The Brookhaven leader., 1890-10-02
The Yeas and Nays Recorded
and the Record Preserved.
How the Vote stood.
There Will be Weeping aud
Wailing and Crashing of
Teeth, Bye-and-Byc.

Last Friday was Prohibition and
liquor traffic day in the Constitutional
/ Convention. 1t had been set apart by
special order for the consideration of
this subject. The question was on the
adoption of majority or the minority
report of the Committee on Temper
ance and Liquor Traffic. The major
ity report was signed by Messrs.
Richards, Burkitt, Fontaine, Parish,
Lee of Madison, Patty, George, Esk-
ridge, Campbell, Talbot and Barnett,
and was as follows:
We have carefully considered the
matters laid before lis and submit
that in our judgment it is impractical
bic and inOppOrtunc to bring the sub
ject of either liquor traffic or Prohibi-
ton before the convention and, there
fore, ask to be discharged.
The minority report was signed by
Judge Chrisman and Mr.. Hamilton of
Holmes and read as follows:
The report of the majority is a sug-
gestion that the subject is not of suf-
ticient importance to engage the at
| tention of the convention, or that the
people of the State favor non-inter-
| ference with existing conditions as
applicable to the liquor traffic.
Against either of these suggestions we
note the fact that Notwithstanding
the discouragements attending the en-
fOrcement of prohibition laws, by
reason of their inadequacy and incom-
potency to suppress the sale of liquor
within their limits, forty counties
have outlawed the traffic as far rs it
was possible for them to do so.
The great religious bodies of the
State are practically unanimous for
it's suppression, and the evils attend
ed upon it are not denied or disputed
by their advocates.
The undersigned believe that ma
jority at of least the white people of
the State will favor measure that
will lessen the acknowledged evils of
the sale of liquor as beverage, if it
can be done without infringing upon
their inalienable rights, and that
that majority is quite as intelli-
gent, respectable aud patriotic as the
minority, who either favor the sale or
the status quo of the subject. What
is wanted therefore, is now the OppOr-
tunity to meet the question OH ground
upon which conservative men can
agree. If this can be found, surely
the report of the committee that to
consider the subject is impracticable
and inOpportune is n mistake.
That existing laws are inadequate
for the protection of counties which
have prohibited the sale through the
instrumentality of local option is GER
tain. They are harrassed and annoy
ed by the saloons that exist or are
springing up on their borders. 1t has
been found that after exhaustive and
expensive campaigns to free them
selves from the influence of the traffic
in their midst they are i'll n measure
thwarted and defeated by the apathy
of adjoining counties until worn out
with the struggle and discouraged by
their aggressive and always ingenious
enemy, they will be forced to surren-
der. In this condition of things the
adoption by this convention of the
ance of placing us Oh the side of the
saloon.
The undersigned, out of Difference
to sentiment which prevails extern
sively that the people are not prepar-
ed for constitutional prohibition,
yield that point, but propose and sub
NIT for adoption, compromise meas
ure, which they hope and believe will
commend itself to the Judgment and
conscience of the convention. They
recommend that the following be in
corpOrated in the constitution as a
separate and Independent sections:
"All saloons and tippling houses
where vinous and spirituous or other
Intoxicating liquors are kept for sale,
are hereby declared to be public nui-
sances and may be suppressed or
abated by prosecution in the name of
the State, or upon the complaint of
any citizen.
"The Legislature shall enact such
laws as are necessary to enforce the
provisions of this section"
1t will be seen that the minority re-
port was a direct blow at the saloon
and tipping house where Intoxicating
liquors are sold and drank. 1t did
not go any farther or affect the sale
in any other way. 1t did not inter
fere with total Prohibition in local
option counties, and it did not pro.
hibit the sale in those counties where
the people vote to have it, any fur
ther than to prohibit the existence of
that hot-bed of vice and recruiting
station of all crimes known as the sa-
loon. In short, wiping out this great
demoralizing institution of society, it
proposed to leave the regulation of
the liquor traffic in all other respects
in the hands of the Legislature and
people where it now is.
The motion was to substitute the
minority report for the majority, and
thus the issue was clear-cut and
squarely joined for or against the sa-
loon.
Judge Chrisman led off for the mi
nOrity report in persuasive and mas
terly argument, and was followed in
the same strain by Messrs. Jewell and
Dillard hotI, of urI,on, JaoIo,o1 +hox.