The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1890-11-13
Mr.. Gambrell Answers Capt.
Burkitt>

Editor Brookhavcn Leader
| desire TO say n few things in reply
to Capt. Burkitt's COMMUNICATION in
your last issue. First Of all hit me
say that what he states about our cor
respondance is substantially true, ex-
cept that he did not ask me to make
any correction of the matter to which
lie excerpts. When | returned ho4ne,
after several days absence, ! answer
ed his letter Immediately, stating that
| got my information from daily pa
pers. etc. Ny thought was that he
wouh have the reporters, with whom
he was in daily contact, and who sent
out the report on which my statement
was based, to correct what lie claims
is an injustice, and | would then with
draw my statement. For reasons that
are known to him only, he did not have
the report corrected by those who
were the authors of it, but insists that
| have done him injustice in not cor
recting it.
If those reporters misquotcd Capt.
Burkltt, why did he not have them
set him right. am frank to say that
when ! saw no explanation or correc-
ton of the matter, against my person
al feelings, I vas forced to believe
that the papers told the real truth.
Hence. in my letter to DIR Black; as il .
Illustrative, used the following words:
Note uhat uds dereIopcd in the Constitu-
tionul Convention last Friday, Whcn
Prohibition Uds undcr consideration.
Capt Frank Burkitt, though elected by
the white people of the entire State, vOi-
ed against abOlislIing saloons, because,
four salO"m-keepers At his h0,ne, Okuluna,
required of him Il pledge tn do so. The
will of these -four salOon-keepefs is more
potent than the will of large majority
of the States white population.
1t will be noted that made no
charge against Capt. Burkitt. 1t will
also be observed that, for some uneX-
planned reasons, the gentleman failed
to give me the full benefit of my state
ment, when he left out Of his quota
ton the words in italics. This is the
kind of "fair treatment" that Prohibi-
tiOnists usually receive at the hands
of Anti-prohibitionists, but we are
used to it and that helps great deal.
Capt Burkitt says he was not pledg-
ed to saloon-kecpers or any one else,
touching the liquor question. Let him
and the reporters settle that. But
here is fact that he admits: He is
in sympathy with the saloon keepers
business, as against Prohibition, and
he voted for the saloons to be kept
open when he WAS urged by Judge
Chrisman, Gen. Martin, Capt. Fcwell,
Gen. J,ee and others to help vote the
saloons oht of this State.
| venture the assertion, which is
supported by statistics accessible to
all readers, that the farmers of this
State have not in any combination, II
Zoe SO implacable as the saloon. Civ
ing nothing permanent and helpful
in return, it is yearly tilching from
the pockets of the toiling masses
even millions Of dollars
made in the sweat of honest brows.
1t seeks to dictate public policy and
who shall be public servants. 1t
crushes, with Ipmnrseless clutch, the
fondest hopes of true hearts, in coun-
try and town alike. 1t is to thousands
of farmers homes like very pesti-
lence, leaving desolation and the wall
of those it has bereareu rendered pov-
trty stricken in its bloody track.
These, Mr., Editor, are conceded
facts.
In the face of this record, and
though my friend Capt. Burkitt is the
Alliance lecturer for Mississippi, he
voted in sympathy with this most 81
gantic, reaching, corrupting, re-
morseless, wealth destroying and wick
ed combine on the face of the earth.
And, too, his vote was in the face of
the fact that the cardinal principles of
the great Alliance organization is
opposition to ali combines that OPP
crate against the farmers and our
country's best interests, and the fur
ther fact, us am informed 10y lead
majority of the members of the AL
lance are, on conviction, opposed to
the saloon. How can Capt. Burkitt
reasonably and satisfactorily explain
to his Alliance brethren his vote in
aid of the liquor combines
Concluding let me say, MI. Editor,
am personally Il friend to Capt.
Burkitt, for reasons that | need not
here record, and of which he is fully
aware. deeply regret the position
he has forced himself in, but my duty
is plain. | would help bury, politi-
cally, my brother if he were to give
to the liquor traffic the aid Capt.
Burkitt does. No other man. friend
or foe, need expect less at my hands.
II EANppEII