Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1894-01-16

q
ton to adopt in dealing with a
business that leaves nothing in its
awful track, except wrecked hu-
manity, despoilcd hopes, and de-
vastatcd homes. "Local option
is an invitation to the people to
do just what our highest judicial
tribunal has declared they cannot
do, barter away their morals. 1t
is the scape goat for l-want-to-be-
popular politicians-the profes
sional placc-hunter. | do not
know of thing that has been
done by "local option methods
that could not, and would not, have
been done in straightforward
more manly way. The cduca
tional work done under the law
could have been done without it.
The truth is, it was the advanced
education in favor of PROHIBITION
mot a " local option law that
secured from unwilling political
bodies our first and the present
"local option law. These meas
ures were simply tubs thrown to
the Prohibition whale, that Leg
islators saw would soon ovcrturn
their political ship, unless some
thing was done to turn his course
and direct his attention elsewhere
to secure the result tProhibition)
for which he clamorcd. DIR. Gal
loway and many others ascribe to
a method credit for what the peo-
pie have done. People with con-
victions express them. If not by
one method, then by another.
The people have, county at time,
voted the liquor traffic out of this
State, save in eight or ten coun-
ties. All of these counties would
vote it out the same day, if the
opportunity were presented. If
this ism t true, then it is not con
viction, but something else that
wins Prohibition victories under
the ''local option methods, and
if this is true, what becomes of
the matchlcss splendor of the "lo-
cal ODtiOn' law.
Dir. Galloway's arguments in
support of ii 'Iocal option liquor
law, will with equal force and
vigor, support 'Iocal option as
to prostitution, Sunday laws, gam
bling, polygamy, lotteries, horse
racing, or any other thing pro
hibitcd, Internationally by oul
law. He does not favor, | am
sure, "local option on any 9th
cr question, involving the moral
welfare of the people, but he fa-
vors "local option as the meth
cd of dealing with the prolific
source of all crimes and otfenses
against the best interest of socic-
ty. Why is this! | know why
politicians favor this method. II
is because they do not want to of
fend the liquor power, which al
honest performance of their duty
would result in. In other words
they think more of their own and
their party's success than they dc
of protecting the homes of the
State against the ravages of the
saloon. | would greatly prefer
not to think so, if it were posi-
bic, but | am compelled to believe,
with many others, that if DR..
Galloway was less Democratic
partizan, he would think vastly
less of "local option on the Ii
quor question and consent to il
no sooner than he would to the
same method of dealing with other
questions involving the morals OF
the people. In 1888, while edi-
tor of the New Orleans Christian
Advocate, he bewailed "Father
Mathews mistake in not clinch-
ing his work in "the land of the
Shamrock with statutory or
Constitutional Prohibition while
the enthusiasm was on. Why
did he not suggest "local option
for IreIand's benefit, if it is the
preferable method for dealing
with the drink question Would
it explain the omission to suggest
that his own political party was
in no danger, if Statutory or Con
stitutional Prohibition were sccur-
ed in the Emerald Isle! In the
absence of any reason given by
the esteemed Doctor for the diff
ference between his home and for
eign prescription for the same
malady, we are left to decide, each
for himself, what there is in our
situation that demands. remedy
differing from that required by
rum cursed Ireland.
Read carefully his splendid ed