Mississippi leader., 1892-02-18
NOn-Partisan Prohibition Plat
form.

moral, social, financial and political /.
evil. 1t is at war with the religious /
forces which tend to build men up into /
better lives. 1t breeds every social !
disorder and wars persistently on the !
home, and all organized society. 1t
waste the living of dependent women
and children and destroys the prOduc-
tive energies of the people. 1t seeks
to control for corrupt purposes politi-
cal parties. 1t enslaves many public
men, subverts public justice, de-
bauches the public conscience, trains
its patrons to perjury, and is the i'm
placable enemy of both church and
State. We declare that every effort
to regulate the traffic by license laws
has been failure. That while the
law forbids anyone to engage in the
traffic, who is not of a good moral
character, the business has drifted in
to the hands of the very worst class
of men in the country, mostly foreign
born, and without love for American
institutions. And further: in the
main, efforts to enforce the provisions
of the laws against the traffic have
failed for the reason that the corrupt
ing influences of the saloon reaches
the inner courts of justice and sub
verts all law. The license system has
built up great monopoly in our
midst which is stronger than law. con-
trary to sound principles of govern
ment and repugnaut to the spirit of
free institutions. High license we
condemn as snare and delusion.
1t has had only one effect and that is
to make the traffic more powerful and
more dangerous. We declare it to be
the only wise policy for the State to
withdraw from all partnership with
the saloon, to put it under the ban of
law, to turn the whole power of the
State against it as common enemy,
not only bad in itself, but the ally of
all other evils which afflict society; the
habitat of the gambler, the thief, the
thug, the prostitute, and strong fac
tor in all corrupt combines. We
declare that no christian or humani-
tartan or patriot can consistently sup
port the saloon by word, vote or act,
and that it ia the part of patriotism
to hold public men to strict account
for their completely with this great
PUBIC enemy.
2. We believe it is the right and
duty of the State to legislate against
the traffic in alcoholic beverages, and
to enforce laws duly enacted, and we
unhesitatingly affirm that good results
have always followed wise legislation
when faithfully enforced.
3. We reaffirm the declaration made
by the first State Prohibition Conven-
ton July Goth, 1881, and frequently
"that the cause of Prohibit g.,
ton should not be entangled with |
party politics. Without disturbing the |
party affiliations of any citizen, we
ask his support in this great reform,
which should be sacredly enthroned
above the contests for mere place and
power. We do affirm, however, that
intemperance should not be cOunte-
nanced in public officials and that no
drunkard is worthy of our support"
4. We are gratified at the vantage
ground for prohibition secured by our
new State Constitution. The old pro-
vision that all revenues derived from
licenses should be appropriated to the
school fund, does not stain the purity
of our present organic law. For years
we declared it unwise and unpatriotic
evil and that no PEOPLE have the NOR
al right to license sin to obtain the
elements of an education. In re-
sponse to our appeal that wrong has
been ighted-that unhOly alliance
has been broken. We feel assured,
also, that under the suffrage section
of our COnstitution-elimina as it
does, large numbers relied upon to
sustain the salOon--we have it in our
power to give the protection of pro-
hibitiOn to our entire State, and we
here and now pledge ourselves to
unremitting effort to attain that end.
5. We are pleased and encouraged
at the large results achieved under
the efficient operation of our present
local option lava measure eminently
right in principle and enacted by the
legislature in response to the united
and intelligent voice of the friends
of reform throughout the State. By
it's provisions a very large part of the
commonwealth has been redeemed
from the curse of the saloon, while its
educative influences has been extern
sive and potential.
6. AS "mOraI reforms depend pri-
marily upon intelligent convictions in
the hearts of the people," we urge
diligent and earnest agitation of the
principles of Prohibition in all our
communities. We have every thing
to gain and nothing to lose by public
discussion.
T. We insist that prohibitOry laws
shall be administered with the same
fidelity and impartiality as other Grim
inal statuets. Laws do not admins
ter themselves. Bound by solemn
oath, officers should sec that all stat
utes are equally enforced, without fear
or favor. To this end we urge the i'm
pOrtance of organized effort in each
county in order to see to the prompt
and proper enforcement of laws
against the liquor traffic. Whisky
selling criminals should have no more
consideration than those guilty of lar
ceny, arson or manslaughter. By or
ganized and authorized cooperation
we can have the laws enforced or de-
linquent law officers removed.
8. That it is our unalterable pur-
pose and constant aim, SO declared
from the beginning of this movement,
to secure the blessings of Prohibition |
for our entire State. We entend to |
have it engrafted securely upon our !