Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-06-09
THE PEOPLES PARTY AND LIQUOR
TRAFFIC.


its leaders are wise and really desire
the promotion of the public veal rather
than the qualification of selfish amhi
tiouS and personal ends, a great dcSti-
ny. Assuming aS true. that the vast
majority Of the supporters of this
movement never expect to hc candl-
dates or hold office and that they de
sire only that in government which
will bring the greatest good to the
greatest number. the LEADER wishes 20
make some observations with that can
dor and sincerity which have ever
characterized it as public journal
In the first place let il be borne in
mind that political parties do not
spring. Minerva like. full grown and
pauoplicd into the arena in "a day.
They grow. and are not made To order,
according to the caprice or impulse of
a moment. and il takes time TO develop
time They must above of all he based
upon enduring principles of right and
Justice and morality. which cannot be
long ignored with impunity 10y any man
or combination of men.
The Peoples party. if we at all m
dcrstand its spirit and object is en-
phatirally q Reform party. Summed
UP in a single sentence it is IL National
protest of the common people against
the class legislation, thicvery. corrup-
ton and usurpation of both the old
political parties. and determination
to rc-cstablish the government upon
the principles recognized and adopted
in the beginning 10y its founders.
But the Peoples party cannot he
a real Reform party. and ignore
what has grown to he one of
the mightcSt political corruptcrS. the
greatest producer of crime. pauper-
ism and immortality, and one of the
most gigantic and eoulless of all
monopolies in this Nation. to-wit; the
liquor traffic In its zeal for financial
reform. it cannot afford to pass over
in silence a great question which in
wolves in its right settlement. financial.
economic. political and moral reform
all. The most reliable statistics place
the drink bill of this nation at 81 POO
100000 year. or S2OO.OOO.GDO more than
the eNtrayagant Billion Dollar Con
gross appropriated to run every de
partment of the government two years.
The Supreme Court of the United
States itself is authority for the state
ment that the statistics of every
State show a greater amount of crime
and misery attributable to ardent
spirits obtained at these retail liquor
saloons than 10 amy other source. Both
of the old political parties are down on
their knees before the liquor power
before every election. bidding for its
and, having no principle but /.
gain and no god but Mammon. it al .
Ways sells out to the highest bidder !
in many instances established .
md backed by the National whisky
Trust. are the rallying points and re- .
,rliting stations of corrupt political
rings of both old parties. and the new
political party that does not declare
war upon all such corrupting agencies
will itself soon become their HOPELESS
slave
The st. Louis Conference would
doubtless have included in its platform
A declaration against the liquor traffic.
but for the opposition of some Of its
prominent members. who were intu-
enccd either 10y sclf-iuterest or mis-
taken idea of eNpediency Mr.. Robt.
secretary of the National
Executive Committee of the Peoples
party, was one of the loudcSt and most
uncompromising opponents of such
plank. 1t has since been developed
some private correspondence
of Mr.. SchiIling which got into print,
that the secret spring of his opposition
was that the adoption of such plank
would greatly iniure the business of
his paper. which was largely patronizcd
by Germans. Others may have had
equally selfish reasons for failing to do
what was 50 clearly right and consist
ent, if the Peoples party is ever to be
come real Reform party, and hence
the people must watch their leaders as
well as the enemy.
But while the st. Louis Con-
ference itself refused to declare
against the liquor traffic, it relegated
the question to the respective States
for them to decide, each for itself,
and here is Mississippi's opportunity.
The LEADER will not say that if the
Peoples party of Mississippi should
declare for the suppression of the iiq
uor traffic, for beverage purposes III
State and Nation, when its State Con
vention meets in this city June 22nd,
that it will carry Mississippi this fall,
but it does not doubt for moment
that it will greatly strengthen it and
pave the way to future success. There
are thousands of good men all over the
State who do not endorse the financial
methods proposed by the Alliance and
Peoples party, who are in earnest sym
pathy with the main end sought, and
who would be willing to waive that OBJ