The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1940-03-21
Hazel Bran

II you want to run for office in
Durant you have to make up your
mind in a hurry.
The Democratic Executive Commit
tee has set the municipal election
his year for Tuesday, April 80. Il
WAS held in May two years ago
and in August two years before that.
Candidates a only until mid
night, Friday. March 20 to qualify
and get their name on the ballot.
To u for office you must be q
qualified elector Of Durant, read the
Corrupt Practices &C n pay the
Zee to the Chairman of the Commit.
tee, Mr.. Marcus Love. The fee Is
$3.50 for Mayor. Marshal and Clerk,
and 500 for aldermen.
The law requires that thirty days
notice OF an election be given the
voters. Looks like 1t would be In
order 10 pass q law giving the poor
candidate the N consideration. II
our Executive Committee keeps set
ting the election date up we'll proba-
bly, be having the next election
around Christmas.
The fact that there Is present
throughout the state of mississippi
widespread sentiment favoring ieL
CALLING and taxing whiskey has been
shown by every Newspaper Ia the
state with intestinal fortitude enough
to take a stand on the subject.
These people know conditions as
they actually exist, and don't look
at the world through rose colored
glasses seeing only what they want
to see.
The fact that this sentiment pre-
walls among the people has been
shown in the changing sentiment of
the state legislature toward Legal
izing and taxing liquor like it should
be.
Another proof Of this is the fact
that the Daily Clarion-Ledger mouth
piece Of the Johnson administration,
has started a WCTU n Women's
Missionary Society campaign in the
state against repeal because TIRE Daily
acknowledges lis against repeal
Why we don't know.
But the editorial this morning
newspaper placed on its Tuesday,
March 10, front page is ridiculous
when torn apart and looked at in
the light of common sense.
1t quotes the Hon. II. Y. Watkins,
chairman Of the Friends of the TEN
perence Committee. as giving figures
showing the totals spent for whiskey
in various Alabama counties and
the monies returned to those counties
by the state for their share OF taxes.
This man then says hat the tax
monies subtracted from the money
spent for liquor represents the net
loss to legitimate channels of bust
ness.
What is so ridiculous is that this
person overlooks totally the fact that
the money spent for whiskey is go
ing to be spent for whiskey, regard
less of whether the county or state is
getting anything out of it or not.
The whole amount spent for Ii
quor is a loss to legitimate business
but it is going to be a complete
loss until you find a way to vacci-
nate a man against drinking the
stuff.
The man who can afford to buy
whiskey ought to pay more tax for
hat privilege than the man who has
to scramble to get a dime for a loaf
of bread.
But Mississippi taxes his bread and
let's him drink his liquor free.
1t is too ridiculous for any person
or paper to try to influence a group
of ome against repeal and lead
ing them to believe they are perform
ing ii service to the state.
Why, the bootleggers don't want
repeal. They are selling the stuff
cheaper right now than any state
they a to go to a state owned and
making more profit out of it.
No. the bootleggers don't want re-
peal.
Most OF the ok who drink a lot
of whiskey don't care whether its
repealed or not because they can buy
it now cheaper than they could il
they rad to go to a state owned and
operated liquor store to buy it. We
can buy buy whiskey right now fol
$500 that is selling in New Orleans
for $3.50 and in Jackson. Mississippi
for $2.25.
So who does want repeal?
Legitimate business wants it. Thu
tax monies brought in by liquo,
should help to bring the tax rate
dow for business so that it will
have more money to spend for EN-
ployment, improvements and other
necessities. 1t has to bear the highest
raft in the Union now.
Business wants repeal at this time
more than ever because Of the fact
that Governor Johnson seems to want
to give everything in the state away
and to do so he looks to business