The Brookhaven leader., 1890-04-10
CONSTITUTIONAL PROHIBITION.
AN ADDRESS FROM THE STATE PRO-
HIBITIoN EXECUTIVE COM
MITTEE.
Their Position Clearly and Une-
quivocally Defined.
\ Fight to be Made Against All
OF the Allied Forces of Evil.

|
the New Constitution, and Men in
sympathy with These Evils. Whose
Chief Strengths Lies In the Vicious and
Ignorant Negro Vote, Must be Kep,
Out of the Convention.
To the People Of Mississippi:
At meeting of the State Prohibi-
ton Executive Committee, held in the
the city of Jackson March 18th, the
undersigned were appointed to lay
before the people of the State the
condition and the reasonable claims
of the Prohibition cause within the
Commonwealth.
The active, organized temperance
reform in Mississippi is now about a
decade old. During this time the
question has been discussed on every
side, the public conscience enlighten
ed and the result has been a great and
solid advance in practical reform OF
every kind. The various Christian
denominations have committed them
selves, in their great assemblies, to
the principle of Prohibition. The
Masons have outlawed the saloon, as
have also many Farmers Alliances.
The saloons have been outlawed in
80 of the IL counties of the State
And in a number of the remaining
counties whisky is sold only at the
court house town, leaving the smaller
towns and country places free from
the curse. 1t is clear from these facts
that the victory is practically won in
Mississippi. But the case may be put
in a much more assuring light. Clai-
borne, our own historian, said: "No
cause which the ministry espoused
was ever lost in any country" This
is the teaching of all history. The
ministry of Mississippi are practically
unit against the saloon, and public
sentiment is so advanced on the sub
spect of the masses, if he is the adj
vocate of, or apologist for, the liquor
traffic. This mighty force is augment
ed by the organized womanhood of
the State, inspired with the right
eous purpose of destroying the de-
stroyer of their homes and hopes.
The schools and colleges are also fully
in line with the reform move.
4 study of the field shows conclu-
sively that the last hope and refuge
of the saloon in Mississippi is the
ignorant, vicious negro vote. We say
ignorant, viciOus negro vote, because
the intelligent and moral of that race
are not for the saloon, but they are
few compared to the great horde of
ignorant and vicious negroes. The
remaining whisky counties are in the
black belts, and they are kept wet by
the negroes being massed on the side
of the saloon. 1t is significant fact
that the only three counties that have
voted for Prohibition and then gone
back to the saloon, are heavy black
counties, and they were carried back
to the wet column by whisky politi-
clans massing the negroes on that
side.
1t is manifest from these facts, east
ly accessible to all, clear and indispu-
table, that the overwhelming majority
of the intelligent white people of
Mississippi are Prolibitionists, and
would enact Prohibition as the State
policy if it were not for tile negro
vote. 1t Is the unwritten law of the
land that white, that is, intelligent
supremacy is to be main tanned as the
only protection for both races. How
long will negro rule in the domain of
political morals and social order be
tolerated by the intelligent, high
toned manhood of Mississippi7
We are approaching one of the most
important crises in the history of our
State. On the 18th of August prox-
imo, there will be assembled in Jack
son a convention, the business of
which will be to frame a new Consti-
tuition, upon which our social order
and political safety for years to come
will depend. 1t is of the first impor-
lance that that convention be COM
posed of our ablest and best men :;
men with ability to understand what
is right, and moral courage to do it.
The demand is for broad minded
statesmen, not professional politicians
and time-servers.
tits our duty to inform You that al
ready the great Whisky Trust or Com
bine of the North and West has open
ed vigorous campaign in Mississippi,
with view to captaring the conven-
ton in their interest. 1t is declared
also that the Louisiana Lottery Com
pany win cooperate with the whisky
combine To control the State. Its
charter will soon expire in Louisiana
and it is seeking future home. The
recent effort of that constituencies
gambling institution to surprise and
1 caDture the new State of North To