The Brookhaven leader., 1886-07-01
Gong Dry.

of prohibition. Communities Ito not
suddenly change their habits and
it is only by close observation and
the comparison which long periods
afford that q change is ordinarily
perceived in the characteristics Of a
/ people. But the revolution in the
habits Of all communities where pro-
hibition has an organized and in
tellgent sentiment behind it, has
made such wonderful and rapid pro
gress as to leave no doubt of its ben
eficial influence even where it has
iailel to Danish the saloon.
A very few years ago no man
thought OF having a log rolling. a
house-raising or an old-fashioned
quilting without laying in supply
of whisky. 1t was the chief factor
for enjoyment and conviviality at al
most every social gathering. Ii
men were especial friends they EN-
phasized their friendship when they
met with q drink together If they
were enemies and made friends, the y
celebrated the event with q drink
if they traded they drank, and the
merchant who sold bill of goods
was expected to throw in jug
The streets of every village on q
public day were noisy with a carou
sal of men under the influence of IL
, quor, and the best men in the com
munity were not ashamed to 90 into
the bar room and loitcr around the
doors before and after imbbing.
All this is changed. Every mid
dle-agCd man knows that what we
have stated is absolutey true. We
can all recOllect the time when the
bar keepers required extra force to
wait on customers on public day
How is it now ? The vagrant ne
grocs and the old topcrs who &C
quired the drink habit years ago are
the chief reliance Of the saloon keep.
ers in all the villages where rrohibi-
tinnists have flung their white ban
ner to the breeze. 1t does not mat
ter that they have failed TO defeat
the saloon keepers-it is nearl y the
same whether they have succeeded
or failed; men who are unwilling to
adopt the doctrine of prohibition as
| a political measure have been
| brought To think, and have called
halt. This pause in The awful
current Of dissipation hetokens the
inevitable change which is coming.
The revolution begins to tell on
the public morals of the country.
Take for Instance the result as
shown by the criminal dockets Of
the Courts. Five years ago and
less, three weeks were insufficient
to transact the business of the Cir
cult Court in Pike, Lincoln and
other counties. To-day they are
clamoring in Pike to have the Judge
pretermit the ensuing term and the
reason they give is that there are no
criminals in Jail and no business OF
consequence on the dockets. The
very same petition comes up in
this county. No criminal business
demands attention and the officers
of the count inform us that one
week would more than suffice to
transact all the business. In Law
renee county where they have abso-
lutte prohibition and where it used
to he that the Judge could never get
through in the time allotted by law,
! GuC DuSlHcSS Has ldllCH w W SuCIl
an extent that the distinguished
Judge of that court only requires
about four days to dispatch it.
! We are told this is the case all
over the State where there is Wig
orous organized prohibition move
ment.
But some one will say that We
have bad temperance movements be-
fore and they effected no such re-
sult-and the moral phenomena
must therefore be accounted for on
some other theory.
We have never before had in Mis-
sissippi along with the old ia shioned
temperance organization demand
for absolute prohihition. The pres
ent prohibition movement is 4 fight
ing organization, which is not
whipped by defeat. 1t has come to
stay and asks no quarter and gives
none. 1t is aggressive, independent,
and uneompromising, and brave
men are attracted by it. Unless its
principles are adopted by one or the
other of the great parties in this
country it will sap the strength OF
:, both.
What does prohibition care for
defeat -? 1t is based on principle
! which likn itS ant hnr hos No no