Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-03-31

IL nus otcoiht tiiiohlC ulSeaSe with
a majority of our political legislators,
to be so welded to their own selfish
aims so taken up with their personal
rivairies, so debasingly hungry for of
flee, aud in such pitiful bondage to the
corruption of party politics, that they
fail to measure tho power of the ire
pressible conflict, now raging against
the saloon iniquity.
We do not mistake the tone and tenn
per of the people, when we predict i'm
the near future, the resurrection and
application of a new, and purer and
drawer legislation, both in State and
National governments, looking mainly
to the welfare of our toiling millions
by the abolition of the liquor traffic.
Great issues, destined to bless our
country and people are just now strug-
Cling for birth, and will soon become
potential agencies.
Surely, the born leaders and states
men, whose duty it is to scan the polft-
cal sky, and descry the new principles
that project themselves into the do
main of government, demanding bet
ter and wiser legislation, ought to dis
Germ the public pulse now beating at
fever heat against the political and
financial corruptions of the old par
ties in upholding the saloon power.
Are they ignorant or are they asleep
over this tremendous issue, that will
soon break out like volcanic fires, con-
Stunning and disrupting the old parties,
and placing this government in better
hands?
They may laugh now, they may
cackle now like thorns under the burn
ing cauldron, at any prophecy of this
kind; but at this very hour the land
issue, and the finance issue, and the ir-
repressible prohibition issue, are put
ting on a sure and steady growth of
development, that will spring full
armed into the political arena, over
whelming all opposition.
Here are issues that will soon strew
the political field with chronic dead
beats, and political wise-acres who can
not see beyond the narrow confines of
their own intense selfishness and pro-
found egotism.
The problem of State and National
prohibition, now pushing it's way to
the front, like Banquo's ghost, will not
down at the bidding of the wise fools
Of the daily press, or the rich and
brainless accidents of fortune, or the
political cyclists in our legislatures:
it must have and it will have perma-
nent solution on the terms of right
looking in moral, financial, and reli-
gious sense to the welfare of our peo-
pie and not to the bottomless appe-
tites of soulless monopolists and syn
dictates.
The tocsin has already rung out like
fire bells at midnight, calling on all
religious men in the church, and good
moral men, to stand up as a political
unit and strike down this curse of civ
ilization, that rears it's guilty head in
defiance of law.
Bishop Ireland, of the Catholic
church, has sounded bugle blast
that ought to call every church to the
battle without delay.
In Chickering Hall, New York, he
said: THE traffic is absolutely lawless
1t rules the polls; and on election days
musters it's slaves in full ranks; it
threatens with political and business
ostracism those who will not vote its
ticket 1t rules in city councils, where
often majority of members are its
own pampered henchmen 1t rules in
legislative halls. behold the Missis-
sippi LegisldtureD 1t whispers its
threats to Senators and Representa-
tives." Behold the COngresS.D
What picture, and the standings of
the picture are not half displayed.
1t has been asked, for what is the sa-
loon keeper responsible for all the
damage done by his saloon.
But the minister, and church mem
Der, who vote for men who sustain the
saloon, and for party who issues the
license, is a thousand times guiltier
than the saloon-keeper, for he votes
for system that opens thousand sa-
looms in the State of Mississippi, with
all the wreck and ruin that follows in
their Shiny and bloody trail.
Angels of mercy, pity the church
member that signs saloon petitions,
and votes for the open saloon
j. w. HARMON.
Meridian, Miss.