St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-07
THE CAPTURE ATLANTA.

commenced to investigate the causes which
led to the anomaly of an out-and-out
temperance triumph in an impor-
tant American city. In making an investi-
cation of the causes which brought about this
surprising condition OF affairs in the en-
pire city of the South, some attention has
also been paid to unwilling the methods
which were adopted in the canvass in
order to attract votes to the respective
sides. The negro element is considerable
factor in Atlanta and an unusual effort
was made by both the Prohibition
and AUTHORIZATION factions to capture
this vote. The religious sentiment in the
negro inclined him to favor temperance,
while the animal appetite tempted him in
the other direction. Thus it became COM
bat between the spirit and the flesh, so far
as the colored vote was concerned. The
anti-Prohibitionists had the advantage, as
they could furnish sinews of war in the
shape of beer schooners, which the other side
could not consistently resort to. In their di-
lemma the Prohibition leaders went to a
noted c0lored preacher, whose name was
HORTON, and who was an ardent friend of
the temperance movement. When the situ-
alton was explained to Brother HORTON
he grasped it in the twinkling of an eye.
cit is no use talking to these people about
total abstinence as long as their Stomachs
are empty" said Brother HORTON. ''Just
leave the matter to me; I'll fix Them" And.
sure enough, he did. A day or two after
wards general invitation was sent to the
colored men of the city to assemble at
Brother Horizons house on certain even
ing and partake of a 'possum banquet. The
announcement was made that there would
be 200 fat Georgia 'posSums served in most
palatable style. This announcement Gre
ated tremendous enthusiasm among the
colored people of the city, and the streets
rang with cheers for 'possum and reform.
1t was evident that tidal wave had
set in for the prohibition cause, and
consequently the ants set their wits
to work to turn it back. An
old cOlored man in the city who was per-
sonal enemy of Brother HORTON was Sc
lected to wean the hearts of the colored
people from the Prohibition leader. He
went around among them and in quiet
sort Of way began to inquire if they had
noticed scarcity of cats of late in Atlanta.
When he had sufficiently directed the at
tention of his people to the cat famine he
began to talk about the improbability
of one man catching 200 'possums in one
week. In this way he succeeded in poison
ing the colored public mind into the belief
that Brother HORTON was going to substi-
tute cats for 'possums at his banquet. And
the fever of excitement was raised to the
highest pitch, and the whole colored
ferment when this wicked old darkey openly
declared that he had seen the Prohibition
leaders skinning cats for two whole days.
The Prohibition tide was stayed and the
whole temperance movement was threat
ened with ruin. But Brother HORTON was
equal to the occasion, and his superior pres
ence of mind in crisis alone saved the
Prohlbitionists from an overwhelming de-
feat. The next Sunday morning he had
read from the pulpits of all the
colored churches a document signed
by all the colored ministers of the
city in which they pledged their
sacred ministerial honor that they had
tasted Brother Horizons 'possums. that
they were good judges of 'possum flavor
and that there was no deception. Along
with this document 200 genuine 'possum
tails were triumphantly exhibited side by
side with cat tails in deadly parallel col
umns. The reaction which came with this
triumphant REPUTATION of the SANDER car
ried the Prohibition movement Oh to vic
tory. The election was close at hand and
so incensed were the darkeys over the in
vention of the cat lie that, in their indig-
nation, they forgot to vote for free whisky.
And thus it was that the great battle of
Atlanta was fought and won under the
standard of 'possum tail.