, once for all,
that Fabius must not expect US to ac-
cept his statements as accurate. When
boy there was, he says, "a still house
in almost erery hotloao IN Tennessee, and
every one was allowed to sell whisky
without restraint just as he did corn
and meat, and l am sure there arns then
less drunkenness and crime than nOw By
ttoo hundred per cent" Now we don't
believe that Fabius meant what he said
in the paragraph quoted; it was a ready
method of apr!ying what he conceived
to be personal experience, and the
exaggeration is pardonable in a news
paper discussion that has become some
what heated-indeed unnecessarily so.
If well authenticated facts and figures
are produced, they will haye proper
attention, but the fugitive recollections
Of any single individual, not verified by
contempOraneous memoranda are worse ,
than worthless. 1t is fortunate for his
own reputation that Fabius concludes
his last paper with this admission: "But
am in favor of confning the sale to
towns and cities achcre there is q police
force to control it. And | would not
object to removing the saloons and let
it be sold as ger eral merchandise under
certain restraints" Why the police force
to control traffic which produced such
splendid results in the hollows of Ten
nessee when unfettered? Why the i'm
position of certain restraints?
We draw our first argument from our
own legislation. The Code of 1880 de-
clares that it shall not be lawful to sell
any vinous or spirituous liquors in less
quantity than one gallon without a
license. This license can only issue upon
the petition of the majority of the legal
voters in any town or township, and
the licensee is required to give bond
in the penalty of two thousand dol
lars, the condition to which requires
him to keep an orderly house, not to
sell liquor to any intoxicated person,
nor to a minor, nor on Sunday. ANY
person can inform against the saloon
keeper, and sue him on his bond for any
breach thereof, and recover the full
penalty. 1t needs no argument to prove .
that any legislator, who would vote for
such a law directed against the dry
goods or grocery store keepers, would
be considered fool or an idiot. The
law is only justified upon the ground
that the liquor traffic is dangerous to
society and requires governmental regu-
lation,-one of the evils deemed neces-
sary. But we proceed to the orderly ,
presentation of the subject:
We say, first, that the liquor traffic is
a great evil because Of its tCaste Dur
ing the fiscal year ending June 80, 1877,
DR.. Edward Young, the Chief of the
Bureau of Statistics in the Treasury De
partment, estimates the sale of liquors
in the United States at six hundred mill
lions of dollars, distributed as follows:
whisky g, 100000 galIos at s. $3.50 oOo 900
Imported spirits 2,50o, 900 gallons at SO
retail % 399Q019
Imported wines TO- 100000 gallons At So
retail 600
Ale, beer and porter, 6,5O0,0O0 bbIs. al
Szgretail lsoYO0e,0o0
Native bfandies, wines, bFandes and
cordiais estimated 81 500 600
TOtsl.........,......... ...........s6oo, 900. 900
Compare this with the annual values
Of manufacturing industries contained
in the census for 1870:
Flour and grist mill products 9s5, ,l45
Molasses and sugar, raw and rcfnedl. IIs, 279