Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-02-04
THE JUG AMENDMENT AND WHISKY
InRRN

ton. there is no argument so often
paraded or cxultingly pointed to by
saloon mon and their champions, as
what is called The jug trade" in dry |
counties. Though as matter of fact,
in most of these dry counties before
the saloon was abolished, barrel of
whisky was imported to every jug now
received. the jug trade is harpcd upon
i'm season and out of season as proof
indisputable. that prohibition doesn't
prohibit" and some of the iTreconclla-
BILE old soaks have even been suspected
of sending for jugs and getting drunk
and tempting others to drink, just to
prove their own argument. Again, sa-
loon men in license counties have been
known to boast that their jug trade in
prohibition towns and counties
amounted to more than their retail
trade over their bars, and to make a
speciality of soliciting orders from this
source by various methods of adver-
Using.
At all events, the people i'll counties
that have voted saloons out, have been
more or less annoyed 10y the jug bust
ness, and this is especially true of
those counties and communities con-
tiguous to licensed saloons. The
nearer the prohibition territory and
| the licensed traffic are brought to-
| gether. the greater is the temptation
| to the drinker and the more success
/ fully does the licensed seller ply his
! business. Counties which vote the liq-
uor business out are, as a consequence,
not allowed to enjoy the rightful fruits
of their victory and immunity from
outside interference.
To meet this condition of affairs,
Senator Heidleburg, pending the CON
sideration of the chapter on dram
shops" in the Senate, offered the fol
lowing amendment
Sec. -. 1t shall be unlawful for any
| licensed liquor dealer. carrying on bust
ness in a license county, to ship any
liquors, bitters or drinks in a jug or
otherwise, into any county, district,
| territory or municipality in which the
sale is prohibited by law. or for any
express or railroad company to receive
for shipment or transportation such
! liquors, bitters or drinks. if same are to
be transported from a license into a
prohibition county, district or muni-
cipality, and for every violation of
this section, the offender shall be liable
| to fine of not less than one hundred
nor more than five hundred dollars.
This amendment supplies missing
link in the chapter on dram shops,
and with the amendment of the House
Committee on Liquor Traffic covering
all license money into the State treas
ury, would make that measure as near
perfect and satisfactory to the Prohibi-
tionists of the State. as any LICENSE
LAW that can be passed.
The surprising thing is, that when
this amendment was under considera-
ton in the Senate, it met the strongest
opposition from Senators from Prohi-
bition counties, some of them men
who have proved their devotion to Pro
hibition in the past and whose sinceri-
ty we would not question. AS stated
last week, on account of this opposi-
ton, Senator Heidelberg withdrew the
amendment before it reached a vote,
though, as also stated last week, it
has been since conceded by some of its
opponent S. it would have passed had
the vote been taken
| The trouble with some of the Prohi-
bitionists who opposed it was, they ut
terly missed the real question involved
and failed to comprehend the full scope
and effect of the measure in Gripping
and ultimately destroying the legalized
traffic where it still exists, which is the
avowed purpose and ultimate object
! Prohibitionists have in view
The contention of Senators Teunis
son and Mayes that it was an abridge-
ment of the rights of people in dry
counties to say they could not send to
license county near bv for jug, anC
would be resented as such, was, com
ing from them, inconsistent, as we'll a:
| being wide of the real question at is
sue. The proposition was a prohibi
! ton on the seller in a license county
and the common carrier The jug
wump" is left with all the rights and
privileges he had before-to drink al
he can get and get it wherever he can
1t would simply be saying to the sa
loonists, that the State will not licens,
you to debauch and demoralize tn,
citizens of county or communit!
where the people have outlawed you
business, and she will not permit he
common carriers to assist you in it. L
it is the business of the Legislature tt
make it convenient and easy for the
drinkers in dry counties to get whisky
and an abridgment of their rights not
to do so, it is an abridgment of theil
rights to have prohibition in Lawrence
and Copiah at all. Every county
should have its dramshops, and they
should be as numerous and conven-
iently located as possible, and the
whole theory on which the chapter on
dramshops is based, viz: restriction