Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1895-07-23

Wendell Phillips coined great truth
when he uttered this language, "The
man who for party forsakes principles
goes down and all the armed battalions
of God march over him."
The saloon question is up for settle
ment, and until it is settled and settled
right there will be, can be, no peace for
this nation. Other issues may be tor q
time pushed to the front and seemingly
overshadow the liquor question, but
they shall be brushed aside until this
great nation has seriously set itself to
work and shall have solved this great
question.
Would you do something for prohibi-
ton this campaign? Are you pushed for
time? Then put some money into litera-
ture to be scattered. It will h&p the
cause as nothing else can.
One or both Of the old parties will be
smashed sooner or later and new
party, cleaner and more progressive than
either Of the old ones, will secure the
ascendency. Speed the day!
It is a pretty difficult matter for any
one to keep sweet" when we see the
professed Christians Of the land de-
nouncing the saloon with their mouths
and sustaining the traffic with their bal
lots.
There cannot be made an objection
against the principle Of prohibiting the
liquor traffic Of the party behind the
principle that will bear five minutes
investigation. We invite proof to the
contrary.
The only sort Of prohibition that is
worth anything is that which prohibits
the manufacture, sale and importation
in every state in the Union and is back
ed up by a party which makes that the
supreme issue.
At this stage Of the discussion it ought
not to be necessary to write two column
articles to prove that the saloon fosters
crime. Everybody knows that. The
business Of the citizen is to quit foster
ing the saloon.
There is more delight over one man
who votes the Prohibition ticket regu-
larry every election than over ninety and
nine who talk loud all year and then stay
at home on election day if the weather is
the least unpleasant.
No greater calamity could have befall-
en- the Prohibition party than to have
rushed suddenly into power. Years of
preparation are required to accomplish
any work of the magnitude of that at
tempted by this party.
What makes drunkards? Strong
drink. Who sells the drink? The saloon
keeper. Who created the saloon? The
law. Who makes the law? The legisla-
tor. Who makes the legislator? The
people. Who are the people? We are the
people.
Lyman Abbott says the apostles "were
not careful to do the safe thing, but the
right thing" Alas, how many of their
successors have fallen to the lower level
of being careful to do the safe thing"
no matter whether it is the right thing
or not.
1t takes a good deal of courage and
sturdy manhood to become Prohibi-
Zionist. 1t takes good deal more to re-
main Prohibitionist. What tower of
strength in any reform is he who stands
up, faces the populace and declares,
Here am, and here I will remain"
A SO called reform party" that ig-
nores questions of morality or considers
the intelligence, virtue and sobriety of
our people of secondary Importance to
economic questions is an absurdity and
should receive the disapprobation of ev-
cry voter who has any regard for the
sacredness of home.
The Prohibition party is either right
or wrong. If it is wrong, it is the duty
OF every honest man to oppose it, wheth-
er there is any probability that it will
elect its ticket or not If it is right, it
is equally the duty of every honest man
to support the ticket, whether or not
there is any probability it will elect its
ticket.
Judge Carpenter of the Connecticut
supreme bench, sitting ON criminal
cases in superior court in Hartford and
pronouncing sentence upon criminal
whose excuse was that he had been
drinking, delivered the significant ut
terance that 'when drinking leads
man to commit crime it is a serious
question whether drinking itself be not
a crime