The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1888-09-20
Third Party ProhibItioniStS.


Believing that the great question OF
the Prohibition ofthe liquor traffic and
elimination of the saloon from state
national and local politics, is the chiet
political issue now before the Amcri-
can people. we, the undersigned, unit,
in asking all temperance men, regard
less of past party affiliations, who IA
vor the organization of the National
Prohibition party in Mississippi, and
who intend to cast their votes for Fish
and Brooks. to convene at Jackson on
Sept. goth at 10 o'clock, in the state
House.
Let il hc understood that this Is not
Il call for the purpose of gathering to-
gcthcr men to consider the advisable
ity of placing an electoral ticket i'm the
field, but it is clearly and distinctly
called for those and those only. to
assemble in mass convention who are
already persuaded that it is their pO-
litical duty as citizens and patriots to
cspOuSe the cause represented by the
national Prohibition party.
The above constitutes the main
body of Il call published in last week 5
New Mississippian and signed by 81
leading Prohibitionists representing
different portions of the state. and
explains itself.
The LEADER, though Staunch Pro-
hibition paper, rs every one who
knows it is aware. is not in accord
with this movement. for the reason
that We believe, paradoXical as il
NAV appear to some of our Third
Party Prohibition friends. that the in
trlcStS of the entire country, and
especially of the South. and even of
the Prohibition cause itself, can he
best subservcd Just at this time by
In some States of the North, notably
New York with her 36 electoral votes,
the Third Party Prohibtionists al
ready hold the balance of power he
tween the two. old parties, drawing
most of their strength from the Re
publican ranks, which quite assures
Democratic success i'll the Empire
State. The same is also more or less
true in other close Northern States
which. like New York, are necessary
to Democratic success. Therefore
any breaking up of the solid South
by diSaffection OF Prohibition Dem
ocrats. would ncutralize and offset
amy advantage accruing to the Dem
ocracy in the North by reason of the
Prohibition movement, and almost
certainly result in the success of the
Republican party, which, in fact
though not avowedly, is as much the
enemy of Prohibition as the National
Democratic party itself, and in add
ton is the implacable foe of the
South.
And yet, while holding these views,
We at the same time have no word of
reprOach or condemnation for PrOhi-
bitionists of this State who may hold Il
contrary opinion. We know person
ally many of those who will meet in
the Third Party Convention at Jack
son to-day, and we know them to be
honest, sincere, patriotic men, whose
highest aim, as leaders of the cause
they have eSpOused, is to subserve
the noblest ends of Christian citizen
ship. We know, furthermore, that
the cause they are thampioning is Il
rapidly growing one, taking firm hold
upon the moral convictions of the
people, and that disguise, denouncc
or dodge it as they may for a time, it
is an issue that. sooner or later, both
the old parties and every voter in
this vast Union of States. must meet
face to face and settle once for all in
the interest of the American homes
and the highest and nohlest type OF
American civilization.
1t is pre-emincntly Il national Ques-
ton. too: for. with the General Gov
eminent raising an internal revenue
of 800 .0OO,0 600 annually by the tax
levied OH whisky, and one of the old
parties pledged to the pcrpetuation
of this tax, and the other, in Il certain
contingency, to its repeal and the
flooding of the country with free wills
ky with all the manifold curses that
means; while under the recent deci-
sion of the /. $. Supreme Court in
the case of Bowman VS.. the Chicago
& Northwestern Railroad. it is declar-
ed an interference with Interstate
commerce within the sole control of
COngress), for Prohibition State
like Kansas, to undertake to prevent
the importation of liquor into its ter
ritory by common carriers, or even
its sale within the State in original
packages, Prohibition cannot stop
short of demanding national consider
alton and scope.