The Brookhaven leader., 1888-10-18
Prohibition in Mississippi.

Just NJ this .iuucturc ! deem it pro-
per for me. rs chairman at the Missis-
oippi state Prohibition Executive
Committee, to say Il few words to the
public concerning the status of the
prohibition cause in our state.
The line of battle has changed
somewhat within the last few months.
The enemy has taken possession of
some of our territory, and we in turn
have captured some ofhiS stromgholds.
Local Option elections have been held
in eight counties IazoO, LaudCrdale.
Lee, ChOcktaw, PrCntlSs, Pike, Union
and Carroll. Three of thcse-Pren-
tiss. Lee and IaudcIdale-- voted for
the sale. The other five voted against
the sale. and one of these, Pike, has
heretofore belonged to the enemy.
So. then. so far as the extent of
territory is concerned, there is little
change. 1t is apparent to every attcn-
, tive observer that our cause is con-
citizenship. The victories achieved
bv the enemy have been won 10y
methods 80 interruptions as TO excite
r loathng and disgust on the part of
many who have not been accustomed
to train in prohibition ranks. lnia-
nous falchoods have been circulated
among ignorant coiorcd people. They
have been told that the prohibitionistS
are trying to put them back i'll sla-
E very and much more of the sort.
f Arttul appeals have been made to
their race prejudice. BY such meth
! ODDS the ignorant MASSES of the color
| ed people have been welded
almost solidiy against our cause.
. Now. it >hould he il cause of Congrat-
| ulaton with us that the enemy had to
, resort to such methods to win. To Us
I defeat should he far more welcome
+ than victory won Ivy such methods.
Thus. through the medium of these
local option contests, the people are
beginning to realize, as they never
, did before, the inherent viltness of the
i, Liquor traffic. All this means victory
, for the right in the end. We think il
is perfectly safe to say that, at least
, two-thirds of the white people of the
4 state, and Il majority of the intelii-
! gent propcrty-holdinS colorcd people
e are opposed to the liquor traffic. In a
: state like ours we firmly believe that
= intelligence will rule IN tie end.
\ few more words are neces-
( ,ary concerning the method of prohi-
, bitionists. There are prohibitionists
p and prohibitionists. Some of our mum
/ berhave seen fit to carry the question
y into national politics 10y putting out
an electoral ticket representing Fish
- and Brooks. This is an innovation
= upon our time hOn0rCd methods. and
upon all previous declarations OF
/ principles. Our last State ConVen-
! ton rcatlirmed our former position OF
/ uon-partisamism. | believe that that
+ convention voiced the sentiment of Il
, large majority of the prohihitionist,
= of the state. Our people have here
D tOl0re preferred, and still prefer, tC
Il carry on their warfare against the sa
: loon power outside the cntangltmcnt>
- OF partisan politics. Believing this,
I, the State Prohibition Executive Com
will, undcr my administration, contin-
ne the nom-partisan policy of my dis
tinguised predecessor, Bishop Gallo
@ way. The Mississippi Prohibition
f Bureau will pursue the same policy
! Friends Of the cause may rest assured
that not dollar that finds its way in
! to the Bureau treasury will be used
: for Third Party work.
just here wish to utter a word OF
caution. Let there be no bitterness
among ourselves. Although our
= Thild Party friends differ with us as
: to methods, they are as true prOhibi-
Z tionstS as ourselves, and as thorough
~ conscientious in what they are do
Ing. We may still rely on them to
j. help Us in our local option contests,
! and to aid the temperance cause i'll
:. any way in their power Let us seek
to be on good terms with all parties
Republicans, Democrats and Third
, Partyitcs.
. Practically, this Third Party cam
paign viii amount to nothing in Mis-
sisSippi. \ few hundred or, perhaps,
a thousand OF two votes cast for Fisk
and Brooks will lie only Il sort OF
= political amusement, like the candi-
, dacy of BclVa Lockwood. Meantime,
let lis not allow the wrong medicines
of these Third Party brethren to di-
minish our zeal in the cause. Let us
take the wind out of the sails OF
! Third Partysm by worGing with in
creased vigor along all non-parti~an
lines.
If our friends will rally 10 the sup
port of the Prohibition Bureau, grand
results can he achieved within a year
IN. two (Na unp1 aud oupbt tn have