The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-07
DEFEAT SEEMS INEVITABLE.
SENATE WILL VOTE ON wILLING-
HAM BILL TODAY.


Only Seventeen Votes--Meth odistn
Plead for Its Passage-Debate in
the senate Attracted Large
Crowd.
Atlanta. Ga. Dec. 6,--The debate on the
prohibition bill attracted a large crowd to
the Senate chamber to-day, there being a
large number OF House members present.
The only amendment which has been Of
fered Is one by Mr. Terrell of the Thirty-
sixth providing for ratification by tho
people at the polls.
Those who spoke this morning were Sem
ators Davis and Dickerson for the bill and
Senators Reddng and Wingneld against
the bill
Senator Winghed continued his speech
this afternoon. Those speaking for the
bill this afternoon were Senators King
and Gross, the latter finishing at $50
O'Clock. The speaker against the bill this
afternoon was Senator McLester. Among
the other speakers for the bill VIII be
Messrs. Humphreys. Bum, Steed, Pass
more, Hand and McGehee. The others who
viii speak in opposition will be Messrs.
Little, McLester, Terrell, Grovenstein,
Nesbitt, Wight, Brannen. Perkins, Fouche
and West.
Tho opinion seems general that the bi1
will be downed, though the vote may be
much closer than the opponents of tha
measure expect.
Senator Wight gives the following esti-
mate of the vote, which is very Interest,"
ing:
Against the bill. 25i for It, 1s; absent 8;
doubtful 2.
Chairman McGehee of the Committee ON
Temperance, says he has hopes that tho
bin will pass. Mr. McGehee says that
while he has not polled the Senate, he
does not believe that the estimate made
by the opposition Is correct
A Guess at the vote.
The following seems to be a pretty ac-
curate poll of the Senate:
Against the Bill-Blalock, S. T., of the
Twenty-sixth Brannen. J. A., Of the Sew
enteenth; Clifton, William, of the Seconds
Daniel, George c., OF the Thirtieth; Dowl-
ing, ]. r.. of the Third; Fouche. r. T.
of the Forty-second; Grovenstein, A. NJ,
Of the First; Heard, Columbus, of the
Nineteenth; Hodge, Mark T., OF che Four
teenth: Johnson Thomas r., of the For
ty-first; Lang, Rufus s., Of the Fourths
Little, william, OF the Eighteenth, Mann,
w. e., OF the Forty-fourth; Moye, r. j.,
Of the Sixteenth; MeLester, Leonida, OF
the Twenty-fourth; Nesbitt r. t., Of the
Thirty-nfth Odom, r. b., OF the Ninth;
Perkins, NJ. r.. of the Thirty-frst; Red
ding j. T., OF the Twenty second; Sut-
ton, T. c., Of the Eleventh; Terrell, j.
r., of the Thlrty-sixth; Underwood j.
w. H., of the Thirty-second Webb, w.
]. of the Thlrty-ninth; West, W. s., of
the sixth; Wight, u. L., OF the Tenths
Wingheld s. r., of the Twenty-eighths
total. 26
For the Blll-Bunn, w. c., of the Thir-
ty-eighth; Davis, w. j., Jr, of the Thir-
ty-seyenth Dickerson, r. c., of the
Fifth; Greene w. j., of the Fortleths
Gross, w. NJ, Of the Twenty-ninth; Hand,
J. L., OF the Eighth; Humphreys, w. ST.
of the Seventh; King, G. N, Of the Forty
third; Morrison, w. M. OF the Thirty
fourth; MoGehee, j. H., of the Twenty
fifth; Passmore, A. H.. of the TWELFTH
Rawlings. William, of the Twentieths
steed, w. e., OF the Twenty-thrd:
Thrasher, b. E., of the Twenty
Wilcox. e. X. of the Fifteenth; Wood
]. s., Of the Twenty-first; total, II.
The Opening Argument.
Mr. Davis made the opening argument
for the original bin and against the
amendments. Among other things he saids
MANY members of the House have said
they voted for the bill because they believ-
ed It wculd be defeated in the Senate. The
by passing the BILL l want TO see the Sem
ate do its full duty In this matter and not
follow the example Of the House and throw
the responsibility on the people"
Mr.. Davis said the problsm had arisen
with him as to whether he should follow
his own opinion or obey the wishes Of his
constituents.
II am going 10 vote for this bill against
my own convictions" he said, because iC
is favored by majority Of my people"
Mr. Redding referred to the states when
have adopted prohibition, claiming that
their experiences demonstrated the folly
OF permitting Georgia to follow in their
footsteps. He argued that the people oe
this state were capable OF self cont oil.
Senator Redding said that prohibition did
not prohibit. There were III prohibit ON
counties In the state and yet he chal euge1
any senator present to tell him OF ons
such county where the prohibition laws
were enforced.
MR Dickerson said the impression was
abroad that the citi9s where whisky 10
now sold were building up at the expense
of the dry counties 1t might hurt ths
city for a time to have places of business
closed but he believed the injury would
soon be overcome. More factories would
spring up and great prosperity would en-
sue. II had been said that 100000 mem
would be thrown out Of employment. The
Senator replied to that by saying that it
than that their labor should bring pover-
ty and distress to 10000 women and child
ren.
Mr.. Wingfield said the author Of the bill
had attributed every crime in the state to
the sale Of whisky. He gave stat sites from
a number Of counties in the state which be
Claimed showed that the sale Of whisky
had very little to 90 with the number OF
convicts.
In the Second Senatorial district he SAID
that Liberty county with a population OF
1,2S7 had nineteen convicts; Tattnal with
a reputation of 6,470 had twenty-three con-
vicls Both OF these count are dry. Me-
Intosh county with a population OF 1926
has ten convicts and ii was wet county.
Other figures showed that the number OF
convicts seemed to vary independently OF
whether whisky was sod In The county CT
not.
Petition From Methodists.
When the Senate convened this after-
noon after o'clock, President Dodson
had read q lengthy telegram which he