The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1889-02-21
>Thc Election IN Kinds.

dispatches at first reported. Instead
Of the wet majority ranging from
three to iXe hundred, as at first
claimed, thcI dkrial count gave the
whisky causc<fe Insignificant major
ity of 81. .....
The Editor of the LEADER spent a
part of Friday and Saturday in Jack
son and Clinton and had good OPP
portunity of hearing expressions from
men on both sides of the question as
to what brought about the Prohibition
reverse. 1t is quite generally agreed
that the principal cause of defeat was,
that the campaign was too short for
the ProhibitiOnists to organize and
arouse their forces. The whisky men
had quietly aroused and pat their
men on guard while they were getting
up their petition calling for the cleo
ton. and were ready for action on
short notice, whereas the Prohibition
lists did nothing whatever until the
election had been ordered, and then
there was only week in which to
act. A second cause of defeat was
that the negroes, as is usually the
case, voted almost solidly for whisky.
At every place where the negroes vot-
ed in any numbers, there was decid-
ed wet majority; while at Clinton,
Edwards, Bolton, Utica and other
places where the colored vote was
very light. the ProhibitiOnists won by
good maiOrities. A third reason as
signed for defeat was the abuse of the
Local Option law in Jackson by
certain druggists selling alcohol,
and the lax enforcement of the
law by the officials against blind
tiger men. which demoralized
lied many who were friendly to Pro
hibition, and brought the law into dis
repute. 1t is said that many Prohi-
bitionists in jackson did not go to the
polls, while the liquor men turned out
their full strength.
The ProhibitioniSts of the county,
as a whole, do not feel discouraged,
and will renew the fight at the earli-
est opportunity and profit by their
late experience. SO far as the polite
al aspect of the question is concern
ed, they feel that they are still firmly
III the saddle, Notwithstanding this
temporary reverse. The white poo
pie will continue to rule the county,
and as very large majority Of the
white people are Prohibition Demo
Gratis, the whisky minority will have
to gracefully acquicsce or organize
separately with the negroes, which
will mean certain defeat. 1t is
thought the whisky Democrats OF
jackson have made serious blunder
which they will repent of at leisure
Last January Il year ago, by all OF
the Democrats of that city rcsolutely
uniting, the negroes were completely
eliminated as a factor in the munich
pal election, and Il Democratic admin
istration vas elected for the first time
in fifteen years. Now that the wills
kyites, in their zeal, have logged til,
negro into the elections there again in
order to get the benefit of his vote tol
the saloon, the probability is that the
present Democratic city administra-
ton is the last Jackson will SET
again in a good many years
and that the old Republican ring
will succeed to full cuntro
there next January. Such IL result il
quite certain to follow unless the ole
program is repeated, and this, under
the circumstances, will be more diff
cult, if not impossible.
Thanks to the educating influence
of Prohibition, there will be very few
saloons in the county, notwithstand
ing the election went wet, and the
antics display little enthusiasm owe
their comparatively barren victory.
In conclusion we admOnish the Pro
hibitiOnists of Lincoln to be constant
ly on the alert: ready to respond t.
the first bugle call to action, ant
they need have no fear of a return o
the saloon here.