The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1903-02-25
They Say What They Want
And How They Intend
To Get It.
A STRONG ARRANGEMENT OF THE
LIQUOR TRAFFIC.
The Next Legislature 10 be Asked 10
Submit an Amendment and Pass a
Prohibition Law-The Cues
ton 10 be Made an Is
sue in Nominating
Candidates,

AS briefly stated in The Leader
last week, the State Prohibition
Mass Meeting at Jackson On the
18th inst, was a fine meeting,
despite adverse weather condi-
tions, delayed trains, etc. Over
so of the Is counties of the State,
were represented, and a more
earnest and resolute gathering of
men and women has never as
sembled at the State Capitol.
The enemies, open and secret, of
the Prohibition cause were hop
ing for and counting on a serious
division in the ranks of Prohibi-
tionists onquestionso of detail con-
corning the movement, but they
were doomed to disappointment.
All questions which threatened
to cause a breach were harmon
lied in the committee on resolu-
tions and in the mass meeting.
Those who favored pressing
statutory prohibition to the front
first were there, and likewise
those who we're for putting a con-
stitutional amendment foremost,
the former undoubtedly FREEDOM
mating by considerable major
ity, both in the committee and in
the mass meeting itself. Nearly
every one was in favor of an ad-
vance movement from the pres
ent local option status. All diff
ferences of opinion were harmon
lied by an agreement to try to
get both constitutional and statu-
tory prohibition from the next
Legislature and making an effort
to secure the election of a Legis-
lature that will give what is want
ed.
1t is worthy of especial note
here that for the first time in the
history of the Prohibition move
ment in Mississippi, Prohibition
lists have, by united voice, decided
onthe following three things at the
same time: % That they want
Statewide Prohibition; ~ When
they want it; (3) How they are
going to proceed to get it;-in
other words, the what, the when
the how. They are now united
on these three things. and that
means victory.
The Leader gives below a full
and accurate copy of the report
of the committee on resolutions.
This committee reached a unan-
imous agreement and was com
posed of the following well-known
Mississippians: J. A. Bowen,
chairman; J. B. Searcy, Chas B.
Galloway, T. J. Bailey, A. S. Kyle,
T. M. Evans, R. W. Millsaps, G.
H. Alexander, B. T. Hobbs.
PLATFORM.
eve, the friends of the legal
and constitutional suppression of
the beverage liquor traffic in Mis-
sissippi, in mass meeting assem-
bled, reverently invoking the
blessing and guidance of AL
mighty God in our efforts for the
advancement of this great cause,
affirm the following platform of
principles:
First. That the beverage Ii
quor traffic is an unmitigated,
moral, social, financial and politi-
cal evil. 1t is at war with all the
forces that tend to build men up
into better lives. 1t breeds every
social disorder and wars persist
emily on the home and all or
gained society. 1t wastes the
living of dependent women and
children, and destroys the pro-
ductive energies of the people. 1t
seeks to control for corrupt pur-
poses political parties. It en-
slaves many public men, subverts
public justice, debauches the pub
lie conscience, schools its patrons
to perjury, and is the implacable
enemy of both church and State.
We declare that every effort to
regulate the traffic by license
laws has been failure; that
while the law forbids anyone to
engage in the traffic who is not of
good moral character, that there
is that that inheres in the traffic
which inevitably subverts moral
character; and, as a result, the
business drifts into the hands of
men who are morally depraved.
And SO far-reaching is its evil
influence that in some instances
the laws against the traffic have fail
ed, for the reason that the corrupt
ing influence of the dram shop, at
times, reaches the inner precincts
of justice and subverts all law.
We therefore condemn the license
system, or the beverage liquor
traffic in any form, as a delusioh
and a snare, and declare that the
only consistent, wise and right
eous policy for the State is to
withdraw from all partnership in,