The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1886-05-20
Does Prohibition PrOhibitt
TFrom Wilson Advance. |

In convel sation with Major Smith
(''Bill Arp'0 about the workings of prohi
bition in the State of Georgia, he said that
it had now been in force in his county
(BartoW) for more than year, and the
people were content. 1t was carried by
only two majority in a total of three thou
sand four hundred votes, but would be
carried now by two thousand.
Its influence for good over the young
men of that community cannot be meas
ured. All see it and all appreciate it. The
young men who were of a cOnvlvlal ma
ture and drank with their visiting friends
say they are glad the temptation is no
longer before them. Gainesville never
had Young Mems Library nor Young
Mems Christian Association until since
whiSkey was abolished.
| Major Smith says that the country boys
used to come from town late Saturday
nights and pass his house shouting and
singing and running their horses, but that
never happens now, and if the beasts could
| express their delight the horses would
neigh and the mules would bray and the
oxen would low and the poor dogs would
howl and altogether send up a myriad of
| voices to the high heavens in commemora-
| tiOn of the day that made their burdens
! lighter. A man takes a drink and then
| thinks MS horse or his mule feels revived
and ought to go faster, and so he spurs
him or whips him along the road. The
drinking man who drives his OK team to
town not unfrequently leaves them out in
the cold until late in the night waiting for
the owner to come from the grocery and
drive them home. Even the faithful dog
lies under the wagon wondering when his
master will come.
| But there is none of that now Yes,
| Oh,l Mn
| tenths of the drinking in Barlow county
has ceased and nine -tenths of the criminal
| cases have ceased to cucumber the Grim
| inal docket the jail is no longer crowded :;
| courts do not hold from week to week us
| they used to- and taxes are lighter upon
the people. But, above all this, is the
| quiet, peace and happiness in the homes of
| those who used to drink and neglect and
abuse their families.
"What about Atlanta" we asked.
! ''Well," said he, eve cannot tell yet,
| for the act does not take effect until July.
| The solid men of that city have no appre-
tensions at all. They do not fear any break
down of business or any damage to it..
| But, even if it does injure business, they
say let 1T be so, for it is far better for prop
erty to suffer than morals and peace and
| happiness in the homes of the poor. | an
certain that prohibition has not injured
the business of Gainesville, but rather has
increased it. The saloons that were closed
have all been rented and are occupied.
':But the city of Atlanta is peculiarly af-
| fected by prohibition. The Klmball House
was built by the best and most liberal cit
liens, not so much for direct returns as for
the general good. 1t cost 5000, 900, and
is leased for, think, $40, 900 per annum.
After paying taxes and insurance this
leaves only about five per cent. on the in
vestment. The Kimball House bar pays
over half this rent, and its chief patron
age is from the travelling public. The
Kimball is the chief business mart-the
centre of space-and is thronged with com
mercial travellers and with guests seeking
pleasure, and when the bar is closed it is
anticipated that it will lose its prestige
and much of its business. Hence it is a
sore think to the stockholders who have
built it. But some of them look threaten
ed disaster straight in the face aud say let
it come-let anything come except the
ruin Of our young men and the misery
that whiskey brings in the pathway.
Georgia now has one hundred and
thirteen counties that have prohibited
whiskey, and none of them will go back
ward, for the experiment has been made
and prohibition does prohibit.