, 1885-09-12
The Whisky Question In the
NeW South.

We have called attention more than once
to the remarkable anti whisky movement
in Georgia. 1t has been from the first a
diStinctively popular movement, quite out
side of politics. Indeed the chief concern
of it's wisest friends at this moment is to
prevent the politicians from Catching ON
behind" and attempting to control it for
their W selfish purposes. The employ.
ers saw that something must be done to
check the spread of drunkenness among
the black labourers.- They saw, too, that
the stuff which was transforming the negro !,
farmland from a useful, industrious pro-
Queer into an unreliable, idle and often dan.
gerOus beast was also simultaneously work.
ing material and moral havoc among them.
selveS,-in the families of their poorer
white neighbours and in their own. And
so in county after county they consulted,
and organized, and voted, and shut ny the
whisky shops; until today the rural com.
munitleS of Georgia III which the sale OF
the hoped up poverty and homicide con-
tinues under the sanction of the law arc
exceptions to the rule of popular local pro ?
hibitiOn.
The movement is not confined to Georgia.
1t is spreading to the Carolinas. 1t has
invaded Mississippi. In Louisiana, Texas
and other states of the new south, the
New Orleans Times Democrat tells US that
scarcely Il day passes without the voting
ola county or district on the subject of the
licensing Of liquor" and the prohibitionists
1--WE are still quoting from the New Orleans
~neWSpaper) Twin the greater number Ofthe
victories and are continually winning new
districts 10 their ranks" The States Ofthe
same city bears concurrent testimony. As
a Bourbon newspaper, its natural impulse
VroS fN Innly ttTNnR 4In nny AnN0ntrra kn
ward sober living with distrust and disfa-
vor, as an infringement of the immenOrisl
freedom Of the southern people in the
matter of personal habits. If we under.
stand it, the States would still resist any
attempC to interfere with the "sOcial Gus.
toms tastes and ~fancies" of LOuisianianS
by state law as SavOriDg Of northern IA.
natlclSm. But it comedies that local OPP.
ton is quite another affair. Under an
enabling act now on the Louisiana statute
book, a number of parishes have already
stopped the sale of liquor within their
limits, and others are apparently about to
follow their example. The States considers
it not improbable, indeed, that ultimately
prohibition will prevail in all the parishes
except those containing cities or large
towns and our contemporary seems pleas.
ed rather than otherwise at the prospect.
II REMARKS -
AS surprising as this innovation upon
the customs OF our people may appear,
there is, nevertheless, q philosophy in the
movement that will explain its seemingly
strange advancement. The emancipation
of the slaves and their consequent depen.
dence upon themselves for their support,
has had much to do with the adoption of this
prohibition of the sale of liquors. In com.
munities where there were large planta.
tons, and a number of negroes employed,
they We're demOralizpd and rendered unfit
for service by the too free drinking OF IL.
quors, which were at all times and in all
places so conveniently at hand. The plant
ers saw the necessity of removing such
temptation, and placing whisky beyond
the reach Of their IabOurers, aud the me-
grOes themselves have discovered that
their welfare and prosperity depend upon
a temperate and sober life. They have
seen and felt the i'll effects of intelnper.
ance, and are not OUly willing, but anxious
to suppress it, and have voted in large
numbers for the prohibition lawi in all OF
the parishes where it has been adopted.
West Virginia is largely a state of lum-
bermen, bOatmen, miners, and mountain
farmers. 1t has ffty-four counties. Forty
Of them to-day have voluntary prohibition,
under local option, sustained and approved
by public opinion. In half Of the others
the sale is described as, "nearly prohibited"
ANIL -, tl,o ro,oo;n;,,Cr ~ ~ 10 oorrioA