The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-23
NO HOPE FOR THE SALOONS.
HON. WALTER II. HILL SAYS THEY
ARE BOUND To GO.

! Case OnIy-OtherWise He Is
Sound Money Mantle Anti-Bnr-
room Bill Not Dispensary Meas
ure-MOre Blind Tigers in Savnn-
nah Now, He Says, Than There
Would De If Prohibition Were in
Eject.
Between 800 and 600 people heard Hon.
! Walter B. HIS address at Masonic hall
last night on the anti-barroom bill. The
/ crowd included men from all walks in
life and of all shades Of political opin-
ion. There were about fifty ladies pres
! ent.
Mr. Hill spoke for nearly two hours,
and proved an interesting and entertain
ing speaker. He was frequently applaud
/ ed, but the applause, as rule came from
a minority of the crowd.
Several ministers occupied seats on the
stage, by invitation, among them Rev.
j. II. Scruggs of Trinity church, Rev.
j. NJ. Lovett of Grace church. DR.. D. q.
Mingledorff, all Methodists, and Rev. 5.
A. Goodwin of the First Baptist church.
others on the stage were Mr.. c. S. Wood,
president of the Seab Wright Club; Mr..
George H. Miller, populist candidate for
congress. Mr.. w B. Stubbs. Mr. r. d.
Reppard. Mr.. f. r. McKethan and
| others.
Mr.. Hill was introduced by Mr.. Mckee
than, who said that mat
ter of great importance to
the people of Georgia, including Sa-
vannah, was TO be discussed. 1t is as
much the duty Of Savannah to consider
these things as other parts of the state,
he said. 1t is said that Chatham county
has more bars licensed and unlicensed than
! any county in the state, the criminal dock
cts are crowded and the name of Chatham
appears oftener on the penitentiary roll.
Yet 1t is said the prohibition sentiment is
weak here and that II is unnecessary to
start a prohibition movement. He consid-
cred these as especial reasons why such
a movement should be started. The liquor
people are glad to have the movement
considered weak. He predicted that the
ticket will receive 1,500 votes in Chatham.
I'VE can be strong If we wish to be"
he said. He declared that 1t is only nee
| essary to show the people their duty and
they will follow. The liquor traffic, he de-
clared, has made 2,5O0,000 drunkards in
! this country, and takes $l,OOO00O,OOO
annually out of the pockets of the people.
The evil of the liquor traffic is recognized,
he said, but on election day other inter-
ests are allowed to control and the liquor
interest. trumphs
Mr.. Mcclellan introduced Mr.. Hill as a
gentleman OF wide reputation, well fitted
to deal with the subject and to inform the
people of their duty.
Mr. Hill was received with applause,
He said that in summer he hailed from
Habersham county, which is but an agri-
cultural Chatham where they are proud
to point out the ancestral homes of the
ola Savannahians, the Understands,
| Clinches, Kollocks and others, and this
made him feel akin to Savannah. He even
heard the same coast dialect in Haber
sham which is heard in Chatham, coming
| from the negroes brought there before the
war by Savannah families.
Mr.. Hill told an anecdote of an old col
ored woman there who wanted to go back
! to Georgy," and who declared that Sa-
vannah was "Georgy" which pleased the
crowd. In telling this anecdote Mr. Hill
used the expression natures free and I'M
! limited coinage of gold and autumn beau
! ty,' which drew applause. He said he
! had no intention of discussing all the is
sues, national. state and municipal, and
especially not the financial issue.
! 1t was not necessary for
the prohibition party to state its position
on the financial question, he said, for the
reason that 1t has no expectation of COM
ing into power this year He had the
figures from the mint, however, he said,
that the total amount of gold in the world
was about $40O00O00O0 and the total
amount of silver about $40OO00O, 900. The
nations liquor bill Is stated at $1,000 100000,
he said and the cost of maintaining the
lunatics produced by this business is an
other $1,000 100000 or $2,000O00,000 per
annum. In other words in the four years
elapsing between two presidential cam
paigns the people of the United States
spend an amount for drink and its con-
! sequences equal to all the gold and sill
yer in the world.
Mr. Hill indirectly Endorsed the sound
money party, saying that it had the cour-
age to stand up and be counted for the
sake of principle, in the face of certain
defeat He told an anecdote of the old
couple, who got on the Atlanta vestibule
| train and wanted 10 cents worth of ride
The issue in the state campaign affect
ing the welfare of every individual; in fact,
the existence of the peace and good order
of society, is not the anti-barroom issue,
but the issue of honest elections in Geor-
ga, he said
He quoted the Macon Evening News as
saying that democrats must remember
that this year they will have only one
vote"
Mr.. Hill referred to the Tenth district
elections, saying that the registration law
was passed to purify elections in Rich
mond county. He told of a negro boy Is
years old who was registered and voted
sixteen times as the Richmond conception
of the meaning of '16 to l.
Mr.. Hill said he did not intend to dis
cuss local politics, but in Chatham county,
with two political factions strongly array
ed is far behind Richmond in the matter
of registration. Mr.. Hill said he was act
ing with the peoples party in this cam
paign only, and only on one issue, the
anti-barroom bill. However, the people $
party had a plank in its platform declar-
ing for pure elections. which he heartily
Endorsed. He illustrated Chairman Clays
position on this matter by an anecdote of
a hog thief who declared that he wasn't
going to sign. away any of his rights"
when offered free meat If he would desist
from stealing.
Mr.. Hill denounced dishonest election
practices unsparingly. He quoted the
words Of Maj J. f. Hanson, THAT when
you are engaged I'm cheating the negro
all is smooth enough, but when white
man meets white man in these swindling
! transactions then Greek meets Greek ana
then will come the tug Of war"
The balance OF power this year. he said
is with the negro voter and both parties
| are seeking TO get IL. He admitted that
his party is seeking it, and he justified 1t
by saying that the political education OF
the negro Is necessary for the welfare
Of the country There is now no longer