Mississippi leader., 1892-07-21
WHERE THE LEADER AND ITS EDI-
TOR STAND.

course MT. hODDS. Oh lNe mlSoASSit = "a
LEADER, would take in reference to the
Third party platform and ticket. His
last issue was watched with interest
but no definite statement of his opin-
ion appeared. Hobbs is Prohibition
ist and Third party man combined
but as Prohibition is his first love he
gives it his preference. The Mississip-
nj Third party State Convention welded
the two together, but the national con
ventions of the two parties failed to do
so. As a matter of fact their platforms
differ widely. The Prohibition plat
form set down on free silver and the
Third party set down on Prohibition,
or. at least, ignored the issue. Mr..
Hobbs is both free silver man and a
so he can clip the paste
from both platforms and construct one
to suit him. but not so with the candi-
dates for the Presidency. He has to
take one and reject the other; there Is
no chance for splicing the good parts
of each and thus creating a new man.
-HiHORd Times.
The editor of the LEADER has no
concealment to make of his position or
any public question, and will endeavor
to crafty the courteously expressed
curiosity of his esteemed cotemporary
of the Times, as well as of others like
him.
As II member of the Committee on
Resolutions Of the National Prohibi-
tion Convention and in the Convention
itself. we voted and worked for the
resolution declaring for the free coin
age of silver. and we expect to continue
to advocate free coinage, since we be-
lieve il right. and that it is substanti-
ally comprehended in the financial
plank the convention adopted.
The chief contention among the
on the currency ques-
ton was between those who wanted
free and unlimited coinage of both
silver and gold in the platform, in eX-
press terms. and those who favored de
claring for a paper currency based on
gold and silver bullion in the proper
ton of three dollars to one. similar to
the plan on which S340,O00.OO0 in green.
backs are now being floated OH a gold
deposit of Sl00.O0O.0O0. When the lat
ter were defeated, they united with a
small contingent in the convention
opposed to both plans, and defeated
the free coinage clause, because they
hoped to see their greenback and gold
and silver bullion idea adopted here
after.
The editor of the LEADER, however,
As the Times correctly assumes, CON
Siders the suppression of the liquor
5raffic a greater question than the
silver question or any other problem
low demanding settlement at the
lands of the American people. Why
We consider it greater, witness some
acts:
The best and most reliable estimates
lace the annual drink bill of the
-nited States at about S1,200.000O00--
Yo hundred million dollars more than
ne Reed billion dollar Congress ap-'
ropriated for all the expenses of the
overnment for two yearS-two hun
red million dollars more than the
resent billion dollar Democratic Con-
ress will appropriate for the same
eriod. This is simply first cost to
he drinkers. 1t does not take into
ccOunt what the accursed traffic costs
he country in the way of Furnishing
rime it incites, the pauperism and
insanity it produces, the demoraliza-
ion to labor it causes, and the army of
iXty or seventy thousand men it an
Iually sweeps into drunkards' graves.
1t would require s4o6,9S7 ,932 added
o the present volume of circulating
Medium every year for four years to
'ring the circulation up $50 per capita
II the United States, but the drink bill
S 81, 1,200,OOO,O00 in one year!
The old parties are raising great
lue and cry over the tariff, as an issue.
The total value of all dutiable mer-
,handise imported into this country
Turing the fiscal year 1891, during a
part of which time the high Mckinley
ariff was in force, was S478,674, ,844.
The total collection of customs duties
nder the tariff system for 1891, was
;2l9, ,522,20 In other words, the value
If all dutiable merchandise and the
,ariff collected on same added to it was
5698, 1877 ,049, or little more than half
IF the national drink bill for the same
time.
The total expenses of the United
States government for the fiscal year
1891, including War, Navy, Postoffice
Interior, Agricultural and State De
partments, Indian and Pension bureauX
on the public debt, salaries Of
officials at home and abroad, Congress
public buildings, etc, was S437 1888;
but a little more than one-third Of
the National drink bill.
And all of this is only a part of the
question. Under the bonded ware
house and high license system, the liq
uor traffic has become the richest, most
corrupt, arrogant and dictatorial mo
in the nation and both old par
ties are down on their knees before il
at every election, national State OIL
bidding against each other