The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-09-17
DR. The CLAEIoS.l
The Progress of Prohibition.

1t will not be questioned by the un
biased observer that the cause of pro
, hibition is moving forward with acceler
ated momentum in this country. There
is unquestionably deep settled convic
, tion existing in the minds of the people
in favor of the suppression of the liquor
traffic. The feasibility of a prohibitory
law was discussed by almost every Leg
islature in the United States which con-
vened during the year 1883. In a Pro-
hibition Convention, not long since held
in the State of Tennessee, about $4,000
was raised for the purpose of forwarding
the cause. There wereso many petitions
asking for local prohibition sent up to
the last Legislature which met in that
State, that a Courier-Journal reporter
declared that if that body remained in
session much longer the entire State
would be under the operation of Prohi-
bition. Maine, Iowa and Kansas, all
have laws forbidding the sale or manu-
facture of whiskey within their borders.
| Under the influence of a local-optiOn
law it has been banished from nearly one
hundred counties in the State of Georgia,
and the day will soon dawn when,
| the State will be wholly liberated from
the curse. History records no other
moral, social or religious reform which
worked its way into the hearts and
minds of the people so rapidly That
the day will ere long come when the
banner of Prohibition will wave trium- |
phantly over the Union-from the Lakes |
to the Gulf and from Ocean to Ocean
is to our mind conclusive.
Tho Of
sippi have reason to be profoundly |
grateful for the success which has at
tended their efforts in the past On the
10th of July, 1881, the first Prohibition
Convention that ever met in Mississippi,
convened in the City of Jackson. I'm
til then the question of prohibiting the
liquor traffic was something that had
entered the minds of but few of our
people Now, but little less than one
third of the entire State has freed itself
from the fetters of whisky by local pro-
hibitory laws. The State has an area of
At, $40 square miles, and of this there is
upwards of $4,000 square miles of pro-
hibited district. There are ten entire
counties; viz: Simpson, Covington, Cal &,
houn, Tate, Montgomery, Copiah, Law {
renee, Clarke, Wayne and Marion, which {
have prohibited the sale of whisky '
within their limits. Besides, there are {
near ten supervisors districts and more q
than one hundred towns, churches, etc, '
which have repressed the evil OF the
above counties, all except Lawrence and r
Coyington inhibited the traffic during a
the present year. 1t was prohibited in O
Lawrence in 1880, and in Covington in r
1882. In fact more was done towards I
the evil by the Legislature t.
If 1884 than by all prior Legislatures. $
Under our present law, it is not neces.
AIRY to await the meeting of the Legis- d
ature for relief against the evil. Since
he repeal of the gallon law by the last Y
the people of any incor-
oorate town or supervisors district can,
~ petition, stop the sale of intoxicants p
n any quantity less than .fve gallons. =
f you should live in a community
where there cannot be majority coun- u
obtained ON account of the 81
leutral position taken by some, you i
an often secure the same result by cir II
ulating counter-petition and getting g
hose only to sign the same who have II Il
lready signed the applicants petition. .
With a little persuasion many can be ls
induced to sign a contemplation who =
lad previously signed the applicants; n
nd since the law requires the one ar- q
lying for license to have majority in q
IL cases, and enacts that the names on
10Th petitions shall be counted against y
license, you can, by this means, often II
efeat the effort to obtain license when Ie
t would be impossible to get a majority
o sign a counter-petition. Let the o.
riends of prohibition then take advan- "
age of the present law, and do all in 8
heir power towards freeing our fair 10
and from this baneful evil. In view of oi
he success which has heretofore
rowned our efforts we should take cour- p'
ge and redouble our efforts in the "
uture. Our cause is one of justice and lie
and will ultimately bear W
own all opposition. a. a.
d. w. HEIDELBERG. u
Shubuta. Sept. 18th. 1884,