Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-09-29
\ QUESTION nor nKEn HOBBS.
HAZLEuvRST, Sept. PC. 1892.


IIzLEuvRsr, Sept. 26. 1892.
EUtor The Clarion:
| sec that i'm last issue of the LEADER.
Hobbs takes the Democracy to task for
nominating whisky men" for Congress
i'm this State. and points to- the nomi-
nee i'm the Fifth District. What has
this Srlfmadc censor of peoples taste
got To say about the nominee of his
party i'm the Fifth District Brcr Bur
kit How does he get his consent to
support a bar room visitor and anti
prohibition legislator in the Fourth
District and vet who finds man who
smiles in the Fifth. 50 bad? This looks
to casual observer like hypocritical
prctcnse. That 50 long as man stabs
Democracy he is with the Pharisec of
the LEADER a. pure as snow: even if he
is a soak or an inltdcl. COLD TEA.
AN it is always the pleasure of the
editor of the LEADER, when practicable,
10 cnlightcu those who sit in dark
ness" he will culcavor to do so in this
instance: and. unlike the Clarion's cor
respondent. he will try to keep sweet
and not resort to spitcful cpithcts.
First. we want to say. that for reasons
which the facts and figures published
on the first page of to-days LEADER
present, we regard the suppression of
the liquor traffic as the most import
ant question before the American peo-
pie. Hence we give our first allegiance
to the National Prohibition party.
which is the only party that stands
committed uncquivocally in its Nation
al platform to that object The Mis-
eissippi division of the Peoples party.
however has declared itself in accord
with this declaration of the National
Prohibition party. and therefore Pro
hibition party men can consistently
unite with them in the election of Con
grCSSmen. if their candidates accept
their party's action on this subject.
which, SO far as we are advised. they do.
Cold Tea" is further reminded, that
the object of the Prohibition party is
to suppress by tar, the manufacture
and Suie of alcoholic liquors as bcver-
age. ProhibitioniSts do not propose to
regulate the personal habits of men by
Io,r amy further than the suppression
Of the sale would do this iHcidcHtuiiy.
That part of the work will have to be
left to moral suasion." which so many
opponents of Prohibition are fond of
proposing, but, unfortunately. practice
too little. y man doesn't necessarily
have to be a total abStaincr, to be Il
Prohibitionist. but to be a consistent
one. he ought to be. for leaving out all
moral considerations. to the extent
that he drinks. he encourages the man
ufacttre Of liquor. while opposing its
sale. But. unfortunately again. all
Prohibitionists, like a great many
Christians. are not consistent; other
wise there wouldn't he 50 many Of both
OF these classes vino are going to vote
for an avowed whisky party OF such
paramount Importance, however. do
we consider the suppression of the
manufacture and sale of liquors, as
compared with the personal habits Of
were presented to us of voting for a
candidate who was a total abStaincr.
but favored licensing the traffic, and
one who was a moderate drinker, but
was in favor of removing by law the
temptation from his own and every
body else's way, we would vote for the
moderate drinker.
The difference between Frank Bur
kit and John S. Williams is about this:
Burkitt does take drink when he runs
across one of those legalined dramshops
that the Democratic party of Missis-
sippi has provided may be set up in
every county of the State, but will vote
to carry out the Peoples party plat
form and abolish the liquor traffic.
whenever he has the opportunity.
Williams drinks as much as Burkitt,
wants the dramshOpS continued in Mis-
sissippi, and if elected to Congress.
Will vote to carry out the platform of
his party, which is avowedly opposed
to Prohibition everywhere; and there
fore we are for man like Burkitt
every time i'll preference to one like
Williams.
Hon. W. p. Ratliff, Williams oppo-
nent, is local Methodist preacher, a
total abstainer, PrOhibtionist and
man against whose character nothing
derogatory can be truthfully brought,
albeit the Democrats have exhausted
their Walls of Islander on him. If
this 'PhaIiseA" were in that district he
would do everything he could to elect
Ratliif i'll preference to Il man who
fayors the dramshOps by patronizing
them and in every other way. If Cold
Tea isn't satisfied with this answer we
will be glad to enlightcn him further.
TAMMANY'S PRICE.
Here are the terms which rammany
Hall, acting through Chairman Muir
ply, OF the Democratic State Commit
tee of New ork. is reported to have