Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-10-03
GEORGIA PROHIBITION.
The United States Issues Licenses at
$25 Each TO Sell Whisky without
Regard TO Local Laws.
1he TaI-Collector is Opposed to FURNISH
ing Evidence for Convictions
under Them
Chicago Tribune.

Chicago Tribune
ATLANTA, GA, Sept. 22.-Prohibition
in Georgia is grim burlesque and the
figures are at hand to prove it. There
are los counties in the state that have alb
solute prohibition aud twelve others that
have partial prohibition, leaving only sew
enteen whisky counties. The internal
revenue collects tax of $50 from retail
liquor dealers and issues the United
States license to such men as desire it
without reference to local laws. The pay
ment of the S25 tax clears the skirts of the
dealer so far as federal laws are concerned
and makes him liable only to state
laws. II he can dodge the state law he
escapes punishment. Now for the figures
The United States issued during the last
fiscal year 22S8 retail liquor licenses in
| Georgia and the records in the collectors
office in Atlanta show the facts. OF course
quite number of licenses are held by
dealers in the anti-prohibition counties,
but great many are issued to men in
prohibition counties. For instance, the
prohibition county of Pulaski, which
has not even so much as a good
sized town in 1t, takes twenty
three federal licenses to retail whisky
Barlow county, the home of Evangelist
Sam Jones, takes FIVE. 1t has been ''pro-
hibition" for some time. Thomas G..
Crenshaw, internal revenue collector for
the state, went over the record with me
o-day, and find that since May /, 1856,
tae United States has issued licenses to
retailers of whisky in the following pro-
hibition counties: Pulaski, Baker,
Clarke, Monroe, Laurens, Carroll,
Houston, Gordon, Dawson, DeKalb,
Emanuel, Lee, Columbia, Wilkin-
son, Charlton, White, Clayton, Cow
eta, Campbell,9 Jackson, Fayette, Troup,
Dodge, Douglas, Cherokee, Dade, Clay,
Dooly, Hart, Crawford, Butts, Taliaferro,
Franklin, Montgomery, Jasper, Cobb,
Milton, Pike, Warren, Washington,
Screven, Stewart, Rabun, Monroe, Jones
and Ware. In Clarke county, where the
state university is located, and where the
people proudly say the law is enforced,
there are seven men authorized by the
law of the United States to sell liquor by
retail, and an Athens man tells me there
are fifteen "blind tigers" in that city,
which is the capital OF the county.
make no reference to the counties that
have adopted prohibition lately and where
old licenses are still in force.
There were 7l6 men convicted in the
United States court in the last fourteen
months charged with violating the inter
nal revenue laws, and every one of them
has been turned out Of Jail. Not single
one is in jail to-day. Even the two who
were sent to the Albany IN. " prison
were released on technicalities. In the
last year 243 illicitI distilleries were
seized in Georgia, and Collector Cren-
shaw says he did not get one-third of
them. The officers authorize me to say
that there are at least 500 Illicit distiller-
les ina operation in Georgia, or one for
every 400 voters in the state. The num-
Der of Illicit distilleries is increasing year
by year, and 1t seems impossible to sup
press them.
Let the thinking man paste this in his
hat
Two thousand two hundred and eighty
eight retailers licensed.
Seven hundred and sixteen distillers
captured and released.
An Illicit distillery to every 400 voters
Licenses issued by the United States
in nearly all the prohibition counties.
One little prohibition county (Pulaski)
with twenty-three licensed dealers.
Such is prohibition in Georgia.
In reply to question Collector Cren-
shaw said.
81 have nothing to do with prohibition.
My duty is to collect taxes for the United
States and to enforce the internal revenue
laws of the United States. We destroy
all the Illicit distlleries we can find but
we do not get one-third OF them. We
do not approve warran for Illicit distil-
leries, because the game is not worth the
powder. Where we find man retailing
without license we make him pay the tax
and take out license. The expense to
him is S25 tax and SIP 90 penalty. We
; issue licenses regardless OF local laws'
"fou have the record here; Is it open
to Inspection"
"The law says it shall be, but | have
been advised TO resist any attempt that
may be made to secure the record for the
purpose OF prosecutions under the state
law. II man wants evidence against
retailers, he cannot get II here except
through the courts, and would use every
effort to defeat him. 1t is manif st '
wrong for the United States to license d
man to retail liquor end then furnish the
evidence on which he Is con.
victed under state law. The
! whole idea Is this am q tax
collector, not the guardian OF the prohibi.
ton laws. / am not here to suppress
liquor-making or liquor-selling, but "a
collect taxes from men who make it and
sell it, and to suppress the Illicit manu-.
facture and sale under the laws of the
, United Statesu
"Do you have much trouble In prchibi
ton countiesyn
ayes, prohibition has made a home
market for Illicit whisky. We seldom
tind 'still that has any whisky on
a hand. The distillers say the people il
! the nelghoorhood OF a 'stin' gene
rally know when srun
Is to be made, and are
there with jugs and various other YES
sells ready to take the whisky away a,
n soon az II comes from the still In re
moving It they all become liable under tn,
law, and 1t Is hard matter to get an,
7 one TO expose the distiller. get mum
!, 0erless Letters from women OF prohibition
| countfaa hAofrin0 ma N oa,,d ,,,an tnt,