The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1902-04-09
WANT AN ELECTION.
The Whisky Men of Kinds Will
Make Another Effort to
Get Saloons Back.

"tt FDtfoohS
Encouraged by the defeat of bill
for State prohibition at the late session
of the Legislature, the supporters of
the liquor traffic have inaugurated an
active movement for local option
election in that county at an early
date. TIE LEADER is glad to be able
to say there is little chance for them
to succeed, and that the movement is
being vigorously opposed by the Pro
hibitionists from the start. The latter
have just issued the following address,
which makes interesting reading to all
friends of the cause:
ITO the voters of Kinds County:
Again a whisky petition is being circu-
lated in Kinds county. Immediately
interested in the movement are few
men in Jackson for the most part ex-
saloon keepers) who are seeking their
old employment. Still further behind
the movement are the foreign whole
sale liquor dealers, who are expected
to meet the expense. These men are
industriously creating the impression
that the friends of temperance will
remain inactive, at least until the
petition is filed. Nothing is further
from their thoughts.
"The fact that, in the past, petitions
have come 50 near getting the re-
quired number of signers was due to
the inactivity of the friends of tenn
perance. The mistake will not be
made again. The benefits of prohi
bition are too great, and have become
too obvious, for it's friends to allow
the whisky men to carry single point
in the contest, without determined
opposition. Tho first news of this
movement was signal to opponents
of saloons to organize. The organi-
zation, at least in Jackson, is now
complete, and it will extend to every
precinct in the county. The move
ment is already doomed to defeat. The
barrooms cannot again be opened in
our county. The undersigned execu-
tive committee of the prohibitionists
earnestly appeals to the voters of the
county not to sign the call for an
election, and to the active friends of
temperance to unite in an effort to
defeat the movement.
"What plea can be made for bring
ing back the barrooms? The remark
is sometimes heard, even from tenn
perate and law-abiding people, but
more often from the interested ad-
vocates of saloons, that they are pre-
ferable to blind tigers. 1t is true that
drinking and drunkenness have not
been, and, perhaps, never will be en-
tirely stopped. Indeed, prohibition
does not seek to take away the per-
sonal privilege of drinking, but looks
only to the traffic.
"We assert, without fear of contra
diction, that there is less illicit selling
of whisky in Jackson than there has
ever been. He who asserts that there
is now one-fourth as much whisky
drunk in Kinds county as would be if
saloons were in full blast, is either
wholly ignorant or wilfully blind to
the facts. The county outside of
Jackson is almost completely dry, but
you may not expect it to remain dry
without a struggle, if the county goes
wet, jackson itself, while not free from
secret and illicit traffic, has yet be
come the m Jst sober, quiet aud orderly
city of its Siz9 i'll our State, or, as we
believe, in the whole south.
"Iu the ranks of our leading buSi-
ness men, our artisans, our merchants,
our bankers, our lawyers, our doctors
and our journalists: in fact, in every
leading profession and calling, there
is almost total absence of drunken
ness. Our laboring classes are indus
trious, peaceful and frugal. If, as
claimed by advocates of the saloon,
more whisky is sold here now than if
we had saloons, why should the foreign
wholesale liquor houses (who are be-
hind this movement) be dissatisfied
with the present consumption?
Does the business life of our city
demand barrooms? When was Jackson
more prosperous? During what period
has it ever made greater strides towards
prosperity than since saloons were
closed? Let statistics answer. When
the saloons were closed the total valu-
alton of property in jackson was
S3,043, ,108.30, now it is S4,612,2 ,271 16, an
increase of 81, ,569, l62 Sc, or 81 per cent
in six years.
"Consider the wonderful growth of
our city, its increased activity in all
| industrial and commercial lines; its
overtiowing schools its sober, peace
full and quiet citizenship, and then ask
yourself why you should join in an
effort to disturb this condition. You
will only be given doubtful help to a
few men, who, it seems, are not content
to find employment among the in
dustrial and commercial activities of
our city, but who demand that the
county should go to the expense and
trouble of an election so as to give
them back their old employment.
1--WE appeal to the moral aud Chris
tian sentiment of the people; to the
patriotic citizenship of our county and
city, and to our wise and conservative
business men not to join in this call,
but to unite in an effort to defeat it,
"And last, though not least, we ap
peal to the noble women of the county
wives, mothers, daughters, sisters,
who will be the first to feel the blight
ing effects of the saloon-to join in an
active, determined effort TO defeat this
n ivem5nt.
Il. C. Enochs, chairman; c. Ii.
Alexander, j G. Cavett, T. p Barr, w.
Calvin Wells, r. H. ThomE son, Edward
Mayes, i. l.. Cull-y, G. b. Galloway.
W. II. Watkins, Jno. T. Buck, r W.
Millsaps, l.. Brame, G. W. Carlisle,
executive committee.'
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