The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-22

contemplated action. Macaulay in sum
ming up the life of the great hero of the
| reformation, George Saville, Viscount Hal
flax, says he is the favorite of historians
because all his acts demanded approval.
Let our acts be so regulated that the wis
dom of posterity may find no faults with
them.
do not let us be deceived by the title of
this bill because it is styled q temper
ance measure, but like thinking men, eX-
anime its provisions. First, the bill is d-
rected against the twenty counties which
have not adopted the local option law.
Those counties, including the cities
of Atlanta, Savannah Macon, Columbus,
OVERWHELMINGLY pay nearly one-half OF
the entire revenue of the state, and yet
this bill expressly excludes those counties
which have adopted local option and at
tempts TO place upon the other twenty
a law which their citizens do not want
and have refused to accept
But this is not all. Contrary to every
loyal principle and to every motive of
justice, the bill as IL came from the COM
mite provided that if man from Fulton
county should sell whisky he must be
Jailed, while if the same man should sell
whisky in any of the III counties, he may
be fined"
An Unjust Provision.
After showing other features of the bill
which made 1t bear unevenly on the citi-
zens of the state, Mr. Slaton said:
This bill provides that the United
States officer shall be guilty of contempt
of the state courts if he should not serve
his official duties to state courts. To ev-
cry thinking man, and especially lawyers,
such a proposition Is absurd. The man
In the weather department can't be made
to bring his books into a state court with
out an order from Washington.
Il would next like to show the loss of
| -.
would say that Il is not to be considered
when moral question is involved. Yet
when it appears that by a bill the state
loses 100000 annually from the education
of her children and takes from her tax
books 100000 of property, 1t is incumbent
upon the advocates of the bill to clearly
demonstrate that the moral objects aimed
at win be attained. A great patriot once
said that Experience was the only lamp by
which his feet could be guided To the
experience of the world, which contains
all knowledge and all wisdom, 1 appeal
and defy contradiction.
"What states have attempted similar
measures, and with what results 1 emu
merate Maine, Kansas and Iowa. What is
the experience of Maine? l can prove 1t
by prohibitionlsts in this city that at the
soda founts in Portland any alcoholic
drink dispensed in this city can be got
ten, and In Bar Harbor the hotels dis
ball House in Atlanta. To-day in Maine,
and 1 quote from the report of the Com
missioner of Internal Revenues of 1898
there were issued by the government 1,10S
special licenses for the sale of liquor, while
in Georgia there were issued 1893. Yet
Maine has popula ton, according to the
World Almanac, of 100000, and Georgia p
| 175, 900. In other words Maine consumes
per capita over twice the liquor consumed
in Georgia. In Leavenworth, Kan, there
are ffty-elght places where whisky is
| openly sold, the system in passing fines
prevailing.
Enforcement Impossible.
1.-The enforcement of this law is impos-
sible. Charleston is full of blind tigers
The experiment was tried in this COM
munity fifteen years ago. After two years
the very people who voted It in voted it
out That is Atlanta's verdict.
II quote from that great unscrptured
king of the Georgia Bar. Chief Justice
Lumpkn, when 1 say that yon cannot
uproot the practice of years in a day To
enact this law would be TO add the mean
ness of conceit to the vice of drink Two
weeks ago the grand jury of Spalding
county in its preSentment deprecated the
system of blind tigers in vogue and the
refusal of witnesses to testify against
them"
There were several other speeches on
both sides, Messrs. Everett of Stewart,
Post, Blalock and Copeland speaking for
the bill and Messrs. Chappell. Hammond,
Hardwiek, Denny, Grassland, Allen and
Howard against it, these arguments mere
ly emphasizing those of Messrs. Willing
ham and Slaton.
The speech making closes tomorrow,
and vote viii be reached by - O'clock