The Dawson journal., 1883-04-19
Su ming Up the Argument in
Favor of Prohibition.

Va n
The Bainbridge Democrat, prepara-
tory TO vote upon prohibitioa in that
county, thus sums up the argument:
We ha shown exclusively that
Prohibition will reduce taxation in De
catur county first because or me will
be less frequent and therefore, less
expensive second, for want of crlm;-
nails the Jail fees will be nothing third
as whisley makes poverty, its aboli-
tiun VIII decrease pauperism and, GER
tainy, then the poor house will b. an
unneee 5sary institu ion.
We have further established the
fact that if Prohibition prevails, the
thousands OF dollars spent annually, in
the county for whiskey will be inve,-
ted in many profitable ways, thus en-
hancing the value Of property, and
therefore reducing the rate of taxation
W q have, also, made ear that the
peacable, law-ab ding, temperate citl-
zen is eompelle / to submit to taxation
incurred BY the trial before the
conrts of lawless men made reckle less bv
the use eft whiskey. Tuis is u fair,
in eSnita5 e, and against the spri. of
the constitution, which. never intended
to sus1tain one class Of persons in tie
manutaetuFs Of c!in-y and comp i an
other class to share slike with tn III
the cost of its suppression and punish
ment.
We have shown that in. nearly every
county in Georgia where Prohibition
prevails, the peorle are better of in
every respect. They are better NOR
ahy, soUiaily an'l peligiously. Tleir
. lands are enhanced IN value, for the
reason that the surplus Formerly spent
for liz or is now u-ed in improving
their farms and identifying the r
homes. An instead of injn ing d he
commercial business Of their towns it is
benefited, from the fact that sober men
have more money to spend, and are
prompter in the payment of Their debts
than tipplers or drrnkapdA Thereto
while the whskes traffic is dearo, Ell
all other business is doubly improved.
We have shown tnat the whiskey
traffic is not only detrimen al 10 but
destructive Of the labor of our cD.,ntr,
to a grea5 extent and we are free 10
say that if the 10000 inhabitants of
Decatur wers restra ned from LIQUOR.
the wealth producing power (which is
the farmer the Iaborer and the manu-
facturer)w be increased at least
one-tifth. Taxable property would IN
crease in the same ratio, and in few
years or now burdensome taxation
would become nominal.
We have shown that The abolition of
whiskey would necessarily result in The
improvement of our educational facii-
ties. The towns and villages of Deca
tur county are especially adapted for
schools and academies. People, how
ever, with children to educate crefer
sending them where the temptation of
the bar-room does not prevail. Conse-
quently the destruction Of the bar-room
means the CREATION Of sch col houscs
and churches.
We have shown that prohibition is
constitutional in that it does not abro-
gate single legal right of single
freeman. The Supreme Cour
of the United States, many years
ago, speaking through the learned !
Chief Justice fancy, said "4f any state
deems the retail and internal traffic N
ardent spirits injurious to its citizens,
and calculated to Iroduee idlsness.
vice, or debauchcry, l see nothing in
the Constitution Of the United States
to prevent it from regulating or re-
the traffic, or from prohibit
ny Il altogether, if it thinks proper"
AID slDee the war the same court held
unanimously, in the case of Bartenev.
er vs. Iowa, that prohibition violates
no civil right of any citizen"