The leader., 1902-02-05
THE RATTIEON

AT this writing, the prospect Tor
statutory prohibition is Frightening,
and it begins to look as though the bill
will pass both houses; but of course no
one can tell just what turn it may take
anv day. Ever since the governors
special was sent to the legislature the
forces for and against whisky, both in
and out of the legislature, have been
lining up; and, as they have done so,
some queer bed-fellows have been dis
covered. Some of the old-time leaders
have allowed their prejudices, their
petty whims and indifferences to drive
them clear over into the enemy's camp
and favor the short arm of local op.
ton, when the times are so propitious
for invoking the aid of the long arm of
statutory prohibition and wiping the
evil out at one stroke of the pen.
Then, some big fellows, for the reason.
presumably, that they we're not first
consulted about the measure, have
turned their big, cold shoulder towards
the movement, eyeing it pretty much
as COW does her last years calf; and,
as the prospect brightens, it is anus
ing to see how they are inching up
closer to the prohibition band wagon
ready to mount the front seat, and
wave the flag of victory proudly, if
there be victory, and shout Justify,
ave did it. We did it,! Look at us!!3'
Or, should it fail to carry, to say, 1--WE
told you So"
The most ridiculous thing yet,
though, that has come to light, halls
from Vicksburg. There, the city coun-
Gil met in solemn conclave and resolved
that prohibition be failure, and
called on the legislature to keep the
sale of liquor in the hands "of respon-
sible, law abiding, bounded men,
Have these men neither honor or
shame? Do they not know, that the
world knows, that they, the city coun-
Gil of Vicksburg, have permitted the
saloons of Vicksburg to run wide open
day and night on Sundays, in violation
of law, and contrary to the peace and
dignity of the State of Mississippi?"
Until few months ago, out of forced
respect for Judge Andersons court,
the saloons of Vicksburg might as we'll
have been in Africa, so far as being
amenable to the laws of Mississippi is
concerned; and nobody knows this any
better than the city council of Vicks-
burg "a city in Warren county, MiSSiS-
sippi, on the east bank of the Father
of Waters" where saloons, gambling
dens, races and cock fights have been
permitted to run for years, to run on
Sundays in violation of our laws, and
contrary to the peace and dignity of
the State of Mississippi"
Then to add infamy to shame, the
Rev little Mr.. Quincy Ewing, rector
of the Episcopal church in Greenville,
| Mississippi, also on the same great
Father of Waters" preached and pub
! lished a sermon last year, and which
was reviewed in these columns at the
time, in which the existence of the
devil is denied, the fires of hell put out
with one drop of ink, heaven razed to
the ground by one stroke of the pen
yes, sirs, man guilty of an outrage
|
against humanity, writes to advise the
legislature, through one of its leading
members, that it would not be for the
"peace" and welfare of the State tC
have prohibition only in the country
and in towns of less than 1000 inhabi
tants,! Shades of Aristotle, save us
from such logic.
If prohibition is good for one square
inch of Mississippis soil it is good fol
every other square inch of her soil
Moreover, if whisky is bad for one
square inch of Mississippi's soil as is
the case in the country and in towns
of less than 900 inhabitants, accord
ing to Mr.. Ewing, then it is bad for
every other square inch of soil and
we challenge the world to dispute it.
If the legislature can be the re
cipient of few more communications
like these from Vicksburg and Green
vile, and then the prohibition bill
does not pass, it will be sad day fol
these would be representative of the
people, when they go before them or
the hustings to ask for their suffrage
again.-7he Baptist.
On Wednesday of last week, the Sen,
ate Committee on Temperance, re.
ported favorably the bill for State pro
hibition which had been referred to it
and the bill was made the special or.
der in the Senate for today at II
o'clock, and it is doubtless being dis
cussed by that body as The LEADEF
goes to press. 1t ought to pass and
THE LEADER earnestly hopes it will
To longer continue the license system
in Mississippi with only II saloon coun
ties in the State, while there are 5S fol
prohibition, would be a striking illus
tration of the Legislature allowing the
tail to wag the dog.