The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-08
BusHS BILL TO BE BEATEN.
reIsIATIVE SENTIMENT BELIEV-
ED TO BE AGAINST 1T.

Ii
rstfes of the state Appear Against
,b,. Measure Before the Temper
,pce Committees of the senate
and House-MayOr Myers and Hon.
pope Barrow Among Those Who
snake Against the Measure.
Atlanta. Ca. Nov. 1.-THE Senate cham
bar this afternoon was the scene of the
oneniug hght of the dispensary issue now
nendfug before the legislature. The cham
her was crowded with delegations from
the chief cities of the state sent to At
Iorta 10 appear before the temperance
committees, TO which the Bush and Boyd
buls have been referred by the House
and Senate. In Difference to these dele
cations both committees sat together so
mat both might hear the arguments for
and against the proposed dispensary law.
The gallery was also crowded, and visi-
tors crowded the floor, so that Col. Bill
Clifton, the courteous secretary of the
Senate. was taxed to his limit almost to
provide accommodations. The provisions
of the Bush bill are pretty well known
throughout the state i it should become
law. which is exceedingly doubtful, both
Judged from careful study of the senti-
ment in the legislature and from the great
opposition to it by the people Of the state
as manifested by the messages delivered
from them by the delegations here to-day,
spirituous liquors could be secured in
Georgia only through dispensaries and
then not for beverage purposes.
The speeches to-day on both sides were
limited to twenty minutes by the action
OF the committee, but for five hours the
arguments proceeded, with a fresh speak
er every twenty minutes.
The bill was champiOned by w. 3.
stGbbs, representing the Woman's
nah, Hon. Walter b. Hill, vice president
If the Georgia Prohibition Association
Of Maco Dr. j. B. Hunnicut of Athens,
Rev. DR. duges of Lexington, Dr. Chand-
Ter of { eenville and Mrs DR.. W. II.
Felton of Cartersville.
On the other side opposed to the pas
sage of the bill was one of the strongest
delegations that has ever gathered III
the capitol TO express the wishes of the
people upon any subject of legislation. 1t
vannah, Hon. Pope Barrow of Savannah,
Mayor Henry Horne of Macon, Mayor
Young Of Augusta, Mayor Slade Of Co
lumbus, Mayor DunW0ody OF Brqns-
wick, and Col. Lewis Livingston of Da-
Tien, all of whom made strong arguments
Besides these gentlemen there were
present with them large delegations from
the cities which they represented, who,
although time WOulQ not OF De
ing heard before the joint committee,
nevertheless added great weight to the
presence and the knowledge by the com
mittee that they had been sent to oppose
the bill.
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen: We do
not come here to fight any measure, but
were sent here to point out to you the
lar to House bill No. 416, or Senate bill
No l64, now before you for consideration.
We appear here to-day as committee in
behalf of the city of Savannah, in pur-
guance of the resolution adopted by the
city council.
This is the first time the representa-
tives of the municipal government of Sa-
vannah have appeared before you on the
subject of liquor measures. When the
local option law was considered and
adopted they deemed it proper that each
county should deal with this subject as
their best interests dictated, but the
measure before you now for considera-
tion in our judgment, would be more in
iurious to the interests of the cities of
this state than a strict prohibition law.
Its results would mean bankruptcy to
many OF our interests, and idleness, dl-
rectly and indirectly, to many hundreds
OF our citizens, and, besides, stopping all
local improvements, and would not ac-
cOmplish its object, namely, the use Of
liquor as a beverage. You might as well at
tempt, and with equal chances of success,
to stop, by legislation, the use of cigar,
as a glass of beer. Can you point out a
single state in the union which has ac-
complished this? Has Maine, with its
forty years Of prohibition, accomplished
anything? The deplOrable results in
South Carolina prove that they have only
created discOrd among its citizens and
increased the use of liquor by the dis
pensary law. / ask, therefore, that you
pause, and reflect upon the results ac-
complished in other states which have
tried these experiments.
rms bill is against public policy. While
it does not appear on the surface as a
strict prohibition bill, yet it has that ten
Qency, and will be prOhibitive except to
those who are addicted to deceit and hy-
poorlsy. It will have tendency to breed
ana encourage, in each community, double
dealing, and cause men to resort to dis
tU5olaDle methoas, nereloIore uhhloWn own
ana Impractical by them, besides, it Will
not lessen the consumption of liquor or de-
crease drunkenness, but will actually
carry the barroom. or the use of liquor,
INTO the home circle and into the very
bosom of the family
The experience of the few states that
nave adopted laws of similar character
ms Deen this: That those not otherwise
inclined to drink, when deprived of what
they consider their personal rights, viii
endeavor to procure liquor by any means;
men who would not otherwise care for it.
would go to any extreme to procure it,
ana the Wisest and most conservative men
IN these states have discovered the fall
lacy and utter impracticability of laws of
this character.
The enforcement of the provisions of
this bill seems to be placed in the hands
nary, as the case may be. Now, / submit
mat 1t is impossible to enforce this law in
communities where public sentiment is
entirely opposed to il. because the acts
OF the county commissioners must of ne
cessity. reflect the sentiment of the peo-
pie they being elected by the people, and
held responsible for their acts by those
who have placed them in position and
power. To confirm this view, l would
particularly call your attention to the
counties that are now dry, but where the
authorities are not backed up by public
sentiment therein. In these counties
Dnnd tigers run rampant, dens of ini-
qulg flourish, and more liquor is con-
sumed than before the local option law
was ADOPTED by the state. 1t would be i'm
possible to make this law effective without
tiE moral support of the community.
me tendency of the day is not toward
pfonlbltory laws, but to clothe the liquor
trai1c with such safeguards as viii pro-
tecl the citizen and add revenue to the
state AS you will no doubt remember,
mere are only three states that have now
III Iorce laws Of this character, and these
States are not prosperous. l allude to
SIS1ne' Kansas and South Carolina, and
az az three states for the past few years,
SHoW decrease in business and popula-
legislators, imbued with a proper con-
Tr4f forfrci cia~I af