Hattiesburg daily progress. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 18??-1909, 1902-12-08

PROHIBITION
PROBABILITIES
Press of State Coming
to the Front.
WITH VERY MUCH CRITICISM
Pro and Con as to the Break of the
Prohibition Party.
THE BLIND TIGER EVENT
Is Wording Silently in Connection
With the Prohibition Party.
Special to the Daily Progress.

Special TO the Daily Progress.
Jackson, Dec. 6.-Since the call
was issued for prohibition mass
convention to assemble in jackson on
the 18th of February, the press of
Mississippi has commenced to express
itself in outspoken terms on the sub
ject and a strong sentiment is being
manifested against statutory prohi-
bition.
Several of the leading papers of
the state are strenuous advocates Of
an absolute prohibition law, and are
demanding the insertion of the sub
ject as the leading issue in the next
campaign year, bnt large majority
Of the papers as indicated by their
editorials this week, are opposed to
any change of the existing local op-
ton laws or favor the establishment.
of the dispensary system.
Prohibition cannot prohibit" is
the general cry that is being set mp
all over Mississippi, and among the
politicians a dilligent effort is being
made to prevent the issue from being
made in the state campaign. On the
other hand the prohibitionists are
usually active and declare that no
man shall be elected to the legislature
or state office who does not support
thier cause. The Methodist and Bap-
fist churches are joining hands with
the Women's Christian Temperance
Union and it looks very much like
the church and politics will have q
lively mix-up next year.
Although the campaign is not as
yet well-defned, it is apparent on the
surface that the instrument the anti
prohibitionists willuse to defeat their
opponents is the proposed dispensary
system, and the fight will be the
most bitter one that has been waged
since 1887 when the state declared for
local option and the existing law was
drafted and placed on the statute
books by the Legislature of the follow
ing year.
A mere handful Of men, not over
dozen in number, by shrewd work
at the last legislative session pre-
vented the passage of statutory pro-
hibitiOn law, but this time the sa-
loon element will not trust to legis-
lative manipulation. The fight will
be carried into each county by friend
and foe of liquor, and the issue is to
be made direct on instructions to the
Legislature. The movement is on foot
to have printed on the official ballots,
For Statutory Prohibition, and
Against Statutory Prohibition,
and the nti-saloonists will insist that
this course be followed.
The blind tiger element, which is
quite large, if not very respectable, is
expected to be found silently working
with the prohibition element, as it
has always done in the past, for the
blind tiger man realizes that the
more stringent the prohibition laws
are made the better opportunity he
has TO ply his vocation.
Temperance orators will be i'm
ported into the state, and the cam
paign means the expenditure Of thou
sands Of dollars. Aspirants for pub
lie office, regardless of their personal
views on the subject, realize that the
prohibition campaign will be unpleas-
ant music to face, and they are deci-
dedly reluctant to declare their senti-
ments until they are forced to do so.
The state cmapaign, aside from the
prohibition features, promises to be
one of the most spirited for many
years, but with the injection Of this
issue, and an absolute primary cleo
ton law, the bitterness will be in
creased ten fold, and the aspirants for
public places will have to waltz to
" harmony jangling out of tune. "
The issue must be faced and each and
every candidate must Announce him
self on one side or the other, for
neither of the opposing forces will al
low a neutral ground.