The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-09
DON'T BELIEVE 1T WILL PASS.
THE SAVANNAH DELEGATION
THINKS THE BUSH BILL Is
DOOMED.

I The Arguments by the Mayors and
Municipal Committees Before the
House and Senate Had Grent
Wefght-The Sentiment in Regard
to Temperance Legislation Chang
ing-The Arguments for the Bill
Chiefly InvectIve Against Intem-
Perance.
Mayor Myers and Hon. Pope Barrow re-
turned yesterday morning from Atlanta,
where they went TO appear in behalf OF
Savannah, before the temperance COM
mittees Of the House and Senate to op-
| pose the passage of the dispensary bill.
''Wo We're treated with the utmost
! courtesy by the committees of both
houses" Mayor Myers said to a repre-
sentative of the Morning News, who
! asked him about his mission. "All of the
cities Of the state had an excellent rep
resentation. and [ am satisfied that they
made a favorable impression. There was
no attack made on prohibition at all
Each of the committees merely stated
what effect such a law would have on the
localities they represented, how it would
cut down their finances, would not pre-
vent the sale of liquor as a beverage;
would require the doubling of the police
| forces in order to enforce such a law,
and that it was very doubtful whether It
could be enforced then.
Il had a conversation on the subject
with Col. Evan p. Howell who is a men,
Der of the House. and he told me that
the sentiment is changing. He was Of
the opinion that before the law came 70
vote it would be defeated. There was
formerly a strong sentiment in favor Of
the law. he said, but ne thought de-
cided change was brought about when
these people were told what the results
of such a law would be, and he appeared
to have little doubt about its defeat"
Hon. Pope Barrow, who also made a
strong speech before the committees was
asked as TO his views with regard TO the
status of the measure, and whether he
passage.
Il do not think 1t will" he replied
The mayors of Savannah, Augusta Ma
| con, Columbus, Brunswick and Darien,
instructed by the cities they represented
/ all appeared in person before the com
mittees and presented controlling reasons
| why the bill should not become a law
nave no doubt that the statements made
| by them VIII have great Weis { with the
/ committees. 1t cannot be doubted that
/ the showing made by those gentlemen
| was an unanswerable argument against
1T was not only made clear that no
| such law could be enforced in the COM
munities where public opinion almost
| unanimously condemns it, but the fact
| that disorder and Lnisrule must follow any
| attempt to enforce its operations was
shown by all of these gentlemen. Capt. d.
! against the bill.
'"The arguments in favor of It. 1 must
say, did not impress me. They We're really
| arguments against intemperance No one
| disputes that this is an evil, but as was
| said in reply to them on yesterday the
| question is not whether or not intern
a iu htnfn a1I
| best be dealt with.
1T was shown that the dry counties in
this state pay annually $70i,S5 in taxes,
and that the wet counties pay 81, 134 ga. 1t
was shown also that the dry counties re-
| ceiVe for school funds and pensions, $3.50 20
| III. 1t thus appeared that the wet counties
contribute TO the support of schools, and
| the payment Of pensions in the dry cOun-
ties. Sl45. 252. In other words the dry coun-
ties IN this state are now receiving this
amount of money TO support their schools
and pay their pensions, from the taxes
paid by the wet counties. The governor
has just called the attention Of the gem
eral assembly in his annual message TO
the fact that there is o. deficit of Sl00, 900
in the appropriation for pensions. If this
bill should be passed IL would be neces-
sary TO close the public schools for at
least half the time they are now kept open,
and it would be necessary to starve the
pensioners or to increase taxation.
Besides 1t was made clear that TO pass
such bill would certainly bring the IL
quor question into the next general state
clctllul eSS dll ISSUE. 4 ll- only way 10 Keep
it out of politics is to abide by local OPP
ton and let each county settle II for IT.
self For this reason some Of the strong
est opponents of the measure in the leg
II islature are from those counties where
there is now prohibition under local laws
They are not willing to plunge the prohi-
bitiOn issue into state campaign as il
might result in destroying the benefits of
the prohibition they now have under To-
cal option"
Both of the gentlemen mentioned spoke
enthusiastically of the delegations sent
up by all of the cities in the state to op-
pose the bill. These delegations held a
meeting on Thursday just before they APP
peared before the committee. 1t was de-
cided that the delegates who came from
the most distant cities should be heard
from first, and that the committee could
hear those in the nearby cities at another
session If it was SO desired. The delega-
lions were composed OF men who repre-
sent the most prominent interests in the
cities from which they came, and all Of
whom were property owners
AS the prohbitionists were favoring the
bill they were given the opening and con-
Guiding arguments. The prohibitionists
twenty minutes, then the prohibitionists
had eighty minutes and the ants 10o
minutes, and the DrohiDitionists were
given twenty minutes 10 con-
clude Their concluding speech was made
by Mr. Walter b. Hill of Macon The open
ing speech for the opponents of the bill
was made by Mayor Myers as the leading
/ representative of the largest city outside
of Atlanta. Mr.. W. b. Stubs of Savan-
nah was the only representative of the
prohbitionists from Savannah. who spoke
- 49, l.