Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-24

o. comfortably bold the people who gath
cred 70 hear MIN. Long before the lecture
began il was filed from the stage To the
walls With an audience composed of the
most intelligent class Of citizens. the
various temperance organizations, both
Catholic and nOn-CathOlic, were repre-
scented and the people. without regard to
religious belief or political preference,
made up one Of the finest audiences that
has ever assembled in Savannah in the
interests OF temperance.
AT MASONIC TEMPLE.
Upon the stage besides the Governor
were mis- manager. Mr.. A. a. Hopkins. " no
figured prominently in the last Prohibit
ton National Convention as candidate
for tue Vice Presidency; NJ. y. +.
Thompson and the General Committee
representing tue various temperance rcic-
ties. rs the Governor took mis- seat there
He Is not by any means such fierce
looking man as the wood cuts published
in the newspapers during the recen. cam.
paign indicated him To bee. Instead of the
black hair and long mOustache. reaching
nearly % his shoulders. his hair is light
aud slightly silvered and his m0ustache
j. Oi ordinary pr, portions. He has a re-
maTEably fine eye and is an afIble gen-
tleman III line appearance and pleasing
address.
HIS address was not q lecture nor
campaign speech. but it was bright aud
interesting throughout, with just enough
IF aHecdote and good humOr 90 admit Of
few well placed statistics, and enough OF
elcuuence and feeling to lend dignity and
force 10 ais wit. lie is captlvat-
ing and f0rcihle speaker. and the audi
.nce was completely carried away.
lie was cOurteOuslv introduced by Mr..
Thompson. who paid him an eloquent
triblte as one Of tire greatest mel Ol the
axe. Bir Thompson referred 10 the
prejudice which had existed in the minds
Of many against the prohibition mGYe-
ment, and tie man whom it hat placed at
its head. He touched upon the claims Of
the church. in that il Is the exponent Of
all temperance reforms, and eiOquently
alluded 10 the great work which is being
accomplished under the standard Of pro-
hibition.
THE LECTURE.
As the Governor stepped forward to the
front OF the stage he was received with
applause from every part Of the house.
After acknowledging the compliment
paid him by MI. Thompson he branched
out at once upon the discussion Of the
subject. which he regarded as the greatest
Of all subjects before the people at the
present Unconstitutional prohibition.
lie stated that he was canvassing in the
great cause OF temperance and prOhisi-
lion. and was not engaged in the work OF
tearing down or building up political
parties. He warned the people that the
question Of prohibition was a liY-
inE issue. and that 1t would not
down at the bidding Of any political
party. The people, he said, would yet as
sert their power and dethrOue the great
LIQUOR interest. and there would follow tins
revolution a reign OF peace and prosperity
such rs the world had not before seen.
Tire facts he stated were fully substaH-
tiated. and while he dealt IN things OF a
serious and sedate nature, his address
was lat1rsperscd with pleasing incidents
and amusing illustrations. which so en-
livened it as 10 Interest entertain and
cdify tie audience without moment CT
dizziness.
IT the last national election, he said,
there were l0,OOo.O50 votes cast. Five
millions or mora people representing a
majority of this vast voice governs this
country. In other words there is
try anu l9,O0O,OOO votes govern it.
Strange as il may seem, it IS never
theless true, he added, that the most
ignorant, vicious and prOfane mans ball
lot counts Just as much as the ballot of
tho best citizen OF the country and State.
When the fact is realized that the coun-
try IS governed by l0,000,00Q voters it he
comes important q know The extent Of
their power. IL is unlimited. IL can
make and unmakC oar civil government,
Rad can make and Unmakc our c0nstitu-
tiOU and laws. 10, therefore, becomes inn
pOrtant 20 know what IS being done
~ educate these lO.0Oj,OO0 voters.
TWO SYSTEMS OF EDUCATION.
There are two systems he went on TO
saw. one system is the l6J 900 public
schools. in which are educated he boys and
Urls and the foundations are laid for good
citizenship and honorable lives. The other
system il s10, 900 leg3lzed public saloons,
where the young men are taken hold OF,
and is torn down what the public schools
have built up. There are, he said, 80, 100
alcre public saloons than public schOOls,
aud ! Il is expended for saloons where 81 is
I spent for tue schools. There are four sa-
I looms to every church and six baTtenders
to every preacher. lie aid nos
meau 10 convey the idea that
Il takes six barteuders 20 wait on every
, preacher. but that there are SIX times
rs many bartcnlers as preachers IN the
Z country. For every dollar expended IN
. home and foreign missions there ase 500
eApeaded in the liquor traffic for the
devil. IEio state OF affairs. he charged.
would continue as long as men claiming
% he Christians pray for o64 days for
release from the curse aud then, on the
Gi5th dav, grant IL "A new lease for four
wears. The people pray on one side and
vote on tue Otnss.
lie referred 70 the poiiticai influence
Of New York in the great contests
Il the polls. He had taken the
pains a. search the records, and had
learned that these veTs 1890 licensed
saloon Keepers m the city alone. OF tnIS
number 10000 had served term, either
long or short, IN prison. He held up be-
fore his audience the picture Of 10000 eX-
convicts deciding the destiny Of tue
nation by the power which they
WELD. lie Cent on 10 show how
this was done. Inc olt! eiecno6
in New York oiten controls the state. and
more than once rs in the last great con-
test the state Of New York has controlled
the election OF the entire country, and
;hus The spectacle e l2,000 rUmsellers in
New York city, 10000 OF VsClG Eaye
been in the penitentiaTy, shaping the des-
tinies OF 55.O00,0O0 people.
FROHIBIEToS DOES Prohibit.
They tell us, Ia went On % ~,
that prohibition Is local qdes
ton. Two hundred thousand grOg
shops in the country, he asked, and
call il a local question. lie referred 10
the 2I0 saloons in Savannah, the vast
revenue from them and the evil they carry
istO the homes Of the people. 1t Is claimed
that prohibition does not prohibit; that
as much iiqUOl IS sold after pro-
bibitiou Is enacted as before. IL this
Is true. why. lie asked, don't the sa-
loon Keepers Join in the prohibition move
ment: IL would relieve them Of all taxes
and licenses certainly. Then if il does
net hurt tneif business they ought TO be
active in its suppoFl. " is not true; it
does Rrohibit. No power can eEc- take
the clause out Of the Kansas cOnstita-
tion. There il moi distillery in the State.
Tbcv used 10 tell las We couldn't convict
a man there. bat out of 92T cases we con-
victed 77a-as large proportion as will
he found convicted Of any other offense.
When / left Kansas. little over two
menthe ago, said the Governor, there
were 10 eN-salGan keepers serving terms
il the penitentiafE ,or violating the
prohibition laws, and the tlost eiO,tu
noIitician i'm Georgia might speak Tor
hours through their grated doors, and yet
H. could not convince these men that
prohibiti6n does not prohibit. Kansas
has gained SIC, $50 in taxable wealth
since the prohibition I3W vas
passed. II prohibition ruins State,
caorgia wants 10 be ruined that way.
II waa said that it would depOpulate
tho state. Kansas has lost some persons
out OF its penitentiaEy and some 1000 sa-
loon keepers, but it has Rained slQ,DQQ
good citizens. Honesty, Industry and
purity OF character built up a State-sa-
looms never did any State good. Mis-
souri, has prohibition ip forty counues'