Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1894-01-30

practices of others, as far as it can be
done by the power of the State, as it
is to protect IL majority of good citi-
zens in n county; and in the case of
any other evil except the beverage Ii
quor traffic that is the established pol
icy and practice of our government,
both State and National. Then how
in the name of right, and justice, and
humanity, and Christianity, and or
ganized government can Bishop Gal
lOway reconcile and defend this dis
crepancy in the interest of the bever-
age liquor traffic, and leave helpless
minorities to suffer all of its diaboli-
cal consequences, when and where he
would protect them by the strong
arm of the State against the practice
of any other evil, whether the county
contained a majority n favor of or
against such evil? If such exception
al provisions of law in the interest of
the beverage liquor traffic are correct
and fair, as he claims, it is due us poor
blind mOrtals that he give us the
Scripture texts, and the constitution
al provisions upon which they rest.
| can understand how good people
can concientiously take advantage of
and get all the relief possible from To-
cal option laws when they are passed
by the aid of liquor men for the pur-
pose Ofchecking the growth of straight
Prohibition sentiment, which is near
ly or quite always the case when such
laws are passed; and do not hesitate
to join in all such movements and lend
all OF my limited resources of mind,
body and purse to that end. But |
cannot understand why people who
boast of the disfranchisement of the
bulk of their saloon-loving element,
and in consequence have a majority
of voters in the State in favor of Pro-
hibitioD, and have eighthS of
their counties under prOhibitory law,
should keep upon their statute books
a local option license law by which
and through which to damn the chill
dren of a minority in any county; and
especially when that law is out OF
harmony with the teachings of the
Bible, the Spirit of our Constitution,
and in everything else, out of harmO-
ny with the whole tenor of our crimi-
nal code. The Bishop says further
that the law
"Is WELL CALCULATED TO DEVELOP
AND KEEP ALIVE MORAL CONVIC-
TON ON THE GREAT EVILS OF
THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC"
Perhaps, in a sense, this is true; for
while license with restrictions and To-
cal option is the policy the business
will go on, more or less; and victims
of the policy in liquor counties
will be regularly furnished as object
lessons to those who live in more ia
vored counties. But do the people of
the United States need this sort of
sacrifcial teaching on the liquor ques-
ton at this late day? Has there not
been enough of human beings already
sacrificed on this legalized altar of
hell to teach the people of this Nation
that the beverage liquor traffic is a
curse, and that we would be Infinite
ly better off without it? If not, then
we had better throw off all restrictions
and let the people get enough of such
teaching us soon as possible. Further
more; it is universally conceded that
people incorrectly taught are i'll a
worse condition to be afterwards
taught correctly than if they had not
been taught at all; and to license an
evil, and thereby legally damn some
in order to give others the benefit OF
these object lessons, is to teach the
people that the continuation of hu-
man sacrifices under license is the
proper way to investigate the subject
This might do for fatalists, bnt will il
do for Methodist Bishop? 1t might
do for those who teach that we are to
do evil that good may come of it, but
if accepted by Methodist Bishop.
what becomes of his discipline?
But the Bishop says this licensing
law,
"soONER OR LATER WILL LEAD TO THE
COMPLETE EMANCIPATION OF
THE STATE"
Here again, in a sense, this may bs
true in Mississippi, if the process O
DISTINGUISHING the friends of the liquor
! tfaInc, the Dlshop hlISlttest "eal
on in the hands of Prohibitionists," il
to go on ad iafnitam. But | question
very much if there is another State il
the Union that will ever succeed il
placing this demon hors de combat as
Mississippi has done; and hence thu
Bishops boast, tive are not afraid o
the qualified electors" is not likely Il
ever be of general application. Anf
without this, We emphatically deny
the probability, and most seriousl,
question the possibility of ever com
plctely emancipating any State by an,
sort Of restrictive license with loca