Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-02-18
A $3,000,000 DRUNK.
A Case of International Celeb
rity.
The United states COnsuls Con.
yerted into Drummers
for Brewers.
Fixing the Responsibility Where
1t Belongs.

1t Belongs.
Editor Mississippi Leader:
The Northwestern Chronicle, pub
lished at Minneapolis, makes an undis-
puted statement concerning the origin
of the recent trouble between our gov
ernment and Chill, which ought to fur
nish statesmen and all patriotic citi-
ems food for serious thought.
Here is the statement "What has
started it all The drink We had it
so from the American press dispatches
of three months ago, and we have it
again from the late official report to
the Chilian Minister: First, the un-
fortunate incident of Oct. 10th, origi-
mated in brawl between intoxicated
soldiers of both Nations. The riot
grew on account of the special ward in
which it occurred, full of brothels and
saloons"
This unfortunate incident" of
drunken soldiers of both Nations" has
cost the taxpayers of these United
States the neat sum of three million
dollars. A three million dollar drunk
Does it pay our government to run sa-
looms for the training of our soldiery
in the use of intoxicants ? In dollars
and cents it hardly pays. Those who
lost loved ones in that "brawl between
intoxicated soldiers of both Nations" !"
will scarcely say that it pays.
Put along with this unfortunate in
cident" another like this Dec. Is, 1889,
the Department of State, at Washing
ton, sent instructions to our consuls in
South America to procure information
that would be of service (only) to Ii
quor dealers in the United States. The
information made a pamphlet of fifty
pages, was published at the expense of
tax payers, and given out to liquor
dealers only. Assistant Secretary
Wharton said the object was the Ten
largement of the American trade"
That is to say, the Government, at pub
lie expense, is drumming up trade in
South America for the brewers and Ii
quor dealers of the United States.
This is the way astute politicians
! conduct business for the good ~ of
the people, and for this kind of service
they will demand a return to place and
power. Many good men will do their
utmost to keep these politicians in
power and after election preach against
the evils of the liquor business. Vot-
ing for whisky parties is not the way
to secure temperance legislation. The
half-witted know this.
These two things occurred under a
Republican administration and the
Republican party is one of "moral
IDEAS" it claims, but there has been no
protest entered by the Democratic par
ty or by its leaders in Congress. This
suggests that the 'lion and lamb" may
| be bedding together ON the liquor
question.
By consent of the National Demo
cratic and Republican parties, the Ii
quor dealers and brewers draw on the
National Treasury at will to further
their own diobolical schemes, but when
that large class of wealth producers,
the farmers, ask that the National
Treasury be made to conserve their in
terest, along with that of all other
classes, the bosses of both these old
parties rise in solid phalanx and say
with one voice, at can't be done, your
request is unconstitutional"
There is reason for this beautiful
harmony among these partisans who
have been clawing and scratching each
other for more than % years, about
war issues and the tariff, which have
only one practical result, the keeping
of one of two sets of partisans in office
all the while. Some people are mean
enough to suspect that the reason may
be like this; The liquor dealers and
brewers have millions of money availa-
BILE for campaign purposes, and their
business houses" are splendid club
rooms, while their stock in trade is a
wonderful engine for the manufacture
of votes among the foreign and float
ing elements.
If this be the explanation, the peo
pie will see it after awhile. Then woe
be to the old trading parties and theiI
bosses. The people will be on deck
some day. j. III. GAMBRELL.