The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-11-24
Ghe gateLLl1gsnlat.
W. u, NovEMnERe -, Iss5.
Tho Color Line In the south Not 50 Darkly
CoIored as YoEmsrly.

There is q remarkable local campaign in
progress in the State Of Georgia that is in
teresting on two accounts Itinvolyes the
temperance question and tina negro vote.
They have what is known as 'local OPP
ton" in Georgia. The temperance agita-
ton il no new issue down there. It has
been in progress for ten years. The re-
suit 10 that out Of the 1877 counties Of the
State liquor Is sold as beverage in but
fifteen. AS the temperance people have
carried one county after another they
have become more and more aggressive.
They have drawn into their ranks all sorts
Of political opinion, and in effect wiped
out, as regards this issue, all distinctions
Of race or color. The dsrkey for once
finds himself In political demand by the
old ma ster class. He is a deAirable ele'
meut in the movement, and his vote is not
only registered bat counted, An election
to which remarkable degree Of feeling
attaches comes of at Atlantis tomorrow
the 25th. A dispatch from that city de-
scribes the situation az it stands on the
eve Of battle as follows:
ATLANTA, Ga, Nov. 2l.-0l Wednes-
day next Nill close the most remarkable
local contest ever carr on in any South
ern city, when Atlanta will decide wheth-
er the sale OF liquor thall be prohibited
or not. For ten years the temperance
agitation has been carried on in Georgia,
and II has 30 far succeeded that now out
Of 1877 counties OF the State the sale Of liq-
nor ia only allowed in u. These fifteen
counties are the seatS Of large property in
terests at stake. The principle by which
the agitation WIS carried on Is known
a. = that OF local option. It has
been preached in each community as q
moral and police measure, thus meeting
the support OF both political parties, Of
both colors, and OF ths entire moral ele-
ment OF society. 1t was not until the
movement reached the large cities, where
large property intereits were at stake,
that any serious opposition was met.
These local option elections were held I'M.
der special acts OF the Legislature. The
business interest OF the large cities was
always strong enough 10 prevent the pass.
age Of such local option acts 80 far as they
were themselves concerned. Hence the
Legislature passed general local option
bill under which the 0Edinaries OF the
counties were required to order elections
upon the petition Of q given number Of
citizens.
The first city TO which this was applied
was Atlanta. Anelection on the question
was ordered by Ordinary Calhoun on the
petition Of 800 voters, TO take place No
vember Is. Then began canvass which
has developed most remarkable te2tures.
The highest vote ever cast, even in a
Presidential year, was little over 5000. The
registration in this election has run up to
1000. The ,Prohibitionists organized q
strong committee backed by nearly all the
preachers in the city, with Senator Col
dnitt, District Attorney B. II. Hill, and
other prominent men actively at work.
The brunt Of the battle, however, has
fallen on the shoulders OF the Rev. ]. b.
Hawthorne, the celebrated Baptist preach
or. The Rev. Sam Jones, Colonel Sam
Small, the Rev. Atticus g. Haygood, the
Rev. w. II. FELTON,, and Others have for
ten days been addressing audiences Of
from 5000 TO 5000 in Sam Jones Cos
pei tent. The anti-Prohibitionists have
been equally active, being led by julius
Brown, son Of Senator Brown; the Hon.
Albert Cox, and many others. They have
been particularly active In committee
work. The most remarkable political iea-
ture OF the campaign has been the break
ing up Of party and color lnes. The
meetings OF both parties are attended by
white and black, and earnest efforts have
been made by both sides to capture the
colored voters. For this purpose not only
have speakers Of both sides addressed
large bodies Of colored men, but they
imported prominent Colored speakers,
such as Bishop Campbell, of Philadelphia;
Bishop Turner, and ex.Congressman JEFF
Long. The ladies, too, have taken up the
contest with vigor. In word, every ele.
ment Of society, all ages, sexes and colors
are stirred up, and nothing elsO Is talked
OF but prohibition. ThegeneTal feeling 10
that II Atlanta goes dry the movement
will spread rapidly through all the South
eEn States.
Its on questions OF this character that
the color line will be gradually dropped
in the South, and tie negro become not
only a recognized but a welcome voter.
The tendency is in all one sided politics
to develop Independent issues within the
ranks Of the majority party, and in all
such cases, where white people divide,
the matter Of color will becomele and
less OF bng.a-boo. Both sides will count
the negro vote and both Gldes will be in.
A....I.a \ IN u IT.