Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1895-05-14
WHAT poEs THE PosT sAYs

WHAT DOES THE POST sAYs
The vicksburg Evening Post, the
home champion of Hon III. @. McCsbe
for Governor, has been exceedingly So
fictitious from the beginning that The
financial question and all other dis
tracing national issues should be kept
out of the State campaign this year
and the minds of the people directed
wholly to State affairs Now the liquor
or Prohibition question is pre-emi-
nently State and home question, as
it presents itself to the people in the
pending campaign. The Legislature
of Mississippi to be elected this fall
will have full power to say whether a
Prohibition law covering the entire
State shall be passed, or whether the
imperfect local Prohibition laws we
now have shall be repealed. 1t may
not only blot out the licensed saloons
all over the State, even in Vicksburg,
"where water is held in light esteem"
according to Mr.. Murray Smith,, but
it may at the same time provide for
the submission of a constitutional
amendment to the people of the State
and give them a chance to say whether
or not the licensed traffic shall be per.
petually prohibited on Mississippi soil
Not only so, but it will be the right OF
the man elected Governor at the
same time the Legislature is cho-
sen, and whom the Post is anx,
ious shall be Mr.. McCabe, to ap.
prove or veto all acts of the Legisla'
ture. 1t will also be largely incumbent
upon this Governor to see that the
State laws-those affecting the liquor
traffic as we'll as all others-are faith.
fully enforced-a power and response
bility which has been greatly increas-
ed by our new constitution. A Gov
ernor unfriendly to Prohibition would
have it in his power to materially null
lily and bring into contempt the pres
ent local laws or any State law which
the Legislature might pass over his
head and become the veritable god and
refuge of the "blind-tiger, in spite OF
the honest efforts of courts and juries
The chaplains of the Penitentiary
say that -tenths of the young
white men who are sent to the Peni
Tertiary come there as the result OF
whisky" and this, coupled with the
fact that about two thirds of the crimes
committed in the State, are in some
sense traceable to liquor, certainly
ought to make the destruction of this
nefarious traffic very important State
question.
The LEADER has referred to this sub
ject rather pointedly before, hoping
the Post or its candidate for Governor
would frankly define his position, but
both have so far studiously observed
what appears to be a conspiracy OF
silence" The Post can find plenty
of time and space to discuss the f1nan-
clal question, which 1t contends should
not enter into mere State campaign,
but it can't give few lines to this sub
ject.
VIII the Post tell us where it's can
didate really stands, and whether or
not Mr.. Murray Smith really voiced
his sentiments in his jackson speech
when he invited the State Democratic
Convention over to Vicksburg that its
members might be debauched by the
Vicksburg saloons?
THE LEADER gives it and Mr.. McCabe
fair notice now, that he can't be SNUG
gled through the campaign into the
Governors chair by pursuing a good
Lord good-Devil policy, and without
his position on this vital question being
known to the people of Mississippi.