Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-10-20

falsely saying that the sale OF
liquor was necessary in our town.
The prosecuting attorney on this
case was the one that so eloquent
ly pleaded with this court for the
licenses, and the Judge who sits on
this bench, and who asked me if |
had anything to say before SEN
tence of death was passed on me,
granted the licenses. J."
The impassioned words of the
prisoner fell like Goals of fire upon
the hearts of those present, and
many of the spectators and some
of the lawyers were moved to
tears. The Judge made a motion
as if to stop any further speech on
the part of the prisoner, when the
speaker hastily said:
mo. no, your honor, do not
close my lips; | am nearly through,
and they are the last words l shall
utter on earth.
81 began my downward career
at a saloon BAR-legalized and
protected by the voters of this
Commonwealth, which has re-
ceived annually a part of the
blood-money from the poor, de-
luded victims. After the State
had made me a drunkard and a
murderer, | am taken before an
other BAR-the bar of Justice (?)
by the same power of Law that
legalized the first bar, and now
the Law-power will conduct me to
the place of execution and hasten
my soul into eternity. | shall ap-
pear before another bar-the
JUDGMENT BAR OF COP, and
there you, who have legal
lied the traffic, will have to
appear with me. Think you that
the Great Judge will hold me
the poor. weak, helpless victim of
your traffic-alone responsible for
the murder of my wife? Nay, |
in my drunken, frenzied, irrespon-
sible condition, have murdered
ONE, but you have deliberately
and wilfully murdered your thous-
ands, and the murder-mills are in
full operation to-day with your
consent.
"All of you know in your hearts
that these words of mine are not
the rawlings of an unsound mind,
but God Almighty's truth. The
liquor traffic of this nation is re-
sponsible for nearly all the mpr-
ders, bloodshed, riots, poverty,
misery, wretchedness and woe.
1t breaks up thousands of happy
homes every year; sends the hus-
band and father to prison or to
the gallows, and drives countless
mothers and little children into
the world to suffer and die. 1t
furnishes nearly all the criminal
business of this and every other
court, and blasts every community
it touches.
"This Internal traffic is legal
lied and protected by the Republi-
can and Democratic parties, which
you sustain with your ballots.
And yet some of you have the
audacity to say that you are in
favor of prohibiting the traffic,
while your votes go into the ballot
box with those of the rumsellers
and the worse elements of the land
in favor of continuing the busi-
ness! Every year you are given
the opportunity of voting a protest
against this soul-and-body destroy
ing business and wash your hands
of all responsibility for the fearful
results of the traffic; but instead
you inform the Government by
your Democratic Or Republican
ballot that you dre perfectly salts
fed with the present condition of
things, and that they shall con-
tinue.
"You legalized the saloons that
made me drunkard and a muir
derer, and you are guilty with me
before God and man for the muir
der of my wife.
ssYour honor, l am done. /
am now ready to receive my
sentence and be led forth to the
place of execution and murdered
according to the laws of this State.
You will close by asking the Lord
to have mercy on my soul. |
will close by solemnly asking God
to open your blind. eyes to the
truth, to your own individual
responsibility, SO that you will
cease to give your support to this
hell-born traffic.
This win be published in tract form by the
author at ~ cents a hundred or $1.o0 a
thousand. postage prepaid. Address Tallie
Morgan, Scranton, Pal