Hattiesburg daily progress. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 18??-1909, 1903-01-05
A BAD BREAK.

The Progress believes that Senator
Noel, who is candidate for gov
ernor, has made mistake. We would
be the last one to do him the least in
justice or in any way throw any OBJ
stacles in his path and TINS detract
from the interest the people are mani.
testing in him even this early in the
canvass. Bot in an interview with
the correspondent of the Picaynne at
Jackson he has placed himself in an
awkward position on the prohibition
question or rather the propositin 20
pass statutory law at the next SEES.
sion OF the legislature. He evades the
question all the way through the in.
terview. which is published below,
when he could have come ont boldly,
as Vardaman did, for or against the
proposition. instead Of this he wants
to shift the whole responsibility on
the legislature. While it is true
whatever will be done will have TO
originate with and pass through the
hands Of the legislature and then be
submitted TO the governor for ap-
prevail or disapproval, nevertheless, II
is now an open question, and since
Mr.. Noel is not governor. but only a
candidate for that Office, the people
expect nstfooted yea or nay. and be
will find it 50 But instead of this
he goes all around the house to get
in at the front door and then fails to
get in. Mr.. Noel will have to be
more explicit. He must come ont as
Vardaman did and so mnst all other
candidates. whether they are for gov
ernor or for the legislature.
The following is the interview
with Mr.. Noel:
While regretting that the liquor
question has been brought into the
canvass for the governorship, I shall.
not evade any responsibility it entails.
believers, who regard
licensed liquor. traffic as the greatest
enemy to their, cause, have fought it
with two wespons-statntory prohibit
ton and local option. The chief
Inference between these two is that
he former is the legalized expression
If public sentiment of the state as
whole, voiced through its usual chan
lel. the lawmaking body. while the
latter is a county expression, limited
n its operation TO those localities
'ver which the former does not ex.
end. The principle of statutory
is right or is wrong. If
t be wrong the laws embodying it
hould be repealed, and the people Of |
very district, in. every county, should |
determine for themselves whether or |
lot they should have saloons.
I'm Mississippi, for many years,
bsolute statutory prohibition has pre- |
allied over territory enlarged by !
very Legislature, embracing some
ounties as whole, as in Tate and all |
4 others containing municipalities Of
yer 500 inhabitants, as in Holmes.
n 1902, by the Dunn bill, statutory
was extended over all of
he remainder of onr state outside of
he municipalities containing over 500
Consequently the local
ptiOn principle is now operative in
,ss than one-thousandth part Of Mis-
issippi.
IAN the connection that a gov
rnor has with legislation is sugges-
i've or negative. Two thirds ma
,rity Of the Legislature can enact any
Nv over his veto. II 3 majority Of
he people, through their Legislators
sk for an extension Of statutory pro-
ibition, even to embrace the entire
ate, it is not in the least probable
lat any governor will pnt his veto in
leir way. II there be q candidate
no would TINS use the veto, let him
declare, definitely, making an issue.
therwise this question may be wholly
ansferred to the Legislative canvass.
am now, rs in the past, with those
no favor any just measure affording
asonahle hope for the advancement
the cause Of temperance. IL