The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1890-08-07

From the jackson Bureau of the Memphis Com
mcrCial, March II, lS90.l
Mr.. B. +. Hobbs is editor of the
BROoKHAvEN LEADER and is forcefuI
character in Mississippi journalism
Mr.. Hobbs is one of the most earnest
Prohibtionists in the State. He has
been for nine years secretary of the
Prohibition Executive Committee and
has never missed meeting.
Being asked to give his views as ia
the part prohibition would likely play
in the Constitutional Convention and
the selection of delegates, Mr.. Hobbs
expressed himself as follows:
"For years in their State cOnven-
ton, the Prohibitionists of Mississippi
have begun their declaration of prin-
ciples with these words: we, the
friends of the legal and constitutional
prohibition of the liquor traffic. etc.
Constitutional prohibition has ever
been their objective point, and the old
petition law, local option and high IL
cense, have only been temporary cx-
pcdients, looking to the ultimate ac-
complishment of that end.
"But while this is true, Prohibi-
tionists arc not ready to blindly subor-
dinate every other consideration to
this one idea. The organization to
which belong has time and again de-
clared that the cause of prohibition
should not be entangled with party
politics, but should be sacredly en-
above the contest for mere
place and power and we are not at
all apt to adopt new slogan right
now, when SO much is at stake other
wise.
"All sensible men, no matter what
may he their peculiar views touching
the liquor question, must recognize
the fact that the great Ovcrsladowing
issue to be considered by the conven-
ton is the race problem Or suffrage
question.
at is all important to the cause of
prohibition how that question is set
lied by the convention, whether it
puts prohibition in the Constitution
Dr. not. Forty -four of the seventy
four counties of the State have held
local option elections since the law
was passed in 1856 Twenty three of
these voted against license and TWEEN
ty-one for it. -Four of those which
voted for license cannot get saloons
because of the contemplation pro
vision of the law. Three of those
that voted dry at first returned to the
wet column at the second election,
each having II heavy negro popula-
ion, and the negroes being massed
solidly 10y the liquor men for the sa
looms. There are fifteen counties that
have driven out the saloons under the
old petition law of the Code and ff-
teen, where no local option election
has been held, have saloons by opera
ton of this same petition law. In
other words, according to the latest
at my command, of the
seventy four counties of the State,
thirty nine are without saloons by the
operation of the local OPP
ton and petition laws and thirty-five
have saloons. OF these thirty-five a
large proportion are heavy black
counties, notably Monroe, Chickasaw,
Clay, Lee, Lauderdale, NoXubce,
Lowndcs, Grenada, Alfalfa, Madison,
Kinds, Holmes, Leflore, Quitman, Tu-
Mica, Tallahatchie, Suntlower, Coaho-
ma, Bolivar, Washington, Issaquena,
Warren, Claiborne, Jefferson,
Adams and WilkersOn-27.
IL mention this that you may get
an idea of the figure the brother in
black is cutting in the solution of the
liquor as well as the political problem.
| haven't a doubt but that II vast ma
jority of the white people of the State
are squarely III favor of prohibition,
and these and other facts i'll my pos
session demonstrate it; but the State
never will be free from saloons, cspec-
tally i'll the counties largely populated
10y negroes, unless the convention OF
Legislature
TAKES THE MATTER IN HAND.
"You ask my opinion as to the best
way to deal with the suffrage ques-
ton. My position on that subject is
rather in advance in some respects of
have thus far seen. am
unreservedly in favor of an education
al qualification. | would require reg
istratiOn as now, and extend the pc
Rod of residence in the State two
years, the county one year, and pre-
cinct six months, and in addition to
this would require that, beginning two
years after the Constitution was adopt
ed, no person who could not read any
section of the Constitution, taken at
random, should be entitled to register
and vote, no matter what might be his
length of residence. The two years
would give every voter white or
black who valuad tho nriviIapa of tho