The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-23

0qDpositlon 10 the Willingham bill. He was
Elder W. c. Bryan of Floyd county, 81
years Old and native of Barbour county,
Alaoama- He has been preaching for
ABOUT twenty years in the Primitive Bap-
Isl Church. Elder Bryan declared that
ne would yield TO no man a greater de-
sire 10 see temperance in Georgia. He
sald ne was not claiming to be the best
man IN the world, but he was good citi-
zen.
Il have never sworn an oath. have
never cen drunk, and have never voted
prohibition Ticket" he said. while L
am lot temperance and teach temperance
nom me pulpit and by precept and exam
PIE yet don't believe this bin will aid
ene temperance cause. Temperance is
right but this bill does not accomplish
what some would make believe 1t does"
Eider Bryan objected 10 the physician
cause In The bin. He thought there were
other dangerous features. He feared the
results, if the bin became a law. He said
the BIG bonanza could, after the bill be-
came law, put doctor behind its coun-
| Ter ana never suffer a ngle conviction.
Let US not make the whisky evil great
| er. l believe that this bin win make the
temperance cause totter. Let's don't
change the present liquor regulations. L
am not influenced in what say by tinau-
cial reasons. Let the bill from a financial
standpoint, If necessary sink, but I don't
| believe it will"
Arguments Pro and Con.
The next speaker was Mr. Stone of
| walton, who said he was glad he was a
representative from a dry county who
| could address the House in opposition to
| the bill
He said he was against the bill be-
cause It was wrong in principle He was
| opposed to any one or any party die
tating TO other people. He thought it was
wrong.
| Mr.. Park of Green spoke in defense of
the measure denying that it was undem-
| ocrauc to vote for the bill and work for
| It's passage.
! Mr.. Bower of Decatur said it would fool
| the state with blind tigers and would
threaten the school system. The House
| had favored a bill to restrict the property
tax to five mills. If that became a law
| and prohibition was enforced, the
schools must suffer. 1t was Inevitable
| that taxes must be higher If this bill
| passed
THE bill would paralyze the border
| countless" said Mr.. Bower. II come from
a county near the Alabama ana Florida
borders. This bill would destroy the pros
| perity of my county and would send a
stream of trade into the neighboring
| states.
above all these reasons" he continued.
| Il am opposed to this bill because It Is
y
Mr.. Beauchamp of Pike dwelt on the
| Importance of the question and the neces-
| slty of dealing with it under the light of
| experience with due regard for existing
conditions. He spoke against the bill.
Mr.. Bass of Habersham insisted that the
| question was a moral one and he chal-
| lenged the opposition, with their boasts
of superior intellect" to gIve~eRe- moral
| reason why the bill should not pass.
Speaking of the asylum al Milledgeville
| he said III lunatics were there whose req
son was lost on account of the use of
4 whisky.
| Mr. Brandon of Fulton said the pending
bill applied to twenty-three counties in this
| state, and would not apply to the other
| 40. AS a representative of the twenty
three counties, he came to urge that this
| law be not put on these people, because
he knew it would not be to their best in
| terests.
Mr. Bennett spoke earnestly in favor of
the bill, insisting that the counties of the
| state which were dry had a right to ask
for state prohibition. because the dry
counties paid their pro rata of the ex-
penses OF maintaining the asylum and
state peniteutiary and other institutions
made necessary because of whisky
An Infamous Measure.
Mr.. Ellis of Bib called It an Infamous
| measure" He said the bill not only re-
| StriPt20 personal ilDSIlyf bul SOuSH' "
| confiscate personal property. He init
| mated that Georgia was getting priest-rid-
den like France once was, and appealed
| from Martin Luther to Jefferson Davis,
and from the demagogue to the patriot to
| give them justice.
Mr.. Houser of Houston advised the
| members to go to the knees Of their moth
ers and ask them, who had never misled
| them, to tell them how to vote.
Mr.. Freeman of Coweta said Coweta
wanted more protection than she had, for
| Atlanta sent down jugs to Newman, and
ne wanted Fulton dry so that there would
be no opportunity for the traffic to be
| carried. on between the two places.
Mr.. Harrison told the anti-prohis to
give up wrangling and consent to be led
| by the still waters of prohibition.
Mr. Bell of Forsyth said it was a new
doctrine that it was well for Georgia cit
les to license men to peddle out crime. He
spoke eloquenty for the opposition to the
whisky traffic by the women of the state
who had never faltered since the landing
Of OglethoTpe.
This closed the discussion and the vot-
ing began.