The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1908-02-09
NOEL MAKES
APPOINTMENTS
IN NATIONAL GUARD AND
BOARD OF HEALTH.
CONFIRMED BY THE SENATE
The Governors Message-Gives the
Saloons a Severe Jolt-Main Fea-
ture of His Message-Pistol Toters
Bucket Shops, Etc.

tdres of Gov. NoeIS hrst message TO
the Mississippi legislature, in which
he advocates the closing OF the buck
ct shops, restriction of the sale OF
pistols and the driving of the saloons
from the state follows: :.
Pistols are made and chiefly used
FOR taking human life. Add tional
restrictions should be placed around
the sale and ownership OF deadly
weapons, except as to officers, other
weapons, except as to officers.
Public sentiment asks that the
bucket shops be closed, completely
and forever. Besides being made
criminal, every dealer should be made
liable for losses to his patrons: and
every person who provides build ng
telephone or telegraph, or other ia
cility for operating future gambling
should also be made liable for such
losses.
The brand Of crime mas been placed
upon liquor selling by the moral sense
of all the counties in the state, cx-
cept a few on the gulf coast and the
Mississippi river front. There the
saloons and their friends ask now to
be let alone This is a sehrefuted
appeal They do not let those local
tiles alone that have Cutlawed liquor
traffic, but on the contrary, send to
them both liquor and liquor soaked
victims, breeding crimes which would
not otherwise occur. Besides, III
ali state elections and in legislative
gatherings, the foreign and the home
liquor dealers are found actively at
work. seeking to control results n
their own interests, organizing forces
seeking evil ends and providing iq-
uor and sinews of war.
In state, county and municipal cleo
mons the saloons know their man and
concentrate their votes on those can
help or least hurt.
By thorough watchfulness and con
tinued Organization, absence OF all
scruples and readiness of emergency,
the liquor forces cannot be prevented,
as long as the business is >legalized,
from frequently holding and exercis-
ing the balance of political power.
Besides the people Of the wh'ole
state through the legislature, deter
mined what acts arc so harmful as to
be prohibited by fine and. imprison-
rn'ent
While this power, in some instances
may oe delegated to a county
such authorit, can at any
time, be rightfully revoked, and
the prohibition made equally applica-
bic everywhere. In principle, nothing
can be said in favor of leaving to the
different counties the liquor questions
that cannot be said with equal force i'll
behalf of gambling, pistol carrying |
and other offenses. On the contrary |
the evil effects of liquor selling ex-
tends beyond the county lines even
more injuriously than other crimes.
While it can be said that prohibit
tory laws do not absolutely prevent
violations, the same is true OF all /
a penal statute tht would prohibit all I
future violations and complete protcc
ton of society could be thus secured, /
courthouses and public officials
would become useless expense
Upon this question the Judgment |
Of the dry counties as to what is good t
within their borders IS to ts made /
equally applicable to the whole state |
The right of the majority to voie- +
public policy is even more unques-
tionably possessed by the state than
BY its smaller subdivisions: and it is /
condemnation bf the liquor traffic |
being clearly expressed, it is for us I
to make il seffective. Method and
time are the only real questions for
discussion.
When licenses are shortened re-
turn can be made for the proportion |
ate time unexpired- While some con-
alteration should be shown for those |
whose capital is thus invested, it'll
should be forgotten that such consid-
Grafton should not cause us to lose
sight of the suffering the traffic hour
" brings to innocent people If PRO-
hibton IS made purely statutory for
aiqaof tznlezsz and fllseir aonel
zI1ixers a. ts-lusslu
~ lr<stiodr bsfose 1he legislxture