Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-05-05
NO. II.

SUBJECT must sUI1Ce. No other class
of manufacturers or producers on the
American continent have received the
same consideration and special favOrs
from the government as have the man
ufacturers of intoxicating liquors.
Not only have our Federal and State
Legislatures created in their interest q
universal system of Dramshops, as
dispensing agencies, which our high
est court says is the greatest of all
sources of crime and misery to society,
and could nowhere exist were it not
for such legislation but our govern
ment officials, assisted by the govern
ment printing press, have been busy
opening up new markets for American
beer in the South American States.
Our Senate, for two years, refused to
comply with the request of seventeen
other governments to prohibit the
shipment of liquors to darkest Africa;
and liquor warehouses being provided
for, clerks have been furnished ut gov
ermnIent expense to look after liquor
deposited, and certificates of deposit
running three years have been issued
to dcpOsitOrs upon which credits can
/ he based. money realized, and pay
!
terest of this crime producing and
judicially Outlawcd industry. These
/ things have been very quietly done,
and so equally guilty have been both
Democrats aud Republicans in doing
them, that the one has not dared to
express the completely of the other
through the secular press or other
| wise.
But SOMEHOW OUR FARMERS FOUND 1T OUT
And as the parties in power had by
other special legislatioII, also estab
/ lished another favOritism-the nation
al banking system--tlrongh the
workings of which farmers have ceased
| to be money lenders as they used to
be but they rather have become bOr-
rowers: they very naturally desired to
know whether it was lawful for them
also To receive little favoritism.
Hence they have gone with their peti-
tons. just as we used to do with our
Prohibition, petitions, to Democratic
and Republican leaders. and have said
to them: We have done most of the
voting for you, ard we want you now
to put us on equal footing with the
manufacturers of Intoxicating liquors.
As you have provided for special
warehouses in which to store, and
/ furnished government clerks to take
care of grain after it is converted into
intoxicating liquor, provide ware
houses in which to store it and clerks
to take care of it while it is yet ours
and fit for food. And as You have
furnished liquor manufactures with
certificates of deposit on receipt of
their liquors as basis of credit on
which to realize money from the
banks, and as you have furnished the
banker with said money at one per
cent. interest on his cOllaterals, just
| furnish us with certificates of deposit
on receipt of our produce, knock out
the middle man-the banker-loan us
the money on our collaterals, and we
will pay two per cent. for it. In 9TH
er words, do as we'll by us as you have
been doing by the distiller, and half
as well as you have been doing by the
banker, and we will be satisfied and
continue to vote you in.
But WITH THE AVERAGE POLITICIAN THIS
is CARRYING THE JOKE a LITTLE
TOO FAR.
Liquor manufacturers are liberal
with their money, generally have
plenty of it, and contribute largely to
a corruption fund at every election.
And, besides, they corrupt and con-
troll large vote in the cities. and, as
between the two liquor licensing par
ties, hold the balance of power. Hence
it would be unjust to share their hon
! I, fl,nE 60 hn
sion trick has worked pretty well
with Prohibitionists; the constitution
al dodge must now be played with
farmers. If they insist that their
rights under the constitution are equal
to those of the liquor manufacturer or
banker, the tariff question must be
shouted in their ears. and the fate of
the semi-heathens of the Argentine
Republic must be held up as an exam
pie of what is to become of them IT
they, in their ignorance, undertake
financial system that has been made
very profitable to intelligent liquor
manufacturers.
BUT FARMERS HAVE HAD AN OBJECT Les
SON IN THE TREATMENT HERETOFORE
RECEIVED BY PROHIBITIoNISTS.
Hence they have not waited and pc
titioned fifty years before striking out
for an Independently organized exist
ence. Their drums are beating. their
colors are flying, their campfires are
burning, their clans are gathering and
their leaderseare bombarding the cita-
dels of political favoritism, and de-
manding that their rights be reeog-
nized as equal to those of the distil-
Ter. But, says one, what of all that ?
they are not Prohibitionists. Well,
then, why are they not for PrOhibi-
ton
Says Mr.. Polk, their great leader,
''beeause we cannot afford to load
down with question of this sort
about which the Church is divided
and quarreling." Says another one
of their leaders, ''we must have fnan-
cial relief, Prohibition OF no Prohibi-
tion." And says multitude more of
them, ''We cannot afford to shoulder
Prohibition when large proportion
of the voters of towns and cities, who
profess to be ProhibitiOnists, remain
in and vote with liquor licensing par
ties, rather than vote with us or even
the Prohibition party Just here is
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