The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-10
The Prohibition Programme.

AAO
The Prohioitionists have decided to make
prohibition a political issue in this State
and next fall they will nominate candidates
for the Legislature in each county. Their
purpose, as declared at the meeting of their
association in Atlanta on Tuesday, is to
enact prohibitory law against the manu-
facture and sale Of intoxicating liquors. In
Texas and Tennessee last year tao Prohibi
tionists of those States submitte to the
people a constitutional amendment,
which provided for the sup
preston of the LIQUOR traffic, but
the Prohibitionists of Georgia have deter
mined to see if they cannot accomplish
their object by means of a statute In
view of the fact that more than two-thirds
of the counties have adopted prohibition, it
must be admitted that they have
a very good chance for carrying out
their programme. If they nominate good
men who are Democrats, and if they are
united, they will, in all probability, control
the next Legislature
Although the Prohibition Association has
reached the conclusion that the cause of
temperance in this State requires the en-
actment of prohibitory law, it is not GER
tain that majority of the Prohibitionists
agree with it. Local option has worked so
satisfactorily, and promises 50 well for the
future, that in all parts of the State there
are earnest and active Prohibitionists who
are of the opinion that the cause of tenn
perance can be advanced more effectually
by means of local option than by general
prohibitory law.
The reason so many Prohibitionists are in
favor of prohibitory law, is that they are
afraid they will never be able to get prohi-
bition adopted by the counties which still
hold out against it, and they say that these
counties make prohibition comparatively in
effective in very large percentage of the
prohibition counties. In support of their
position they point to Fulton county, which
abandoned prohibition without having
given it n fair trial, and which
sends intoxicating liquors to many counties
in which their sale is not permitted.
There is undoubtedly some force in what
the Prohibitionists say, but are they reason
ably certain that a prohibitory law can be
enforced in the counties which still hold out
be enforced, it will be useless to enact it,
1t will do more harm than good, because
where Intoxicating liquors are sold sur
reptitiously, yet freely, the evils re-
sulting from their sale are greater
than where they are sold openly,
under proper license restrictions. In Maine,
where a prohibiUory law has been in force
for many years, Intoxicating liquors are
sold in the cities to almost as great an ex-
tent as they were before the law was en-
acted. Indeed, some who have investigated
the subject say that the law has not re-
duced, in the least, the quantity sold, but
that it has lowered the quality of the liquors,
and that, consequently, there is more drunk
enness, and crime resulting from drunken
ness, than when there was no prohibition of
the liquor traffic.
Assuming that this statement of the
situation in Maine is true, can a better re-
suit from a general prohibitory law in
Georgia be expected9 What is there in the
prohibition situation in Georgia, that is so
different FROM what it is in Maine, that
justifies hope of better results from a pro-
hibitory law here than have been obtained
theref las
The MORNING News is a strong advocate
of the cause of temperance, and has never
missed an opportunity to assist it. 1t has
always favored the local option method of
advancing that cause, and still favors it,
because the results that it has produced
have been excellent. Before any law can
be effectively enforced it must have the
support of public sentiment. The local OPP
ton method secures that support, and that
is why there is so little difficulty in sup
pressing the liquor traffic in counties which
have adopted prohibition.
If a general prohibitory law is adopted,
and local option is abandoned, an expert
ment will be substituted for a certainty
Thousands who regard the temperance cause
under local option methods with favor, will
become the active opponents of that cause
under prohibitory law. IL is true that if
local option is adhered to strictly it may be
some years before all the counties of the
State adopt prohibition, but is it not better
to go slow, being certain that the object
aimed at will be finally accomplished, than
to resort to forcing process, which is GER
tain to be met by a resistance that may
never be overcomel All the counties can
be won to prohibition by tho right kind of
efforts, but it is doubtful if they can ever be
forced to it.