Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-04

EMORY COLLEGE, March l.-EditO3 Morn
ing Nelcs: \ day or two since one Of the stu
dents handed me a copy of your weekly issue
Of Feb. 23d, in which find paragraph as
follows:
Prof Scomp, Of Emory College. recently
delivered an address in COvingtOn, and is
credited with saying there were influences in
COVlngtOn al work which would not hesitate
IN anything to pull down the young men of
Emory College This statement charac-
teriZed as false by the editor of the EHtsrDrise
and the Professor is called upon to bring forth
his proofs. \ lively war of words is one Ofthe
probabilities
From the foregoing paragraph a reader uu-
acquainted with the facts would readily infer
that / took occasion In delivering a speech i'm
another town to deliberately charge its citi-
Zens with hostility to Emory College, and with
organized or individual efforts to njure its
influence. deem 1t proper, therefore, to set
myself right before your readers, most of
whom are, doubtless, ignorant of the circum-
stances of the case.
Prof McCarron, Agent of the sons of Tenn
perance for several of the Southern States,
was advertised for a temperance lecture in
COvington on February 9. The Professor,
failing to put IN an appearance at the
appointed time. several gentlemen IN the
audience were called upon Tor short
talks to the assembly. 1t was IN one
of these talks that the writer made the
remarks which have since been perverted
into direct and indiscrminate attack upon
the citizens of COvingtOn. The fact is care
fully kept out of sight that the address was
an appeal to the people of Covington and of
Newton county to close the saloons of COving-
ton, the only place in the county where liquor
is Vended. Among other arguments used was
the perfectly well-knOwn fact that these
whisky dens have for years been used as
snares into which young men and BOYS have
been enticed and ruined. Our college stu
dents, whose standard of morals is certainly
not lower than that of any other students in
America. have still not escaped entirely the
debasing influences of these breeders of
vice; and it was especially in behalf
Of our boys, nearly all of whom are from a
distance, that / called for the prohibition of
the Infamous traffic in our county. How any
such an address could have been construed
into an attack upon the good temperance citi-
Zens Of COVlngtOn Is one of the mysteries.
Certainly no sober, temperance loving man
or woman in COyiugtOn ever thought of taking
umbrage at the remarks. Many of them were
present on the occasion referred to. and when.
at the close of the meeting, proposed rising
vote in favor of prohibition, men, women and
children rose en- masse. If they had felt
themselves aggrieved by my speech and had
believed that their town was slandered they
certainly had the opportunity of expressing
their disapprObatiOn. The fact, however. is.
that have never heard from any temperance
man or woman the least token of dsap-
prOval of the charges then made
against the barrOOms. The evidence was too
plain. Hundreds of indictments by the grand
Juries OF the last lew terms of the superior
Court for Illicit sale of liquor to minors etc.
were perfectly well known to every intelH-
gent man in the county. Whether such sin
D
young men Of Emory College. or of any other
college, leave with perfect confidence TO an
intelligent public to decide. OF one thing |
am fully assured, viz: no man who loves tenn
perance and truth, and is familiar with the
facts in the case, viii presume to deny my
statements. If the paragraph in your
paper had informed the public what ''in-
nuencesn those were to which l made
Z reference l should not have been at
the trouble to pen the above refu-
tatiOn. | do not care, however to be held up
to the public wantOnly attacking a town
on account OF the conduct of some of its citi-
zens. If the liquor dealers feel themselves
I aggrieved at my remarks, have no apology
to make. If what | have said is treason. they
may make the most of it. The insolent traffic
which is now clamOring at the doors of Con-
gress for a rebatement of seventy-five mil
lions annually Of the peoples money, is bra
zen enough to seek to identify itself with the
honorable trade of the country, and to de-
mand recognition as legitimate "business''
in the land. 1t Is, moreover, very eager to
claim that all other branches of business in
its vicinity are attacked when the effort is
made for its suppression. such ''infiuences"
are hostile to education as to every other true
/ interest Of man, and no apology is needed for
j the lover OF his race who seeks TO break their
4 demon spell II. \. SCOMP.