The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1908-02-22
PLAYING POLITICS WITH PROHIBITION.

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The people of Mississippi and
the country at large were greatly
taken by surprise when the news
came through the press dispatches
from Jackson Wednesday morning
that the Constitutional Prohibit
tion amendment had suffered de-
feat iD the House of Representa-
tiyes by SO Legislators voting
against the measure, so that 1t
lacked two votes of receiving the
necessary thirds of all votes
cast.
Another and greater surprise
was, that every vote cast against
the amendment except one (by
Boddie of Washington), was cast
by Representatives from Prohihi-
tion counties.
Most of these men pass for Pro-
hibitionists at home (nominally,
at least), and wouldn't be mem
bers of the House now, if they
had come out in the open before
they we're elected and told their
constituents that they would vote
against submitting to the people a
Prohibition amendment.
The following are the names Of
the 80 who voted nay on the
amendment, and it will be a good
plan to file the list for future re-
ference:
AIcorn, of Coahoma: Afford
and Fielder, of Pike; Anderson
and Friarson, of Claiborne; Bird,
of Lawrence; Boddie, of Washing
ton; Burkitt, of Chickasaw; Cal
houn, of Marshall; Carr, of New
ton; Davis, of Pamela; Denton, of
Lauderdale; Fem, of Amite;
Gardner, of Prentiss; Harris, of
Yalobusha; Holmes, Of Tate;
johnson, of Pamela; Jones, of
Franklin; King, of Marshall;
Love, of Tippah; Lamb, of Jeffer-
son; McIlhenny, of Scott; Miller
and Robertson, of Copiah; Patter-
son, of Calhoun, Perkins and
Schmidt, of Yazoo; Pollard, of De
Soto; Robertson, of Forest; Shiv-
ers, of Pearl River, Shelby and
Smith, of Bolivar; Tyson, of Le-
fore; Valentine, of Clay; Yates,
of Marion; Zachary, of Leake.
Thirteen of these are repre-
senting counties lying south of
the A. & V. Railroad and three.
are from counties which that road
traverses. Lincoln is completely
by the Prohibition
recalcitrants, the representatives
from Coplah, Claiborne, Frank
lin, Jefferson, Lawrence. Marion
and Pike, voting nay: while Nc
Cullough from Lincoln and Ben
nett from Franklin and Lincoln,
stood as firm as a rock for this
measure.
The explanation which those
voting nay will probably offer to
their Prohibition constituents is,
that they want a constitution nal
convention called to make various
and sundry amendments to the
constitution, including Prohibi-
ton, and that they voted nay, not
because they are opposed to Pro
hibition per Sc, but because they
thought the passing of The Pro-
bibition amendment resolution
would lessen the chances for the
Constitutional Convention bill.
The false action of these Rep
resentatiVes in regard to the Pro
hibition amendment really furnish
es one of the strongest iIIustra-
tions and arguments why real. pro-
want Prohibition put
in the constitution instead of be-
ing content with mere statute.
When the people place it there, it
will then be where seIf,seeking
politicians and unfaithful legisIa-
tors can't always be betraying it
and trading it off for something
else.
The tactics of these South Mis-
sissippi Representatives is really
creating opposition to the Consti-
tutional Convention proposition,
rather than. winning. it friends.
Being of more than doubtful wis
dom and necessity to begin with,
The action of its supporters in
fighting otherwise meritorious
amendments and legislation and
forming combinations against
shem to whip" the opposition
into line on the convention propo-
sition, will have just the opposite
effect and ought to have.
Furthermore, as evidence Of
how little strength there is yet in
Tho o0nVnntiar foil 0nd eont;,,ooyk