The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-11-18
GEORGIA GOING DHx.
4 Remarkabie Prohibition Campaign
in the south.

an the south.
ATLANTA, GA, Nov. 14.-This city
Is In Hare Of excitement over the
PROF. LioItion question, which has be-
come the sole topic of conversation.
Hotels, churches and private house,
ali are turned into ,heaters fs1 thr
discussion OF tbs great problem
whether the sale Vi liquor should be
suppressed IN the city. The streets
are nightly paraded by PROFESSIONS
headed by brass bands Democrats
salute fellow-workers of color as
brother :" women are holding
prayer meetings for the success of
prohibition, and all distinction be-
tween Democrat and Republican has
been for the moment forgotten. All
this has been brought about
through an order for an election, 10
be held on the 25th inst, on a prop
osit on to suppress the sale Of liquor
in this city.
This campaign to add the capital
city of the state, and the most noted
city in the South, to the Prohibition
column, is the outgrowth of local
option. To explain what local op-
ton is requires but few words.
From time immemmOrial it has
been the custom of the Georgia Leg
islature TO forbid the sale of liquor
within SO many given miles of
schools and churches In rural COM
munitles. These little acts of prohi-
bllon were so much matter OF
course that their passage through the
Legislature excited no more atten-
ton than the granting OF free IL
cense TO peddle to some blind beg
gar. Neither Democrat nor Repub-
lIcan questioned them. Right here
the temperance people, who were
quietly increasing in numbers and
holding aloOf from politics, headed
by such shrewd leaders as James G.
Thrower, saw their opportunity.
As they were men interested in
churches and schools, they took care
that new institutions were judicious-
ly located so as to make prohibition
territory as contiguous as possible.
Then step further was taken.
johnson county, far removed from
railroads and civilization, asked that
her citizens be permitted 20 vote up
on the exclusion of liquor. The re-
quest was granted, and so remote
was the county'that when it went
cry" in local parlanee, the outside
world never heard of it. The mil
tia districts here and there asked for
the privilege of local option, as they
called it, and occasionally another
backwooks county would come in.
The fist sign OF discomfort came
from the wholesale liquor dealers.
When they announced IN 1883 that
total prohibition prevailed over two
thirds of the territory of Georgia,
and that in consequence thereof the
years business had fallen off 80
per cent. from the figures of the
year preceding, they we're scarcely
believed. Yet so it was. The en-
tire northern portion Of the State. a
large slice of Southwestern Georgia,
amt ali OF southeastern Georgia, were
as absolutely prohibition territory as
if they were portions OF Maine. Not
only was this the case, but the prin-
ciple of local option had crossed the
borders of the State, and in Ala
bama and South Carolina the same
tactics were being pursued. Cross
ing the entire breadth of Alabama,
the movement had extended into
Mississippi, where it was already
looked upon as a disturbing element
in politics.
1t was at this time that the little
brown jug" made its appearance.
The singular activity in the pottery
works, which for wears had been do
ing a falling business, was due to
the large demand for gallon and
half-gallon Jugs. These were in
tended for service on the dry route,
as the wholesale men termed the
sending of liquor into dry territory.
Regular wagon trains were estab-
lished from towns around which
lay large tracts of prohibition terri
tory for the purpose of fsupplying, in
an illicit manner, the demand for
strong drink. One wholesale house
in Savannah sent out, in one month,
in this manner ten thousand jugs.
Thus challenged. the prohibitionists
laid siege. one after another. to the
smaller towns, until az last out OF
the 13S counties Of Georgia 50 were
totally committed to prohibition, go
were under partial prohibition, and
in onlv % counties was the sale OF
LIQUOR unrestricted. Thus victOrl-
Gus, and embOldened and recruited
by the entire Republican vote OF the
State, which was now out of politics,
the temperance people demanded
that the legislature should pass a
general local option bill-that is, a
bill which would permit an election
to be held in any, county upon the
subject, upon the petition Of given
number of citizens, and without the
expense and annoyance Of special
appeals to the legislature in each
case. The contest was long and bit
ter, but finally local option won the
day. and in the shouts of triumph
which greeted the measure Demo
cratic politicians stood mute, while
Republicans cheered Justify.
This prepared the way for an at
tack upon the large cities. Atlanta
was chosen as the battle-ground, and
now the most remarkable canvass
ever known in the South Is in pro-
gress. White Democrats suddenly
began to affiliate with Degrors. and
their own churches were neglected
in order that they might stand
around the colored pulpits and
drink in the arguments for prohibit
T..