Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1895-06-18
State and Constitutional PrOhi-
bition the Campaign Bat
tie Cry. tt
Interesting Facts About the
Records of GubernatOrial
Candidates.
HEADQUARTERS STATE PR0HI- !

After consultation with the State
Executive Committee and other mem
bers of the Prohibition party, it has
been deemed expedient for me, as
Chairman of said Committee, to adj
dress you message relative to our at
titude as a party in the State cam
paign now pending.
After many years of patient and la
borious effort against an evil backed
by political power, civil law, avarice,
prejudice and the time honored habits
of our people, county by county has
been redeemed from the blight of the
open saloon, until today, under the
advancing sentiment of the Prohibi-
ton reform, there are less than doz-
en- counties in the State whers the me-
farious liquor traffic is tolerated.
There can be no doubt but that the
sentiment of the voters and good wo-
men of Mississippi IL overwhelmingly
against the license system. What is
needed is to organize and concentrate
this strength so as to destroy what re-
mains OF the saloon business and clinoh
the wire nails Oh our entire achieve
ment by the enactment Of censtitu-
tiopal and statutory law. 1t must be
demanded that the next Legislature
pass prohibition law covering the
whole State, and at the same session
provide for the submission to the peo-
pie of constitutional prohibition
amendment to be voted upon on a fix
ed date in the future.
With the election on a constitution
al amendment preceded by statutory
prohibition, and no legalizcd saisoas
in the State to serve as distributing
agents and rallying stations to debauch
voters, coupled with the advantage Of
our rigid franchise Laws. the adoption
of a constitutional amendment would
be assured. This will put q final end
to the vexatiOus and constantly re-
curing local option elections, such as
are nov pending in Jefferson and one
or two other prohibition counties, the
burden and expense Of which q few
good citizens must usually bear. In
the general prohibition law, sufficient
but acell-guarded provision should also
be made for the sale of alcoholic H.
quors at some place in every county
for medicinal and other essential pur-
poses, for the convenience of ths peo-
pile, which we do not now have under
the local option law.
To obtain this sesglt, your commit
tee recommend that the Prohibition
party nominate their own candidates
for the Legislature in every county in
the State, wherever they can effect or
ganization in time, and then go to
work vigorously for their election.
Wherever it is impracticable, for lack
of organization, or other sufficient
cause, to place Prohibition party can
didates in the field, cooperate with
the Prohibition element in other par
ties in the nomination and election of
men who will publicly pledge them
selves to the State policy above out
lined, and oppose all others.
Much has been said about the i'm
portanee of giving attention in this
campaign to State issnes. AS it pre-
sents itself at this time. this is enpAat-
ically State issue, while also great
National question as we'll. We would
especially insist, however, upon the
prompt organization of the Prohibi
ton party in every county where prac-
ticable. The Democratic party, which
has been the dominant party in Mis-
sissippi for 20 years, is hopelessly di-
vided on this question, and can no
more settle it finally as 1t SHOULD be
settled, than it can settle the tariff or
the money question, on which it is
likewise hopelessly divided.
Until more perfect organization of
our party can be effected, it is deemed
inexpedient to call a convention for
placing State ticket in the field, but
under no circumstances should Prohi-
bitionists give aid or comfort to any
candidate for Governor whose attitude
is doubtful on the question of State
and constitutional prohibition. OF
the known candidates of other parties,
Messrs. McLaurin, McCabe and Var
daman (Democrats), and Capt. Frank
Burkitt (Populist), we are left solely
to inference up to the present time, as
to the position they occupy. II
In the local option campaign In
Rankin in 1877, ex-senator McLaurin
stumped the county for Prohibition.
In the Non-Partisan Prohibition State
Convention of that year, he spoke and
voted for the following resolution,
which was adopted
sNinth-That we use all our efforts
to have law enacted by the next
Legislature to prohibit the sale of
spurious or malt liquors in this State"
So far as known, Mr.. sMcLaurin has
never exercised himself. any in favor
of Prohibition from that day to this,
and his present position is unknown
to your committee. ,
Mr.. McCabe was q member Of the
State Exeeutiva Coumitfaa NJ tha