Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1895-07-09
LOCAL OPTION.

Ihe defeat OF LOCAL OptlOu III JeHeE~|
son county and the present anti-Pro-
hibition agitation in Kinds county,
both point the same moral. We have
gone as far as we can go with local OPP
ton as prohibition measure.
The open saloon in contiguous coun-
ties renders our homes unsafe and the
blind tiger boastful and defiant. The
long list of unsuccessful attempts to
remedy well-known existing evils in
prohibition towns has its weight. How
can we succeed when North and South
of us, East and West of us, hungry
men brave the jails for the sake of
few dollars and the U. s. government
throws around them its protecting
arm?
We have no rights, either as States
or counties in State. The men who
tell us that we have no use for the
Prohibition party, have utterly neg
lected to regard the great fact that the
Prohibition party is the only party
that offers us any relief whatever.
Should another tidal wave sweep
into power the Democracy, would it so
much as lift the burden with its little
finger? Look at its past history. The
very thought of Democracy doing
aught but stroking the long locks of
this Samson and giving him greater
power to destroy, would shake the par
ty to it's center.
What have we to hope from the Re-
publicans? Once they stood upon a
prouder pinnacle than the Peoples
party of today. Once they combined
the aggressive forces, the moral forces
of the North. Now, how are the mighty
fallen Does any one hope for any
thing except pensions at the hands of
Republicanism What will the Peo-
pies party do? Doubtless If they
could rally enough force, they would
remonetize silver. Could they do any
thing else? Would they attempt any
thing else?
For ourselves, we are glad that the
old party lines are broken in Missis-
sippi; that no longer are we required
to decide between voting with black or
the white, but each man is able to de-
eide for himself what line of policy is
best.
Can any man hesitate in saying that
the liquor traffic, and especially the de-
struction of the liquor habit, is one Of
the things most to be desired both as
spiritual and political blessing to our
people?
When then we form our new politi-
cal alliances, will it not be wise to take
into consideration the fact that the
Prohibition party, as a party, is the
only political power which proposes to
legislate to this end ? 1t is the only
party which, if it had control of our
State government, would give us State
Prohibition. 1t is the only party
which will attempt to give us National
Prohibition.-The only party which
would give Washington prohibitory
law and make it possible to have legis-
lation unsaturated with spirituous IL
quors. We say the only party. Today,
three fourths of the members of the
Democratic and Peoples parties are
Prohibitionists, yet legislature CON-
posed of Peoples party men and Dem
ocrats will not touch the only live is
sue, State Prohibition.
We would like to 60 to record as a
false prophet, but have we a single
candidate for Governor who has
expressed himself either privately
or publicly for State Prohibition
Is there one, who if elected,
would recommend the passage
of such law? $4,000 Christian men
and women in the good State of Mis-
sissippi would like to hear, and are
entitled to hear a declaration on this
SUBJECTIVE one great subject which
bears upon the purity and sanctity of
home life