Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1894-04-10

BiackS article was Teau we ndu never
heard of one, let alone thousands and
tens of thousands who was keeping
out of the party through fear of seen
REALIZATION" Party Prohibitionists
have been denounced as fools, cranks,
fanatics, narrow-minded bigots, and
called by many other pet names by whis-
ky buns and liquor politicians, but it
remained for religious newspaper,
whose editor is member of "a Prohi-
bition Church." to try to ''brain" the
young and struggling party-the only
one in America that has the conviction
and courage to boldly declare war Of
determination against 1.-The Matchless
Evil of the age"-with that awful word
Capitalization"
Not fact or argument is deigned in
support of the startling indictment!
As an humble member of the National
Prohibition party, we enter our ''vigor-
Gus protest" file plea of not guilty
to the charge, and call for the proof.
Meanwhile, if the reader will bear
with us little longer, we will show
how completely Dr. Black has 'missed
the mark in his discussion of Ma
tional Prohibition and the National
Prohibition party. On scanning the
platforms of the National Prohibition
party from the date of its organization
down TO the present time, we fail to
find single declaration that will bear
out DR.. Blacks assertion. We read a
great many Prohibition party papers
and not one of them, as far as we have
seen, has advocated what is popularity
known as Capitalization in contradis-
tinction to States Rights. The fact is
the National Prohibition party favors
State Prohibition in every State, and
it's National Committee has aided in
every State prohibitory amendment
campaign of recent years. In fact, II
the National Prohibition party leans
at all in the direction OF either one Of
the doctrines referred to. it is in the
direction of States Rights and away
from Capitalization.
The situation the National Prohibi-
ton party is confronted by is easily
understood and is about this: Under
the United States Constitution, any
State. in the exercise of its police pow
err, may prohibit the liquor traffic, eli
ther by statutory law or constitutional
amendment; but only the National
Government has power to prohibit the
manufacture and sale of liquors in the
District of Columbia and the Terrific
rieS.
Again, while the States may probib-
it at will the manufacture and sale of
| liquors within their own respective
State lines, the United States Consti-
tuition has reserved to the National
Congress the exclusive right to con
troll and regulate all commerce between
the States and with all foreign coun-
tries. and SO a State has no authority
to prohibit the importation of liquors
into its borders Tor their sale, if sold
in the original package,) from another
State or from a foreign country. With
in the past eight months two young
men have been killed in Brookhaven
(which has local prohibition) as the di-
rect result of whisky. The best proof
obtainable goes to show that the liquor
which precipitated these bloody TRACE
dies, brought a load of deepest sorrow
and trouble upon four homes, and
which will cost the payers
ers large amount of money, was
brought here from New Orleans, by
authority of the laws of the General
Government, in fragrant disregard of
all State and local laws.
Still again, the revenue officers of
the General Government go into Pro
hibition States and counties and issue
Government permits or licenses to any
one to sell liquor who will pay the
price, thereby making bid for men to
violate the State laws, and throwing the
whole moral influence of the General
Government against State laws and in
favor of 'blind- tigerism," if only the
Government revenue is paid. All these
laws have been passed or supported by
the two old liquor dominated parties,
and one is quite as guilty as the other
Hence it will be seen there is a ne
cessity for National party, which will
deal with the liquor question from a
National standpoint. If the National
Prohibition party should come into
power on the 4th of March, 1897, what
would be among the things certain to
follow? Laws would be passed by Con,
gress prohibiting the manufacture and
sale, for beverage purposes, of all in
toxicating liquors in the District OF
Columbia and all of the Territories
All laws of the General Government
authorizing the importation of liquors
into Prohibition States from license
States or foreign nations would be
promptly repealed. Also all laws au-
thorizing liquors to be shipped to for
eign countries, and christian Ameri-
Ca" so called, would cease to send a
thousand fold more rum abroad to bru-
talize and damn the heather than she
sends Bibles and Missionaries to civil
| i've and save him All liOuOr revenue