The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1897-03-17
Remedies for the Blind-Tiger
Nuisance.

helncUleS 1Of the Bl1nO.I1ger
Nuisance.
The blind tiger question is en-.
crossing the attention of the
press. The traffic in illicit whisky
has grown SO great as to cause
alarm throughout the State and II
not suppressed is calculated to
weaken the cause of Prohibition.
Many reasons are assigned for the
growth of the evil chief among
which is the non enforcement OF
the law and the inability of grand
juries to indict s0r the Offenses
caused by the mendacity of wit
nesses. The evil has assumed
such grave proportions as to de-
mand the enactment of more strin-
gent measures for its suppression.
At the coming of the extra session
the matter should receive due con
sideration and no doubt will. The
suggestion that the traffic be made
a felony is good one and will, if
so enacted, contribute vastly to
the ultimate destruction of the ne.
farious business.-Crystal Springs
Meteor.
In discussing remedies for the
blind-tiger nuisance in Prohibition
territory. there is one phase of the
subject which the newspapers re.
ferred to by the Meteor persistent.
emily, and we had almost said will.
fully, ignore. We refer to the at
titude of the General Government.
Under the U. s. Internal Rev.
enue laws any person by paying
$500 is granted a permit to sell
liquor in any Prohibition State or
M, ,uty. In other words, Uncle
Sam s, ,ays to the blind tiger, if you
will pay .s25.oo into my treasury,
you can vioi...te the State and To-
cal Prohibition Jaws every day and
every hour in the year, and l will
hands off and give you my cordial
sympathy and a wink of approval
while you defy or evade the local
officials and ply your nefarious and
criminal business. Again, Uncle
Sam says to this class of criminals,
will not only sell you a permit to
carry on this outlawed business,
but by authority of my Interstate
laws, which Congress
alone has the power to change, l
will see that you have all needed
facilities for importing liquors to
carry on your Outlawed business,
and that my mails are kept open
for the unrestricted use of you and
the liquor dealers in license States.
By this means they can adver-
tise and you can order "wet goods
ad libitum, with no one to molest
or make you afraid.
In short, che laws and the whole
moral influence of the Federal Gov
as matters now stand,
are thrown on the side of the
blind tiger, provided. of course, he
makes himself solid with Uncle
Sam by paying the $500 license.
The plain remedy is for the pe0-
pie to carry the question into ma
tional politics and see that a con-
gress is elected that will do its duty
in the premises.
Meanwhile, we hope Gov. Nc
Laurin will recommend and the
adopt the suggestion
which the Meteor approves ofmak.
ing the unlawful sale OF intoxi-
canes in Mississippi penitentiary
cffense. And while it is on the
subject, the Legislature might,
with great propriety, 60 step fur
ther and make it unlawful for any
newspaper publisher or other resi-
dent of the State to advertise the
outlawed business, as lottery adver-
tising is already forbidden. Also
make it unlawful for common car
riers to transport liquor from Ii.
cense towns like vicksburg to Pro-
hibltion counties.
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