The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-11-29
Prohibition in Georgia.

The JOURNALS dispatches recently
announced the passage, by the Georgia
House of Representatives of the Will
bingham bill, prohibiting the sale of in
toxicating liquors in that State. In a
body with a membership of 175 the
bill passed by a vote of 90 to 65.
The WillDgham bill proposes for the
Stale of Georgia one of the most strin
gent prohibitory liquor laws any State
of the American Union has adopted.
1t applies to individuals, corporations,
and clubs, and the officers and MEM
bers of clubs are prohibited from hav-
ing, using or giving away liquors. Any
place in which intoxicating liquors are
sold or kept is declared to be a nui-
tauce, and the payment of United
States internal revenue tax is held to
be prima facie evidence of violation
of the law. The bill leans to the side
Of home industry in permitting the
making and selling of domestic wines,
and licensed druggists are permitted to
sell for medicinal, scientific or mechani-
Cal purposes. Georgia has been one of
the advanced States in the matter of
regulating the liquor traffic. The ex
listing liquor law, adopted in 1891, pro-
vides for local option by counties. The
question is determined by special and
separate election, held on the applca-
ton of one tenth of the voters of
county. If the majority decides against
the sale of liquor, "no person in the
county may sell it or barter for valu.
able consideration, or give away, to in
duce trade at any place of business, or
furnish at other public places, any alco-
holic, spirituous, malt or intoxicating
liquor, or intoxicating bitters or other
drink, which if drunk to excess will
produce intoxication, except domestic
cider and domestic wines (not to be
sold in bar rooms) and pure alcohol by
druggists"
OF Georgia's 1877 counties, ia have
voted under the existing law against
the sale of liquor and % for local OPP
ton. Prohibition thus has, already,
very strong foothold in the State. The
purpose of the Willingham bill is to
make the application of the prohibitory
principle general. In Georgia, as in
Vermont and elsewhere, prohibition
has its chief opposition In the large
places. Georgia has population of
some 100000, an area that makes her
the Empire State of the South, but
she has few large cities. These were
unable to defeat the Willingham bill in
the House of Representatives Its OPP
ponents will make a stout fight in the
Senate. What the prospect is of sue
cessful resistance is indicated by the
facts of the situation already recited.
The counties of the State are five to
one in favor of prohibition. The in
habitants of the cities which are OPP
posing the bill are only about ten per
cent of the entire population of the
State. The powerful influence of the
Methodist and Baptist denominations,
the largest in Georgia, is naturally on
the side of prohibition. There is no
dominating brewery or distillery inter-
est in the State. The exemption of do
mestic wines from the prohibitions of
the proposed law disarms opposition
from that direction. The indications
all point to the passage of the bill by
the Senate. If it becomes q law, as at
present provided, it will take effect
June l, 1900.