The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1903-03-25
AN UNWIsE. COURSE.


support the prohibition movement
strikes US as being unwise. We
make this statement as regards any
and every plan which looks to
electing men for the legislature
who have one particular axe to
grind, because in nine cases out
of ten the man with a hobby is a
man of one idea. Elect him to
the legislature, and after his vote
is cast upon the one particular
measure he is like an exploded
re-cracker, and is of no further
use.
The persons who are interested
in the movement for State prohi-
bition might very we'll wish to
know how the candidates stand
upon''that measure, but when they
avow or entertain the purpose to
make that or any other one par
ticular measure the test of a mans
fitness for legislative honors, they
will be making serious blunder.
What is needed is to elect men
of general intelligence on many
questions-not those whose in
tellectual powers are wrapped up
in and absorbed by one or two
ideas which may, or may not, be
wise ideas. A lesson might be
gathered from the prominence
over most other congressman
which John Sharp Williams en-
joys by reason of the fact of his
vast fund of general knowledge
combined with his clear analytical
powers. - Carthagenian.
Generally speaking, the above
from the esteemed sage of the
Carthagenian, is sound sense and
worthy gifts distinguished author,
but, as applied to the Prohibition
lists of Mississippi, under the pres
ent circumstances, we object to it
as misleading and predicated upon
false assumption. In the first
place it is not necessary for the
prohibitionists in carrying out
the policy they propose ito cate
chize each candidate for the legis-
lature.' - During the 20 years and
more of agitation in Mississippi
on the liquor question, resulting
as it has, in the redemption of all
but 10 or - counties of the State
from the curse of the licensed
dramshop, about every man with
sense and standing enough to as
pire to a seat in the Legislature,
has made record on one side or
the other of this question which
is known to his neighbors and
countymen. 1t is pretty generally
known by the prohibitionists in
every county who to trust and
who not to trust for the carrying
out their expressed wishes on
this question in the legislature
without any very diligent ''cate
chizing."
Another thing we object to in
the Carthagenian's article is the
unwarranted assumption that Pro
hibitionists generally are such
one-idead simpletons that they
will pick up and elect to the legis-
lature almost any narrow-minded
incompetent who happens to be
with them on prohibition, regard
less of his qualifications in other
respects-the kind of fellow who,
if he should get there, after he
had voted on the prohibition
question, would "be like an ex-
ploded fire cracker" Prohibi-
tionists are neither so scarce nor
so universally narrow-guaged, that
the friends of the cause will be
driven to any such extremity as
this in choosing members of the
legislature. If the editor of the
Carthagenian will think over the
list of Prohibitionists he knows,
beginning with Hon. Irving Mil
Ter, in his own county, and in
Guiding most if not all of the pres
ent candidates for Governor, we
think he will be willing to admit
they will compare favorably in
broad-minded, practical states
manship, and liberal, progressive
ideas with any like number of
dramshop champions he will dis
cover anywhere in Mississippi.
The Prohibitionists, in their
platform lately adopted urge
all friends of this reform to so use
their influence and votes in the Sc
lection of candidates by their re-
spective parties in the impending
campaign, as to insure, the nomi-
nation of men for the legislature
and administrative Offices, who
are friends to prohibition, rather
THANH its avowed or secret enemies. y
With as much fine legislative tim
Der as they have available in every