Sword and shield., 1885-05-02
ALONG THE LINE.

sition the saloonists have ever
known. The ladies of the w. G. J..
U. are actively engaged circulating
counter-petitions, which have grown
to thirty feet in length, and the end
is not yet. 1t is amusing and dis
gusting to see business menGunning
and hiding from Christian women
who are around with petitions. We
heard one clerk in Jew house say,
Il tried to getaway, but they caught
me. | didn't sign, because it would
be against business. We heard
some ladies saying, eve will transfer
our business to those men who will
help us to protect our homes" That
is right. It is meeting the saloon
men squarely. They declare they
will withdraw their patronage from
every man who opposes their busi-
ness. We heard of lore than one
case of the kind in Meridian. 1t
was told US that every Jew house in
the city was against Prohibition.
Some Of them say, Il will be neu-
tral, but their names, almost to a
man, can be found on the whisky
petitions.
The colored people are doing the
right thing and it is believed that
the temperance moral element
will triumph. thought to be said, to
the praise of the Christian colorcd
people that they are better friends
to the morals of Meridian than
many Of the white men.
The W. G. 7. t., organized BY
Mrs. Wells, has organized Il W. G.
L. Z. for the colored women, which,
it is hoped and expected, will be
fruitful Of great good.
We neglected to say at the proper
place that one coIored saIoonist,
whose license had expired, closed
shop, saying, "The best colored
people are against this business and
| will not, therefore, ask for license
again If the white whisky sellers
Of the city had as much respect for
the best men and women Of their
race there would not be a doggery in
Meridian to-day, for we were told
that nine-tenths of tie best citizens
have signed the contemplation.
Be it said TO their shame, there
are few church members who, for
fear of injuring their business they
said, refused to place themselves on
Gods side Of the whisky question
and their conduct has placed them
squarely on the devils side of the
issue. There are but two sides and
no neutral ground. May God pity
such Christians, if Christians they
are. The world, even. expects bet
things of church members. Do not
such members bring reproacb upon
the churches? !? Would not churches
better fulfil their mission without
them? Do they not say, money and
not duty and principle controls me?
The Prohibitionists of Meridian
have an organization and have de-
termined to never cease their saving
efforts till The hydra-headed mon
ster-whisky-is driven from the
beautiful city.
There is an effort bei.g made to
move Mississippi College to Merid-
ian, but we feel safe in saying this
will never be done until the city is
iron-clad against the murderous
liquor traffic. Thoughtful parents
will not, for the sake Of education,
however mucftethey desire it. place
their boys in the midst of saloon
A good male college
md saloon will never be found in
at the same time. We
lare say, The two female schools,
though having reasonably good at
tendance, would matriculate a
arger number each session were it
lot for the city slaughter-pens, the
ialoons.
LAKE.
This is small place, having some
lalf dozen stores, doing in the main
supply business. It has two white
nd one colored church, and has the
dvantage of having no saloon.
Ience, the morals Of the place are
ood. Revs. 0. II. P. smythe, W.
v. Cammack and ]. II. Grundy
linister to the people in sacred