Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1895-05-14
PROS. MUST COMBINE.
Nen-Parsi.an, Prohibition Misnomer-
= The Way to Win. {

DIR. J. II. Gambrell In Texas Baptist Standard.I
Juggling with words is very com
mon practice, even with menwho mean
to be perfectly candid. 1t is neverthe-
less a very deceiving and damaging
thing. My attention has recently been
called anew to this practice by the
Baptist Chronicle, of Louisiana, pa
per very gifted in earnestness and
courage, bat often lacking in discern
ment; the result being that it expends
much Of its force In war upon its own
beliefs--a thing not at all uncommon
among pretty well informed people.
The Chronicle is against partisan
Prohibition effort and for non-parti-
san effort. He supports his position
by citing facts, which are non est, or
which are directly against his own con-
tention. A little attention to the
meaning of words would help along no
little In calculating public questions.
What is a party? 1t is "a number
Of persons united in opinion or de-
sign in opposition to others in the
community" So says Webster. And
this being true, it is equally true that
Prohibition has never moved up a peg
without party action. In every local
option contest the Prohibitionistsh have
formed party, put it under leader
ship and united that way in opposi-
ton to those of opposite opinions and
designs. The great anti-lottery vic
tory in Louisiana was won in precisely
the same way, the area of party action
being State wide. There was lottery
party and an anti-lottery party. The
fight was as partisan as any that ever
occurred on this continent. For
many years l gave much attention to
getting temperance legislation through
the Mississippi legislature. There
was always Prohibition and an anti
party in the body. 1t is further note
worthy that whenever Prohibitionists
have united to push anti-saloon legis-
lation, they have made progress. And
whenever they have subordinated the
temperance cause to other causes,
they have lost ground. The local op-
ton method has this particular fea-
ture characterizing it: 1t provides for
partisan action in a way to terminate
it with a special contest. l do not
condemn outright this method of par
tisan action. 1t is certain that by it
many victories have been won. 1t is
equally certain that in the long run,
by it, these same victories have been
lost or will be. 1t is strong at one
point and weak at another. Strong in
that many will vote for Prohibition if
they understand that their standing
in their older and larger party will not
be forfeited; weak in that after Pro-
hibition victory, there is no force left
to uphold the law, while the larger
parties are all controlled by a compact
liquor party in them interested in the
breaking down of all Prohibitory legis-
lation. The truth of these observa-
tions might be enforced by limitless
number of examples. Iowa won State
Prohibition by what is falsely called
the non partisan method. She has re-
Gently seen whisky legislature annul
the constitution, because the whisky
element being compact and keeping
up their organization, holds the bal
ance of power; while the majority tenn
perance element dissolved their party
when they won the constitutional
and diffused themselves
the old parties. This condi-
lion of things is so patent, that 1 do
not see how anybody who thinks or
has any information on the subject
can deny it. Now let us state these
truths in a succinct form: Prohibi-
tionists have never won a fight except
where they put aside other issues and
united for Prohibition. Whenever
they have done this, whether in town,
or State election, they have Ell
Their won victory or made showings
greatly helpful to their cause. They
have failed everywhere and every time
when they have either ignored Prohi-
bition entirely or subordinated it to
other issues. If experience and rea-
son can teach us anything, we must
to continue to fail wherever we
refuse to combine our strength for
our cause.
Another series of truths known to
all men who care to know them, runs
along side of the series just presented.
Let me give it. The liquor traffic is
organized in every city, county, State
and throughout the nation. It has a
single aim, j. e., to perpetuate and ex-
tend itself. It is in politics all the
time. It's policy is to use its combin-
ed strength to elect it's friends and de-
stroy its enemies. The result is, a
small compact minority, working in a
cause execrated by mankind, controls
everything from Congress down. It is
organization against mere sentiment,
and mere sentiment, like disembodied
spirits, has very little force in this
practical world.
Prohibition ought to win in Georgia,
Mississippi and several other South