Savannah morning news., 1885-11-29

The influence of the prohibition victory
at Atlanta is not confined to that city. 1t
is not confined to this state. The sue
cess or the Prohibiti0nists at Atlanta is
recognized throughout the country as a
great step forward in the prohibition az
italion. Many OF the leading journals
outside OF this state have deemed it Of
sufficient Importance to discuss it at
considerable length. Some OF them ques-
tion the wisdom OF the prohibition move
meut and others believe it is movement
in the right direction and ought 10 be
encouraged. A few see in it an issue
that is to divide the whole country, AID
take the place, to a great extent, OF the IS
sues which at present divide the two
T great parties and in which tls people ap-
parently nave very languid interest.
Although these expressions OF opinion
followed closely upon the announcement
OF the result OF the remarkable contest at
Atlanta, and were not perhaps very care
+ fully considered, there is nc doubt very
T general feeling that prohibition is to play
a much more important part in politics
+ than it has yet played. The fact that the
+ victory at Atlanta is no: tue only victory
that the Prohibitionists have won in this
State, and in the South, cannot be over
looked in considering the prohibition
movement. In this State more than three
fourths Of the counties have declared for
prohibition, and there is good reason for
thinking that in less than year there
will not be half a dozen Of them that viii
not have declared agsint the liquor traffic.
The prohibition movement in the South
is not confined TO this State. 1t is strong,
and growing stronger, in Tennessee, Mis-
sissippi, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and
Florida. Two parishes in Louisiana
voted on the prohibition question
last Wednesday and the Prohibi-
tionists carried one Of them. In this
State prohibition elections are being held
every once in a while IN some ofthe coun-
ties, and the Prohibitionists are generally.
successful. The same is true with re-
spect to the other States mentioned. The
Prohibitionists are pushing forward their
work steadily, scoring successes here and
there, and growing stronger and more
confident with each new success.
1t is not to be wondered at that corre-
ginning to send out reports that Southern
statesmen there are beginning 10 be
strongly impressed with the belief that
the temperance question is to become a
leading issue in Southern politics. South
ern public men see that 1t will be a diff
cult thing to keep 1t out Of politics. Even
If it were possible to suppress the dema-
gOgues who will endeavor to use the pro-
hibition agitation to force themselves into
prominence and power it will be difficult
to make temperance people believe that
laws Tor the suppression OF the liquor
traffic will be as vigorously and faithfully
enforced by those hostile as those friendly
to prohibition. Hence, there will per-
haps grow up feeling that the best in
terests Of the temperance cause demands
that those who make, administer, and ex-
cute the laws shall be Prohibitionists.
In this State, something Of the kind is
already manifestinG itself DIR. FELTON,,
in the last issue Of his paper, in an article
over his own signature, says that a few
days ago he was shown a letter by
friend. written by a candidate for the
nomination for Governor, in which re-
quest was made for assistance in secur-
ing the nomination. The candidate did
not define his position upon any of the
questions that are being discussed
throughout the State. DR.. Felton's friend
said that he intended to reply to the let
ter by asking the candidate to define his
position on the prohibition and railroad
commission questions. Are there not
great many voters who will soon be ask
ing candidates for nominations to define
their position on these important matters?
VIII the statement of a candidate that he
is a Democrat be accepted as satisfac-
tory? DR.. FELTON, will certainly do what
he can to make candidates define their
position with respect to prohibition.
Ii is not possible to say with any degree
Of certainty whether prohibition can
be kept out of politics or not, but 1t
is probable that it would be better for
It IL 1t could be. The victories
OF the ProhibItionists in the South have
been won outside OF politics. If prohIbi-
tion is brought into politics it will lose
many Of its strongest friends. Some Of
the arguments that are now used in It's
Thousands are ready to vote for prohibi-
tion now because they believe that
whisky is the cause of nearly all of the
crimes Of violence, and they are willing
to see whether or not prohibition will not
put a stop TO these crimes by removing
the cause OF them, but they cannot be de-
pended upon to risk destroying their
party in the interests Of prohibition. At
the last Presidential election st. John
was hardly known in the South. There is
no question, however, that the prohibit
tion sentiment was almost as strong in
the South then as 1t is now. Prohibition
is doing very we'll outside OF politics and
it will be the best policy to let 1t remain
there.