The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-22
CAUSED A BITTER DEBATE.
tcontInued Ion FIrst Pagel

a rum shop to every Z13 Of populau n and
the gross receipts of these are about $780,
900 Ier week.
In reply to the argument the prohibition
counties wanted whisky driven out Of The
state because IL was shipped into the dry
counties Il ON the wet. he argued that the
same condition would apply after the bll
was enacted, the only difference being that
the whisky would be shipped from other
states.
Some Spicy Incidents.
There were three or four incidents of
to-day's session out Of the usual run, that
added spice TO the otherwise calm dis
cussion. DR.. Walker Lewis in his prayer,
invoked confusion for the ants.
Mr. Willingham severely excoriated
Mayor Woodward, referring to the oppo-
nents of the measure as THE world, the
flesh, and Mayor Woodward" and re-
ferred to the recent past episodes of the
Mayor. Mr. Slaton, IN reply, severely re-
buked Mr.. Wilingham for attacking
man VINO had no voice In the assembly.
and by inference, said the members s~ould
ostracise him by relating the Benton in
cident in Congress, where Senator
brought up some youthful indiscretion of
the great Missourian, the offending SEN
ator being forever afterwards Stunned
by the other senators for the ndignity
heaped upon Benton.
Speaker Little throttled any purpose TO
AifaAt a btAlOllSAi dltOIl At tlt start u DS riH
implied threat that he would not only
clear the galleries, but would have the Of
tenders arrested, brought before the bar
of the House, and fined for contempt of
the House. right given him under the
rules which he read. There was compare
lively perfect quiet after that.
Mr.. Denney of Floyd was also rather
exasperating in his illusions to the gem
teman from Monroe. Every anti-prohibl-
ton speaker dubbed the bill, a "fanatical
measure" and some Of the remarks were
very singing.
Mr.. Winingham opened the discussion
by saying:
II congratulate the temperance people
of Atlanta that they have selected Mr..
Woodward to represent the other side
The convention of Mayors has been call
ed, but they base their objections solely
on financial lines. l rejoice that the only
argument that has been made against the
bill is a financial argument, for that Is
the only argument. The Democratic
vote of Georgia is demanding the pas
sage of the bin. for III counties of this
state are dry and only 20 wet. Sixty per
cent. of the people are dry and only 40
per cent. are wet and If you take the
dry from the wet cities there will not be
more than 10 per cent. wet.
Now let us look at the financial argu-
ment which is an outrage to have been
made in a question of right and wrong 1t
Is a shame that money can be arrayed as
against virtue and morality / for one
had rather see the state of Georgia bank
rupt than to see the number of inmates
increased in the asylum and the state
penitentiary. Where is the man who will
stoop TO see his fellow man doomed for
a few paltry dollars 1 say the financial
argument should never have come into
this question where morality and right
are on one side.
Georgia is rich In mines and minerals,
and l deny that her wealth alone is in her
grogshops. l say that if this bill passes
there win not be mine to close nor a
quarry to shut down.
I'VE have reached point in Georgia,
under local option, where to. a great ex-
tent, whisky has been driven from the
country and lodged in the cities, and from
these strongholds, is making a desperate
effort to neutralize the beneficial effects of
prohibition in the dry counties. The issue,
therefore, that confronts us is, whether
we shall go further in this great fight or
fold our hands and ease our consciences
on the idea that we are not our brothers.
keeper.
Prohibition in the country is blocked
by the influence of the bar in the city, and
hence to make IT effective, you must make
prohibition universal
Would lie n Good Investment.
Now, let US look at the TEMPERANCE
question from a standpoint of economy
and see what the state OF Georgia paws
for barrooms and whether or not il IS a
prontabie investment. Ont of 1877 coun-
ties in this state III are dry and 20 Legal
ize the sale of whisky, thus making over
four-ffths of the state dry and one-lfth
wet; and If you apply the three-m mile limit
law the ratio is much greater With four
ffths of the state dry we are told we
have no right to Interfere. In other
words, one-fifth of our area and 40 per
cent. of our population may dictate and
we must accept the same without muir
muir. l for one think the dog ought TO
wag the tail and not the tail wag the
dog.
Il assert to-day that Georgia, as bus
mess proposition, cannot afford to Ii
cense the sale of whisky. 1t matters not
what tax she may receive loss is inev-
liable. The best opinions hold that a ma
jority of our crimes are traceabe TO
whisky and ffve-eights of the inmates of
your prisons and asylums are attribute
bic TO this cause.
If you will examine the reports of your
Prison commissioners and of your state
sanitarium you will see that in the wet
counties insanity and crime are increasing
with alarming rapidity while both are
decreasing in the dry counties, SO that
now less than 20 per cent. of the area OF
our state that is wet furnishes more than
~ per cent OF our cOnNlclS ana lunaticS.
But my friends say the barrooms pay
$4,000 taxes that goes into the school fund
Yes this is true. We have 600, 900 school
children in Georgia. So that the barrooms
pay 10 cents per year toward each childs
education in order that they may degrade
them. Can we, for this small pittance. af-
ford 10 have the grogshop haunt its in
fanny in the face of innocent childhood
and the fumes of the barroom and dis
tlllery debauch our sons and daughters?
Were the monies expended in Georgia an
nually for religious and charitable pur-
poses, for state government, for educa-
ton and for liquor to be collected per
capita, The assessment against every man,
woman and child in our state would stand
thus: For religious and charitable causes
15c, for expenses of government
81, for education $125, for LIQUOR
50. lie who votes to legalze whis-
ky is grinding the patricidal ak. or
the suicidal knife. is legalizing an instItu-
ton that has never endowed a school. built