Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1894-04-03
purposely ambiguous planks of a dis

"long enough for a man or short
enough for boy"
In enumerating the three methods"
by which he says Prohibition may be
DIR. Black falls into the error,
in the first place, of confounding a
with the thing actually sought
to be attained, and in the second place
he does not seem to understand what
really compreheuded in the term,
National Prohibition, and what is aim
ed at by the Prohibition party, as we
will demonstrate further along.
There is about the same difference
between local option, which DR.. Black
classes as one method" for obtaining
Prohibition, and statutory and consti-
tutional Prohibition, which he classes
as a second method" as there is be
tween the shadow and the substance;
about the same difference that there is
between the "Choose We this day whom
We will serve" of Elijah, on Mt. Car
mel, and the Thou shalt not" of Je-
hovah on Mt Sinai. State Prohibition
either by statutory enactment or by
constitutional amendment" is prohi
bition, and should not be denominated
by discriminating writer as "a meth
cd" and placed in the same category
with local option, which is, at best, q
very questionable method"
1t would be no answer for DR.
Black to say Statutory Prohibition
would not be Prohibition at all, miles,
enforced. That is a question of ad
ministration and not of legal enact
ment; and if Prohibition officials are
essential to the enforcement of pro
hibitory statute, then a Prohibition
party is needed to elect such officials
whether it goes by that name or some
other.
The General Conference was both
wise and consistent with itself in not
endorsing local option. 1t says in the
resolution above quoted: "We offer nc
compromise to, and seek no terms from
a sin of this heinous quality. We are
opposed to all forms of license of this
iniquity, whether the same be high OF
low" etc.
The first step man takes who en-
dorses local option is to seek terms
from" and compromise with the
friends of the liquor traffic, which the
Church says it will not do. One of the
prime conditions of a local option law
is, that if man will present MAORI
ty petition, pay "a license and comply
with certain other conditions, he may
open a dramshop; but the Genera
Conference of the Church to which
DR.. Black and other prominent loca
optionists profess allegiance, says it is
"a Prohibition Church." opposed tc
all forms of license There can be nc
mistake in this language, the Confer
ence did not design to juggle with
words, and we submit to the candid
reader if there is any other fair and
honest Interpretation of it.
Local option is shifting by legisla
tors of their own duty and responsible
ity off upon the shoulders of their con
stituents, and is simply "a cowardly
compromise" with license and Prohi
bition in the alternative. Local option
means Prohibition in one village, town
ship or county, and license in the one
adjoining According to Bishop Gallo
way and other authorities, Mississippi
has had local option in one form or an
but she hasn't Prohibition yet, except
in sections. In the very county il
which Bishop Galloway resides, and il
which is situated the State Methods
and Baptist Colleges of Mississippi fol
young men, licensed dramshops ar,
plying their deadly work, under a Ii
cense law to which both Bishop Gallo
way and DR.. Black gave their hearty APP
prevail before it passed the Legislature
in preference to urging Statutory Pro
hibition,- and that right in the face o
the above resolution of the Genera
Conference of their Church. If, OF
the other hand, there had been M
compromise" and instead there ha(
been State Prohibition Statute, Their
would not be licensed dramshop any
where in the State, and Mississippi
would have Prohibition and be in per
feet line with the position taken b.
the General Conference of the Metho
dist Episcopal Church South.
And now to show that the Genera
Conference itself recognized and dep
recated the very things that are SO dep
recated by the certain circles" railet
at by DR.. Black, we quote from the 3r(
section of the Temperance Report o
the General Conferences:
Beyond doubt" it says, ''if all tn
church members would only do thel
duty, we could carry our STATE 70
Prohibition every time. Oh, that gu
people would realize that the measure
of their responsibility is not merel.
the good or evil accomplished or pre-
vented by them, but the good the.
might do and the evil they might pre-
vent if all their powers were consecrat
ed to the service of Christi