Letter to Senator Bilbo regarding the alcohol permits in the state.

Letter to Senator Bilbo regarding the alcohol permits in the state.

Prohibition, the regulation of alcoholic beverages, and segregation

This letter explains how B. W. Bloodworth does not want the state of Mississippi to have beer and other alcoholic beverages in the state, with a side of racism to go along with the complaint.

B. W. Bloodworth

Theodore G Bilbo Papers, Southern B1

1938/22/2

Letter

English

Letter

Kieran Jennings

February 22, 1938.
Hon. Theo G. Bilbo,
U S Senate, Washington, D C.
Dear Senator:
Before I tell you what I want I want to say that I sure do appreciate the record that you are making for yourself there in the Senate. I knew that you would do just that. When you ran for Lieutenant Governor in 1911 I was just old enough to vote. I voted for you that year and have done so ever since. When you were Governor I was Clerk of Circuit Court up in Webster at Walthall. I had the personal conferences with you at your office and appreciated very much the courtesies shown me when there. Sam Lindsey and I always worked together for your interest when I was custodian of the voting records in Webster.
Senator Bilbo, will you please tell me by return mail just why the Federal Government persists in granting permits to sell alcoholic beverages, in other words whiskey, in our dry legally state of Mississippi? Tell me what right has our Government, when a great majority of our people do not want it and we have laws against it, to override and trample down the wishes of the people here by giving permits to even negroes as well as whites to peddle that stuff and by selling it interfering with the rights of innocent people and making a veritable hell here for our women and children to live in. Equal rights to all and special privileges to none is the foundation upon which all our laws are written. This is not equal rights at all, but special privileges to w e l l, just negroes as in this case here. I am not a lawyer at all, so please explain to me where the U S Government can get the right to treat us in such a way. If this thing can be stopped, and I feel sure that it can please get a move started at once to stop it. That thing is awful here, where negroes in this immediate section have been given permits by Federal Agents and are selling it here and making it almost unbearable for decent minded people and especially women and children. At the same time we must sit by and have such things by negroes in our little community. That thing is pukable I tell you.
Please tell me how the Government can do this and if it can be stopped, start something at once to stop it. I will thank you for a reply.
Friendly,
B. M. Bloodworth
Maud, Miss.

letter of correspondence