The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1907-04-27
OPINIONS FROM
THE COUNTRY
CONTRIBUTED BY ANTI-SA-
LOON ADVOCATES.
How the Saloon and Jug Traffic AT
feet Farmers and P1anters-Green-
vile Compared With Other Cities
That are Dry

Editor TImes::-A country reader
of your paper would have something
to say in regard to the question that
is agitating, not only Greenville, but
the whole county, for | think we, of
the country, are being hurt more by
the saloons of Greenville than that
city itself, if such is possible. The
suppression of the whiskey traffic
has become a live issue all over the
State and it looks as though the
good people of Mississippi are bent
upon purifying the atmosphere to
such an extent that even the smell
of whiskey shall not contaminate the
air anywhere within her borders
Reform movements of all kinds
seem to have the right-of-way all
over the land, which, it is to be
hoped, will end not only in talking
reform but in establish; reform.
Certainly there are many wrongs
that need righting and some right
things that need a strong healthy
public sentiment to maintain. The
total and absolute suppression of the
whiskey traffic is one of these, and
public sentiment is all that is re-
quired to effectually put stop to
it One of our distinguished men in
speaking of the sentiment for rail-
road regulation has said: mo stream
can rise higher than its source, and
public sentiment is the fountainhead
of,all things American. If we cannot
trust it we had better GO out of busi-
ness. or sooner or later it will put
us out Public sentiment is now
thoroughly aroused against the sa-
loon and there is no question but
that the saloon must go, and all its
train of evils with it, is the hand writ
ing on the wall. Its doom is sealed
This anti-saloon wave is not as the
flowing and ebbing tide, but as a
mighty wave, gaining strength and
force as it moves on, until every old
hulk and derelict shall be swept
away and a clear passage and safe
port is secured. 1t is not only a
struggle for moral reform, but con-
test for the safety and peace OF OIL
homes and protection to our whole
social fabric. Those engaged in the
struggle would harbor no feeling of
intolerance except against the evil
itself. As advocates of temperance
they would be temperate i'll speech
and action that they might win
friends and not make enemies. All
are not of one mind on this subject
and some do not see the evil as
others do. Many man in the most
imminent danger does not realize lie
fact. but slumber in security over
smouldering volcano.
Could all see and know the condi-
tions in the country as we do and /
note the change that is being
wrought in the negro population
through the iniquitions jug traffic |
from the saloons of Greenville, dis
tributing whiskey by the hundreds
of gallons every week to debauch
and utterly destroy the efficiency of
the laborers of the country and fit
ting them for every crime in the
calendar, RELOCATING them to barbar-
ism. and making of them Migrants /
and criminals, they would be of the |
same opinion.
Ii has come to that pass where
we must put the saloon out of bust
ness or 20 out Of business ourselves.
Every planter in the country real
;zes this, and regardless Of his sem
f;melsf< as to prohibition, sees the
necessity Of graduating whiskey /