The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1902-12-13
PROHIBITIONISTS WILL
ENTER POLITICS.
A Hot Battle Is Promised In Missls-
sippi For Next Year - Press Of the
State In rlajority Opposes Statuto-
ry Prohibition.

Since the call was issued for prohi
bition mass convention TO assemble at
Jackson on the 18th of February the
press OF Mississippi has commenced to
express itself in outspoken terms on tho
subject, and strong sentiment is being
manifested against statutory prohibi-
.tion, l..
!. Several OF the 4eading papers OF the
F6tpte are strenuous advocates of an alb
solute prohibition law, and are demand
ing tie insertion Of the subject as the
leading Aissue in the State campaign
'nestsearsa agt large majority of the
papers, as Indicated by their editorials
this week, are opposed to any change OF
The existing local option laws or favor
the establishment Of the dispensary sys-
TEN.
"Prohibition does not prohibit" Is
the general cry that is being set up all
over Mississippi. and among the politi-
citans deligent effort is being made to
prevent the issue from being made in
the State campaign. On the other hand,
the prohioitionists are unusually active
and declare that no man shall be elected
to the Legislature OF a State office who
does not support their cause. The Me-
thodist and Baptist churches are joining
hands with the w. G. I. U. and it looks
very much like the church and politics
will have a lively mix-up next year.
Although the campaign is not as
well degned, it is apparent on the sur
face that the instrument the anti ti-prohi-
bitionists will use to defeat their oppo-
nents is the proposed dispensary system,
and the fight will be the most bitter 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 following year.
A mere handful of men, not over a
dozen in number, by shrewd work at the
last Legislative session, prevented the
passage of a statutory prohibition law,
but this time the saloon element win moi
trust to legislative manipulation. The
fight will be carried into each county by
| friend and foe of liquor. This issue is tc
be made direct on instructions to the
legislator. The movement is on foot tt
have printed on the official ballots, "Fol
Statutory Prohibition" and "Agains
Statutory Prohibition" and the anti.
saloonist will insist that this course b
followed,
The blind tiger element, which is quit
large, if not very respectable, is expect
ed to be found silently working with th'
prohibition element, as 1t has Away
done in the past, for the blind tiger maj
realizes that the more stringent the pro
hibition laws are made the better oppor
tunity he has to ply his vocation.
Temperance orators and anti-temper
! ance orators will be imported in tn
, State, and the campaign means the ex
pendinre of thousands OF dollars. As
{ pirants for public offices, regardless o
, their personal views on the subject, real
ize that the prohibition campaign will b
5 unpleasant music to face, ard they ar
! decidedly reluctant TO declare their son
t timent until they are forced TO do so.
) The State campaign, aside from th
4 prohibition feature, promises to be on
/ of the most spirited for many years, br
with the injection OF this issue, and q
+. absolute primary election law, the bit
4 terness will be increased ten-fold, an
the aspirants to pubic place will hay
to waltz to "harmony isngling out
; tune" The issue must be faced an
: each and every candidate must annount
himself on one side or the other, II
neither of the opposing forces will a
. low neutral ground. d.-Jackson specia
T !