The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-09-22
MINISTERS RENEW
WARFARE ON CLUBS

Jackson Miss, September a-(specia1)
The ministers of Jackson have taken
courage at the presence of the grand jury
and have renewed their warfare on the
social clubs, or second story saloons.
they call them, with vengeance that
means suppression or very badly Gripping
them. At the same time the police de-
partment has grown very active, and the
prohibitonists have taken courage This
has been brought about, largely, because
a law passed by the last legislature or
dering the sheriff of every county in the
state to procure from the internal revenue
collector at New Orleans a list of the
names of all parties TO whom license t.
sell or to handle liquors has been granted,
and to publish same. This has been done
quite recently here, giving the names
Of some 40 persons who have paid Uncle
Sam for license. Among these names
were those of several druggists, who are
excusable when using liquors only in pre-
scriptions. The list contained the names
of number of genuine blind tigers, and
also of all the social clubs in the city
the Elxs. Owls, Eagles, Beavers, etc.
The ministers are now after the clubs
with a big gun--the grand jury-and al
ready the Elks have voted to abolish their
buffet. This does not mean that an Elk
cannot have his own beer under lock and
key and get come when he wants it, but
it does mean that the card and check
system has been abolished, and that the
Elks will not have any use for so many
white-aproned porters hereafter. So far
as known no other club has taken this
action, but it is supposed they WILL as
it IS understood most of them have been
run after the plan in vogue at the Elks'
headquarters for the past several years,
and If one is liable to indictment all are.
The demand for the establishment of
state reformatorY or Juvenile depart
ment in the penitentiary will doubtless
be found to have grown and gathered
great strength by the time the legislature
convenes next time, and all because OF
the number of children who have COM
mtted murders and other heinous crimes
during the past few months. 1t has only
been about one year ago since Ike john
son, a 10-year-old negro boy, stabbed
and killed a. white boy in Pike county.
He was sent to the penitentiary for life,
but died a few months after his arrival
at the farm. Now comes another story
of the same kind and from the same
county, Pike, Nathan lines, 12-year-old
negro boy, having deliberately shot and
killed a negro girl of about his same
age He was mad because his grand
father had declined to permit him to go
TO town and took out his spite on ths
girl blowing her head on with shot
gun.
1t has been only a few weeks since a
Covington county negro boy killed his
step-sister with a pine-knot because she
refused to go to the pasture after the
cows when he told her to go.
One day last week a 10-year-old negro
boy was detected in robbing one of the
largest mercantile establishments in jack
son, his plan being to throw the goods out
the upper window to a scomrade on the
street They were caught and their
mothers agreed to administer a severe
whipping in the Jail yard in lieu of
fine and Imprisonment. They were I'M
mercifully whipped, but in a few days
one Of them was back in Jail for similar
crime.
All that Mississippi can do for such
criminals is to send them to the county
farm or the penitentiary, where they are
crowded in with old and hardened con-
victs, and come out tougher and more
lawless than ever The rerormatory has
been demanded for several years, but
sentiment is against it for the reason
that all the young criminals of the state
are negroes
During the week just ended the DEM
ocrats of Mississippi, or rather, those of
the Seventh and Eighth districts, have
nominated two men for Congress, and
neither of whom is a lawyer. 1t may
be that this just happened, but it is true
the several lawyers in the race in both
districts were turned down good and hard.
In the Seventh Mr.. William A. Dickson,
a Wilkinson county farmer of some
means, defeated Jesse Webb, former dis
trict attorney, and one of the most prom
inent attorneys-at-law In the district. In
the Eighth district Will Collier dug the
political grave for ex-Congressman Pat
Henry, a lawyer of 80 years standing
and in the old town of Brandon, at that.
Mr.. Collier is said to have studied law
once upon a time, but for several years
he has been circuit clerk of Warren
county.
Lawyers were elected in all the other
districts, but they may have been for the
simple reason that only lawyers offered
for the places, as was the case in all
but one district, where Sisson and Hill
were opposed by Bledsoe, and Sisson won.
Three Kinds county young men who
wanted to get out of their crops long
enough to go to the polls and cast a
vote for Collier for congressman on the
| 18th, inst, determined to pick much
cotton as they ordinarily picked in two
days. in one, so that they would not get
behind, and at night weighed In 1000
pounds. Otis Curtis had 426 pounds, Dan
lei Vaughn S46 and Cicero Vaughn 22S.
This was good picking-even the small
er number of pounds being as much as
the negro convicts on the state farms pick
in single day. There have been many
pckers who showed up with 500 pounds
per day, and now and then one has been
known to tip the beam after hard days
work at 700, but such cases are very rare
! these days, even in the best of cotton.