The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1894-01-18
wINsToN-sALEM N. G.. THURSDAY JANUARY 49, 1894.
THE TEMPERANCE LAW
Now on the Statue Books in Miss
issipp1.

issippi
To the Editor of The Sentinel
At mass meeting held in the in
terest Of Temperance at the court
house last Monday night, considera-
BILE was said about the temperance
law of Mississippi. In view OF the
fact that another mass meeting on the
same subject is to be held on Thurs
day of next week, it may be of inter-
est to many to know what are the
main features of this law. II Gull
from an article written by an eminent
MiSSissippian.)
First. Prohibition prevails in every
county until the people decide by
ballot to tolerate the liquor traffic. If
an election is held, and the county
votes For the Sale" then anyone de-
sirIng to set up a saloon must present
to the proper authorities petition
signed by majority of all the regis
supervisors district, as the case may
be. This petition must be on file for
thirty days before it can be acted on,
and must also be published for the
same length of time in some local
newspaper. All names on the petit
tion must be signed in full. G. w.
Smith will not do. 1t must be George
Washington Smith. While this petit
tion lies on file anyone may get up
counter petition. All names on both
petitions count on the counter petit
tion, but not on the other. These are
leading provisions of the law.
Now let US notice it in detail, and
see how just it is,
First. Prohibition exists until the
people decide otherwise. We know
that almost everywhere the saloon is
recognized as an EVIL, necessary evil
it is said, but an evil nevertheless.
The high license generally prevailing
is sufficient evidence of this truth.
But, if the people desire it, Demo
cratic principles require that it be
granted, however, this desire should
be proven to exist, and for this plr
pose an election should be held.
Second. The petition requirement.
A county may vote for license, but
that does not signify that the people
are willing for liquor to be sold by
been in the penitentiary two or three
times would hardly be deemed
suitable person; and citizen residing
on West Fifth street, Winston, N. c.,
for example, although voting for the
sale of whisky, might not consider the
next door to his dwelling a proper
place for saloon. Therefore, let the
man and locality be known, then, if
majority of the citizens desire such
persons to open a saloon at the place
designated, let them manifest their
desire by signing his petition, then let
the license be granted, otherwise, let
it not be granted. Before this is
done, hewever, the people ought to
have sufficient assurance that the ap-
plicants petition is genuine. Hence
it is we'll that all names be written in
full, and that the petition be pub
lished thirty days. Fraudulent sigma
lures may thus be discovered and eX-
posed.
Third. The counter petition. This
is another aid in detecting frauds. 1t
is often possible to secure counter
petition signed by majority of
voters, which will lead to the discov-
cry of false signatures on the other
petition, which would not otherwise
be noticed. But, it may be asked,
does this law secure prohibition? Here
is an extract from letter written by
Bishop Charles b. Galloway of Jack
son, Miss, and dated Aug. %, 1898.
Concerning this temperance law he
says: $50 potential has been its in
| fiuence, as already to make this almost
| an absolute prohibition State of the
seyenty-five counties in Mississippi,
| intoxicating liquors are sold in only
! ten, and the indications are that in
| the next few months the number will
be reduced to FIVE"
W. M CURTIS.
TantIarU IN 1904