The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-05
AGAINST WILLINGHAM BILL.
MINORITY REPORT HAS BEEN SUB
MITTED TO SENATE.

MlNOhII1 HEIOAdI HAS hEEsN - ID
MITTED TO SENATE.
IL Is Signed by Majority of the
Temperance Commfttee-BeIief Ex-
pressed That IL Would Not Pro-
mote the Cause of Temperance.
Right of the People to LegisIate
for ThemseIves-Other Work i'm the
Legislature.
Atlanta. Dee 1.-The minority report OF
tie senate Temperance Committee orig
3uo IN a majority of that committee, was
submitted 10 that body to-day, and is as
follows:
THE Committee on Temperance having
by lis report recommended the passage of
House bin No. 22l known as the willing
ham bill, we, members of that commit
tee. while some of us would support a
bill so framed as 10 allow the people Of
the state. by their votes, to decide for
the whole state the question of prohibition,
and others of us favor the abolition Of
barrooms and the restriction and regula-
ton of ne liquor traffic by a well-guarded
dispensary system. and others of us doubt
the wisdom of sumputary legislation, of
any kind, yet we all dissent from the view
of other members of the committee and
for the reasons following protest against
the passage Of the bill
by its expressed terms, the proposed law
is 10 affect twenty-five of the 1877 counties
OF the state in matter of domestic con-
Germ, contrary to the wishes of the people
of those counties as expressed by their
solemn votes In effect, 115 counties are
passing for the government of twenty-five
counties laws, against their consent. II
may be the power of the majority to do
this but il is none the less an act of des-
potism king could not do worse The
people have the right of self-goVernment
but not the right to govern other people
against their consent. Laws not founded
on the consent of the govern
ed give rise to lawlessness and
disorders of the gravest character
which lead ultimately 10 the destruction of
all government However desirable Ii
may be to control and refine the tastes and
sppetites of men, all past attempts to do
so by legislation have failed. Two hun
dred years ago Connecticut Rhole Island
and other New England provinces adopted
code of laws, regulating in minute detail
the department and appetites of their peo-
pie, male and femae; and though the
ducking-stool. the pillory and the whip
ping post claimed their victims daily, hu-
man nature remained the same, men con-
tinued to eat and drink, and thrifty New
England became the rum dealer and the
slave trader of this continent
THE continental Congress advised the
adoption of laws prohibiting the distilla-
ton of grain, and while Georgia promptly
adopted such a law, the experiment was
failure, and the law was as promptly re-
pealed. Experience teaches us that eump-
tuary laws not only fail to accomplish the
ends desired, but they bring about a dis
regard of all laws, human and divine,
Stringent prohibition laws go hand in hand
with law-breaking, falsehood, deceit and
false-swearing.
The state of Maine boasts of a consti-
tuition that prohibits the liquor traffic.
Her people with The example of Ananias
before them, swear allegiance to prohibit
tory laws and violate them every day We
would enforce temperance, for it is a vir
tue We would suppress drunkenness, for
it is a vice and destroys the body, but
perjury destroys the shuman soul, loss
the world cannot repay.
Ever since 1872 the prohibitionists in the
United States have presented candidates
for the presidency, but the Democratic
party has uniformly opposed all eumptu-
airy laws and refused 10 make prohibition
The issue in either national or state poll
ties. -Four years ago, the prohibtionists
in the state fusing with the disOrdered
fragments of the Populist party, went be-
fore the people on the prohibition issue.
The Democratic party in that campaign,
as upon all others, stood upon the time
honored doctrine of home rule, and its VIC
tory was complete.
IN our opinion, the local option sys-
TEN, that was made general by the act
Of 1885, has done more for the cause OF
temperance than all laws that have ever
been devised on that subject. 1t has stood
the test Tor fourteen years. 1t has ban
ished narroons from lie of our counties
The Democratic party has wisely entrust-
ed the cause of temperance in the hands
of the people, 10 be regulated according
10 their wishes. and we, trusting and hop
ing that the system of local option, If let
alone will wcrk out the problem of tenn
perance, so that in the end its blessings
will abide in every community and house
hold in this state. we. in the light of past
experience, are unwilling to hazard the
conse duence of a change
The report was signed by r. T. Fouche
]. A BralLen, W. j. Webb, r. T. Mes
bitt. Columbus Head, John F. Reddins,
5. T. Wingiiold, W. Little.
The Senate, in executive session, con-
frmed the nominations OF James Bishop.
Jr., judge, and e. 3. Miner, solicitor of
the city Court of Eastman.
Ehe Day in the Senate.
Senator Terrell of the Thirty-sixth, in