Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-22
shAky Leading Prohibitionists.

ShAAS AAc8Oluk t-TOnlDitiOhisto
The address Of ex-Gov. st. John, Of
Kansas, in Chickerlug hall. New York,
sunday, seems 70 have created very
deep impression at the North. He related
the lessons ne learned during bis tour
through the South as kind of revelation.
he had started south full Of prejudices
against this section and its people, and
very evidently full Of the densest ignor-
ance regarding them, but he came, be
saw what manner Of people inhabited the
South, and he was CONQUERED. This has
been the case with thousands Of Northern
people during the past twenty years.
OF course his talk was about the pro-
gress Of temperance in the South. He first
struck Kentucky, the heretofore natural
home Of the still and the little brown jug.
There be found several counties in which
were strict prohibition laws, aud the law
forbidding the sale Of liquor within four
miles Of any school, except in incorpora-
ted cities and towns, was enforced all
over the State. In Tennessee he found a
similar state OF affairs. In Mississippi he
found local option IN force at Cor nth, the
found Alabama joining the temperance
movement most heartily, but he found
Georgia in the lead OF every other state.
! Here, he says, he never met a more gener-
ous-hearted, hOspitable people. 'And
now" he concludes. ''instead of teaching
the South how to get rid of rum shops, the
South has become our teacher"
II Mr.. st. John profits by the lessons he
| learned during his Southern tour, be will
not lose much time in resigning his leader
ship of the Prohibition party, and becom-
ing an advocate OF local option, for
| throughout the whole South he did not
meet any considerable number wac sup
| ported him in his political aspirations, no
matter how much they admired him as a
courageous leader In the general cause Of
temperance.
Now Senator Sutton, OF Iowa, Prohi-
bitionist, from a prohibition State, has,
according to BrGdStrecPs, come to the
conclusion that prohibition for the whole
State is a failure. This has often been
asserted by the enemies, but denied by the
| friends of prohibition. He says: 1.-TWO
! JNolo 80 WNiC AsINV ohiOOHS ODDh
in the State, licensed and amenable
to public observation and official dis
cipine. After eighteen months of COM
pulsory prohibition, 1887 saloons are
| found in operation with no attempt at
concealment, and 420 others are re-
ported TO him as suspected of
vending liquor. In 80 of the most
popuIous towns the law is a dead
letter." With the successful experience
of the South, and notably Georgia, in his
mind, Mr.. Sutton openly announces him.
self in favor OF local option. Will Mr..
st. John do the same thing? If he does,
he will greatly expedite the cause of real,
effective prohibition all over the country,
but he will have TO make an immediate and
unreserved sacrifice Of his political aspIra-
tions. Ii he should decide to do so, il is
difficult to say with which party he would
affiliate. With his changed views OF the
South and her p ople, he could hardly re-
turn to the prOscriptive ideas OF Republl-
canism. He would not like, perhaps, TO
! become a Democrat, anu he doe not
seem to have much in common with the
Mugwumps. Probably he might become
the leader OF a faction under the sugges-
tive name of anti-jugwumps.