Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1894-07-17
WHERE -NoN-PARTIsAN PRoHIBI-
TON BREAKS DowN.-A SHIN
ING EXAMPLE.


the issue. The so-caIled Prohibition Democrats
the Christian citizens Of Mississippi IL you
pleaSc-wbO have 80 long and loudly proclaimed
Irohbtlon 10 be pre-eminently a moral queS-
ton. and yet remain in the Democratic party
with its whisky record It's Saloon affiliations and
It's pledges 10 perpetuaie this murderous traitc.
are on trial today as never before. Yes. gentle
men-ministers % the gospel. church deaeons
and Stewards Christian laymen Of al the church
es-it Is you who are on trial in the eyes 81 God
and men and not the cause Of Prohibition or The
Prohibition party.
The above paragraph that appeared
in the Sentinel last week should have
been credited to the MISSISSIPPI LEAD
Err. II got in through error during the
editors absence from town. 1t is hard
ly necessary for us to say that it Meth
er receives the Sentinel's approval or
endorsement. The Democratic party
of this State has in fact enacted all the
wholesome laws by which the Prohibi-
tionists have gained such a firm foot
ing in this State.-YdzOo Sentinel
The above has been hanging on The
LEADERS wait hook" for some little
time, in order that we might at length
find space for what here follows.
When we first saw THE LEADERS par
6iBl dpu COpICh lhbO Iuc 'ochtihtl, 10 ~
1t uere an editorial Of that paper,
knowing its editor, as we did. to be
above literary theft and an intense
Democratic partisan, we kept still :"
until his next issue, expecting to see
just some such explanation as that
given.
Hon. VIM. a. Henry, the editor of
the Sentinel, though, as we have as
serted, an intense Democratic parti-
san, is a Christian gentleman for
whom we entertain the very highest
personal regard and the strongest
friendship. We have known him init
mately from early boyhood. and from
that time have ever esteemed him for
his energy his splendid talents and his
sterling manliness of character, and
we have all along felt friends special
pride as we have seen him develop in
to one of the most useful, influential
and justly honored young men of the
commonwealth. Mr.. Henry is, withal
an IDEAL ''non- partisan PrOhibitionist,"
as that term is popularity understood.
Early in the Prohibition crusade, when
it required strong conviction, real
courage, manly independence and the
sacrifice Of no little personal, business
and political popularity, he valiant
ly took up the guage Of battle against
the liquor traffic in Yazoo county, and,
under his bold, intelligent and reso-
lutte leadership, that was the first Del
ia county in the State to be redeemed
from the blight of the saloon, and has
been held firmly in the Prohibition
the Legislature of 1892, when the new
Annotated Code was adopted, Mr..
Henry stood ready to advocate and
vote for a Prohibition law for the
whole State, and, at the session last
winter, favored and introduced con
amendment to be submit
ted to a vote Of the people at the next
general election.
But this is only one side Of Mr.
Henry's "non partis0n Prohibition "
record, and, unhappily, it is infinitely
the best side. Two years ago, Mr..
Henry supported a rank whisky man
for Congress who had fought local
Prohibition in Yazoo county at every
step, and who had even attempted 10
marshal the mass of ignorant negroes
of that county against the moral white
element to save the saloons;- support
ed such man as this, we say, in pref
erence to an open and avowed Prohi-
bitionist on Prohibition platform.
This year Mr.. Henry is supporting this
same rank ti-Prohibitionist (the
Hon. John Sharp Williams), in prefer
ence to the Hon. Saml A. Wither-
spoon, a Prohibitionist, who is mem
Der of his own party. 1t is quite like
ly Mr.. Witherspoon and his friends
will not favor making this an issue in
his canvass for the Democratic nom
nation, but if so, 50 much the worse
for NON partisan Formulation - So
called.
Mr.. Henry says "the Democratic
party of this State has in fact enacted
all the wholesome laws by which the
Prohibitionists have gained such a
firm foothold in the State"
This is freely granted, but it is true,
first of all, because the Democratic
party has been the only party IN pOuer
IN the State since the PrOhibitiOn dgi-
tation began, and because these laws,
which were literally extorted from the
party by the friends of Prohibition,
shifted the responsibility for Prohibi-
ton from the shoulders of the party
and the Legislature upon the shout
ders of the people, irrespective of par
ty. 1t took four years of active, per-
sistent effort to wiring from the party
such miserable make-shift" as the
first county local option law, and it
was passed by the Legislature of 1886
only because the Prohibitionists were
wrought up to such a pitch-as they
ought to be over the liquor policy of
the Democracy now-it meant party
disruption to longer refuse it. The
Non partisan Prohibition State Con
vention asked the Legislature of 1888