Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1894-11-06
4 Ease Fabrication.


ed whisky organ in the 7th Congress
ional district:
A Base Fabrication.
EDITOR CITIzEN:-In the absence of
Hon. J. G. Spencer, beg to reply to
the article which appeared in THE
LEADER of the 30th ult., wherein it is
stated by Rev. j. II. Gambrell and edi-
tor Hobbs that Spencer is a whisky
man. This is undoubtedly done for no
other purpose than to injure Spencer
in his canvass and just on the eve of
election, thinking that no denial would
! be made of these false charges. | have
known Hon. j. G. Spencer for % years
or more and his reputation stands un-
stained as one of Mississippis bright
est and most honored sons. His char
acter is unreproachable as a Christian
and gentleman. trust that my friends
and the friends of Democracy will not
pay any attention to such unfounded
charges, and cast their ballot for man
of sense and friend of the people.
w. X. WOOD.
Mr.. Wood is Secretary of the Brook
haven Democratic club, and has been
heard to say, we are reliably informed,
that if Mr. Spencer is elected, he Wood
can have any postmastership in the
district he wants. This fully explains
his superserviceable and reckless zeal
in rushing to Mr.. Spencer's defense
The fact never seems to have soaked
into his excited Imagination that
the terms of the present Democratic
postmasters do not expire until after
Mr.. Spencer's term Gf elected) will ex-
pire, and that by that time there will
be new Congressman and new Pres
ident, and probably neither Demo
crat.
When The LEADER said last week
that Mr.. Spencer is whisky man, it
did not mean by that to convey the
idea that he was a whisky guzzler or
an immoral sot. So far as we know to
the contrary, he is Christian gentle
man Tin the popular acceptation of
that term, teetotaler, and man al
together correct in his personal life.
Reference was had to his official acts
as a legislator and to his public utter
ances on the liquor question. This is
very important distinction it is high
time some people, Mr.. Wood among
them, were learning. Senator David
B. Hill, the idol of Tammany and the
New York slums, has by his loyalty to
the saloon interests won the cognomen
of 'the whisky Governor" and yet he
never touches liquor in any form and
is noted for his cool head and steady
nerves.
The saloon-keeper who did the most
effective work of any of his class against
the Prohibitionists of this county dur
ing the local option campaign of 1886,
and continues from his new base of OPP
erations in New Orleans, to occasion
ally fire at Prohibitionists through the
same organ utilized by Mr.. Wood to
defend Candidate Spencer-this same
saloon keeper, we say, is q total alb
stainer, has been repeatedly certified
by as reputable citizens as Mr.. Wood,
to be of "good moral character" and if
met by stranger on the street, might
readily be mistaken by his dress and
dignified department for an Episcopal
clergymen.
So much for Mr.. Spencer on the
score of soberness and good moral
character"
Now, to prove that Mr.. Spencer is "a
whisky man" in the sense we have ex-
planned, and that THE LEADER and Mr.
Gambrell told the simple truth, we will
give few facts:
In 1892, when the present "Dram
shop" law came up for consideration
in the House, of which Mr.. Spencer
was then a member, Mr.. Spencer
promptly offered an amendment, tc
prohibit the granting of license to sell
liquors anywhere except within incor
porated towns. The editor of THF
LEADER was present on the floor OF the
House in person at the time, eagerly
watching the fate of the bill, and heard
Mr.. Spencer speak in support of his
amendment. While disavowing any
special friendship for the saloon, as al
the antics in the Legislature did, he
expressed himself as seeing no partic
ular objection to their existence in
cities and towns enjoying police ad
vantages. His amendment was defeat
ed by vote of 90 to IA. (See House
Journal of 1892, PIP. 291, 1922
Further along, during the considera
ton of the same chapter of the Code
Mr.. holland, of Wilkinson, strong
friend of the liquor men, introduced
an amendment which provided that &
dramshop could not be abated as nu
isance pending an appeal without su
persedeas from the lower court, until
after the affirmance of the judgment
And, if on the final hearing the Su
preme Court should reverse the judg
ment of the lower court, the saloon
keeper must have his license extended
to cover all time lost pending the ap
peal and final Judgment, even though
the county had meanwhile voted to
abolish all saloons. Mr.. Spencer voted
with Mr.. holland and others for this
amendment, which was carried over
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