The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1908-01-29
PROHIBlTIONISTS
GREATLY SURPRISED
COMPROMISE WITH LIQUOR MEN
UNAUTHORIZED AND UNSANC-
TONED BY THE STATE
ORGANIZATION.
PrOhibitiOnistS on the Liquor Traffic
Committee OutgeneraIed by
Anti-LeaderS.
Daily Clarion Ledger, Jan. 29.l

Daily Clarion Ledger, Jan. 28.]
There are indications that the
conclusion reached Friday night
by majority of the Senate and
House Joint committee on Liquor
Traffic to so amend the state pro-
hibition bill as to extend all liquor
licenses in effect when the bill
passes, until December 3Ist, lis not
meeting with favor from prohibi-
tionists and may cause a lot of
serious discord in the prohibition
camp.
Mr.. B. 7. Hobbs of Brookhaven
who has been prominently con-
nected with the movement to Sc
cure statutory and constitutional
prohibition from the day the first
prohibition convention was held
in Mississippi, said last night in
discussing the Joint committees
action:
''What is known as the Cavett
bill in the House, and Senate Bill
No. 13, significant number, intro
Guced by Senator Leftwich, con-
tained identicalIy the same pro-
visions and embody exactly what
the state executive committee, in a
lengthy conference. unanimously
decided to ask the legislature to
give the state in the way of pro-
hibition statute. June /, 1908,
was the date fixed in both of these
bills for cutting off all liquor
licenses.
"The question of date was very
fully considered, not only because
the prohibitionists of the state de-
sired and expected that the saloons
would be closed at the earliest
reasonable date, but also because
it was the intention of the prohi-
bition committee to ask the legis-
lature to follow up the statutory
prohibition bill with Gonstitu
tionaI prohibition amendment, to
be voted on at special election,
uncomplicated with other issues,
during next August or September,
when all saloons in the state would
have been closed by the statute.
"At the state prohibition execu
tive committee meeting, at which
these matters we're fully discussed
and decided, it was not even pro-
posed by anyone. much less advo-
Gated, that the saloons in the eight
license counties were to be given
the privilege of plying their evil
business and invading the dry
counties with the jug trade nui
sance until next January.
ct is learned on authority that
the change of date made IN the
Cayett bill by the joint Legislative
committee on Liquor Traffic was
voted for by prohibitionIsts on
the committee on the personal
suggestion of one or two promi
nent members of the state prohibi-
tion executive committee, who
favored a dicker and compromise
with representatives of the saloon
Interests on the joint committee,
and who did this without the con-
sent of the state committee and
without even referring the ques
tion of extending the date in the
bill back to a meeting or confer
ence of the prohibition committee,
who had decided that the, saloons
should not be permitted to run
longer than June 1st.
In other words, in order to
conciiate hopeless minority of
anti prohlbitionists on the joint
committee and in the legislature
representing whisky constituent
cies, these one or two state prohi
bition committeemen have assum-
ed to speak for all prohibitionists
and agree that the salons shall run
on unmolested until next January,
thus disregarding and running
counter to the expressed wishes
and policy marked out by the state
prohibition executive committee,
simply to conciIiate few repre-
sentatives of the liquor interests
in the legislature, whothemselves
have not the power, if they had
the inclination, to bind the liquor
interests inside or outside of Mis-
sissippi to any agreement that
might be entered into with prohi-
bitionists in regard to statutory or
constitutional prohibition.
"The upshot of the whole mat
ter is, that the prominent prohi-
; bition leaders who were quoted as
being so jealous to conciliate the
opposition and secure unanimous
action by the joint committee and
the action by the Joint legislature,
have badly overshot the mark
and while making concessions to
the liquor interests threaten to
divide prohibitionists and bring
disastrous discord into their
] ran ks.
It is well known that both
Governor Noel and ex-Gov. Var.
daman favor cutting the saloons
of at the date named in the Cayett
bill, or at most, not later than
j August or September. The pro
lhibitiunists all over the state de.
Isire and expect the saloons closed
Lat a far earlier date than that
u 4