The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-05-06
Some Changes.

Inc sale OF lutOEIC1lLs mas long e2-
+ isted in the State Of Mississippi, licensed
/ by It's laws. The traffic has steadily
grown ia magnitude and power, and the
evils which flow from it are appalling
/ 70 every good member Of society. IN 81
I variety Of ways the attention OF the
/ people generally has been called 10 these
terrible evils Light has been shed
upon the different phases Of the subject,
and il has been shown up ln It's true
cOlors. In regard to public opinion
about the enOimity and Nervousness Of
/ the traffic there has been a great change.
/ Respecting the attitude Of the press
t1Wards this business there IS being
wrought a great change. For twenty
long years this mighty monsterof inlqul-
/ " has had the press all over the state
/ throttled. In the midst Of our boasted
J liberty Of the press, unul recently,
I there could not be found in all tins
( state a single newspaper that would
/ dare TO raise a voice against this traluc
/ Of death. A religious paper published
at Clinton was the first TO declare
( against the "matchless evil. Now your
/ honored CLARIOE has the maullHess to
/ open q temperance department, the
! ko5ciusko Star is an avowed prohibition
paper so the Brookhaven Leader, and so
a number Of others over our State.
/ And In addition to this there Is now
published at Clinton a paper, the Sword
and Shield. devoted exclusively 20 the
/ interests Of prohibition. While many
papers are still quaking and qualHng
/ in the presence Of this fearful evil
/ there has come over the spirit OF the
/ press q great change upon this SUBJECT
As to the political features OF the
/ opposition to this business there IS also
| coming about a great change. Many
! newspapers and many citizens have come
to see the bald faIlacy Of those Old
/ croakers who have been crying; On.
/ it will not do to interfere with the whls-
/ Ky business; you'H carry 1t into poll
/ ties" 81 am too good a Democrat TO
/ take part against whisky" But the fact
/ is that whisky has been in politics for
/ twenty years During that time II has
/ been controlling and cOrrupt1ng politics
/ to such an extent that some OF the
/ States best citizens have felt tempted
/ to turn away i'm disgust. Now the'good
! people and true Democrats of the coun-
/ try propose to try take it out of politics.
t They no longer desire whisky admins
/ tration but Democratic administration
1 Of public affairs. They are too true and
/ loval to Democratic principles to be any
! thing than prohi5tionists. A man can
4 not be a true Democrat without beng q
prohibitionist. Democracy means the
rule of the people. 1t means unrelent-
/ ing opposition to extravaganza IN gov
ernment, to high taxes to all m0nopolies.
/ 1t therefore means opposition to the
| whisky business which Is the mightiCst
monopoly ever cursed this professedly
/ free peoples government. This can
never be a free Democracy, a genuine
peoples government, until this monopo-
/ iy of hell is crushed, until Mississippi ;
/ loyal Democrats arise and say, we VIII
no longer be ruled and cursed by whls-
/ ky. This monopoly has had the Legis-
iature of Mississippi throttled for TWEEN
ty years. Until 1875 it was mal-ad-
ministration and the whisky traffic com
| bned Since that time, although a
most blessed reform has been effected,
the State has been groaning under the
burden Of the liquor traffic. Did not
a Senator say in our Legislature few
years ago: THE people of this State
shall never vote on whisky with my con-
sentW Is that Democracy? Is that
the reflection of the principles of a
peoples government How can sensi-
BILE men say that we have pure Demo
cratic administration when the State Is
governed by this fearful and unscrup-
uIous monopoly, which places the
saloons of the State first, and the inter
ests of the people next? The people are
beginning to realize what true and loyal
Democracy Is.
Again the people are beginning to real
ize that opposition to this liquor traffic
is not a personal opposition to any man
| specially, but is simply a determination
Is relieve society fully from all of It's
fearful evils. 1t is a determination that
no person shall engage in a business
which murders and robs and debauches
his felow-men The people are gradu-
ally realizing that to pat this whisky
business on the back is to become par
takers in the blood of those who are
DESTROYED bv it. and that therefore tc
oppose it does not mean personal oppo
sition to any one. And besides, if il
should be considered personal opposi
ton. no man can be innocent when he
fails to aid in staying the snakes in one
place because all the snakes IN the
county or State cannot be slain at one
blow
People are beginning to feel also that
because men are members of some
church they are not thereby released
from the obligation to exercise their
rights of citizenship in the suppression
lof this terrible traffic. Because they
are Christians they are no less citizen:
of the State and members of society
but are on that account under more
solemn obligations to Ue faithful to the
claims of society and of the State
Because they are members of a Chris
! tian church they feel that on that ac
! count they should not refuse to exercise
: the rights of citizenship in preventing
! the debauchery of their community by
whisky, rum and beer. Many also se'
. that signing a petition for man t.
sell whisky makes them participants IL
| all the crime resulting from the sale o
the stuff. No man can sell in am
community unless he is voted int,
) the business by the legal voters, anC
J therefore all who vote for whisky shol
are sharers in the guilt of their repre-
! sentative in the business. Upon then
; and upon all who in any way aid in th
| business rests the woe pronounced b,
! the Bible upon him who puts the bottl'
: to his neighbor's mouth aud aids in max
: ing him drunk. Upon them rests th
: blood of those who are murdered an'
] debauched by the internal business.
: Many good men in every communit,
: in the State now realize that something
: can be done in the way of suppressin
/ the whisky traffic Their hearts hav
: been bleeding for years as they behel
the dire and destructive evils of thi
: business and felt themselves powerles
o to do anything to check them. Bu
/. seeing more than one-fourth of the are
. of the State enjoying the blessed fruit
a of prohibition, and seeing that whisk
a petitions can be defeated in almos
/ every community in which ii is al
{ tempted, they are encouraged, and hav
V resolved to defeat every one attempte
E within their reach.
The people are beginning to under
: stand also that this whisky business
i not only demoralizing to the citizen!
0 especially the laborers, of every commit
/ nitv, but that it goes into the pocket Q
o every tax payer of the county in whie
it is sold and EFFORTS from him, We
: from many women whose husbands
0 has murdered-more than double th
2 taxes thathe ought to pay. 1t is the in
mediate cause of three-fourths of all th
crime that is committed. The cost fC
a the trial and punishment of this crime
: the payment of jurors, witnesses an
< officers. is collected from the tax payer
e Mere than one half of the taxes of th
: county were collected to pay the exper
+ ses of this liquor business, which II
: State legalizes for the sake Of putin