The Brookhaven leader., 1890-07-24
AN ADDRESS
To the Prohibitionists of Mis-
sissippi.

tive Committee of the State Prohibi-
ton Convention l was instructed to
Issue an address to the Prohibitionists
Of the State setting forth the present
condition of the cause within Our
bounds, our opportunities and our
obligations.
II is now q well asccrtained fact,
that large majority of the white peO-
pie of our State are favorable to Pro-
hibition and opposed to the saloon
under high or low license. The prin-
ciple of Prohibition is rooted in the
moral and religious convictions of the
people. Every phase of the question
has been discussed, and the public
mind enlightened. Prohibition is here
to stay and here to- win a complete
victory.
The late Prohibition Convention
called to formulate some plan of ac-
ton in view of the assembling Of a
Constitutional Convention August
18th, after mature deliberation decid-
ed unanimously to ask the conven-
tion to insert in the new constitution
an article against lotteries and sa-
looms. This was in harmony with all
the previous conventions for ten
years, and must be taken as the poll
cy of Mississippi Prohibitionists.
That all who hold to the principle of
Prohibition should not perfectly agree
as to methods is not surprising; but it
is to be reasonably presumed that in
dividual opinion will not be urged to
the detriment of united action. /
may, therefore, with confidence ask
all good PrOhibitiOnists to earnestly
cooperate with the Executive Commit
tee in carrying out the policy Of the
convention.
| must congratulate you. my fellow
workers, that the scheme of the
whisky combine to pack the Constitu-
tional Convention with men commit
ted to the liquor interest has signally
failed. From the nominations that
have been made, it is certain that the
convention will be very able body
of men, majority of whom are favor
able to the principle of Prohibition.
Nor have any of the evil effects pre-
dicted of calling public attention to
the scheme of the whisky league been
realized. The people were never
more thoughtful nor more disposed to
act periodically and on high moral
principle. The convention will meet
under exceptionally favorable circum-
stances. The people are looking to
that body to place this commonwealth
on foundations of peace and prosperi-
ty. There can be given no solid rea-
son why the future of Mississippi
should be darkened, her resources
wasted, her laws defed, her citi-
zens debauched and sent to premature
graes, her homes desolated and her
peace destroyed by continuation of
the present infamous partnership be-
tween the State and the liquor traffic.
Every interest of the commonwealth
demands that the constitutional con-
ventiOn shall, in a broad spirit of
craftsmanship, respond to the moral
and patriotic sentiment of the intelli-
gent white people, and cure the open
sores of the State by blotting out the
saloons. To provide for saloons and
then make laws against crime is
craftsmanship on the order of those
quack doctors who first make their
patients sick, and then perpetually
doctor them to keep them, not we'll,
but cOnvalescent.
Fellow Prohibitionists, if we will
unitedly urge upon our representa-
tives in the convention the right and
the policy of founding the State on
principles of purity and righteousness
there is very little doubt that we may
speedily see the end of the liquor traffic
in Mississippi. Let us consider how
great a calamity, how deep a shame,
how terrible sin it will be to perpet-
uate the partnership between the
State and the saloon in our organic
law. Every one of us who consents to
a continuance of this great iniquity
will be responsible for the evils which
will undoubtedly flow from it in the
future.
II it be said that Prohibition should
not be thrust in the way of ballot re-
form, the answer is, it will not be and
can not lie in the way of ballot re-
form. The two are kindred reforms.
Ballot reform rests on precisely the
same moral base as Prohibition. One
carries the other, so that the friends
of one are naturally the friends of the
other. Does not every one know that
the saloon is the natural and implaca-
BILE enemy of every reformf Let us
not be deceived; there is not an evil
which aflicts our State, but what the
saloon is in leagne with it. Lotteries,
gambling hells, houses of prostitution,