The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-08
PROHIS HAVE GIVEN 1T UP.
THEY BELIEVE wILLINGHAM BILL
WILL. BE DEFEATED.

senator wight sticks to His Figures.
Mr.. Humphreys Argued That Those
Who Used whisky Were Not JEFF
fersoninn DemOcrRts-OnIy Five
Senator'S Who Have Never Taken
Drink-senatOr McGehee Closed
the Days Debate.
Atlanta. Dec. 1.-The defeat of the Will
llngham bill seems inevitable, aud the
amendment to submit II to the people for
ratification also seems doomed.
Mr.. Terrell the author of the amend
ment, said to-day that he had given up
all hope of It's adoption, even II all Of the
friends of the bill joined in the effort in
It's behalf.
Mr Terrell said that with all of the
members in the Senate, he believed his
amendment would pass. but the absence
of the three Senators who are unavolda-
bly, away at the present time, would result
IN its defeat As il is, he does not hope
to get more than twenty votes.
Senator Wight said he saw no reason
10 change his estimate of yesterday He
is still confident that both the amendment
and the bill will be overwhelmingly voted
down.
Mr.. Willingham, the author of the bill,
has followed the debate in the Senate with
the closest attention, and has been fire.
quently consulted by the Senators who are
directing the prohibition Tight Mr.. VIII
lngham has somewhat modified his Views
in regard to the expediency of submitting
the bill to the people for ratification.
The debate on the bill was resumed IN
the Senate at $3.50 o'clock this morning the
FIRST speech being made by Senator II. Il.
Nesbitt of the Thlrty-hfth. Mr.. Nesbitt
said the issue was new one to the Leg
islature as II had not been made during
the campaign when the members wero
elected. He said the bill was the result OF
the same spirit Of intolerance that
caused the work of the Bloody
Mary" in Scotland and made the
people OF New England burn people at the
stake for witches, The Senator said wine
was worse intoxieant than whisky. and
yet the bill afforded no relief from domes-
tic wines
Not JeRcrsOnian Democrats
Senator W. s. Humphreys made the
fourth speech to-day In favor OF the bill.
he took Issue with Senator ReddIng that
prohibition was contrary to the principles
or the Democratic party Mr. Humphreys
had been so impressed with what Mr.. Red
ding had said that, fearing he was leaving
the domain OF Democracy. he had decided
to investigate the matter for himself. AS
result Of that research he read from the
writings of Thomas jefferson to show the
great statesman's Views on the question
of liquor drinking. Mr. jefferson, In his
old age, had said that If he had his career
to live over again, he would ask every
.aQIn III
the use of ardent spirits"
A very interesting feature of the debate
was brought out by MIR. Humphreys, and
II afforded much amusement TO the audit
ors. The Senator said that any man who
used whisky, even occasionally, was not
Jeffersonian Democrat, according to MIR.
Jefferson
He said he would like to know how
many Jefferson Democrats there were i'm
the Senate and he asked all the men who
had never taken drink TO hold up their
hands. Out of the forty-four senators, five
held up their hands. They were Massrs
McGehee King, Thrasher, Rawlings and
Gross.
The Senator denied that Atkinson had
beaten Wright for Governor on the prohibit
ton issue. Atkinson was elected because
he was a Democrat The Senator HIM
even If he had favored barrooms Instead
of local option.
Senator McGehee Speaks.
Senator McGehee, the leader Of the pros
hlbltion forces, was the next speaker.
Since the present contest began" he
said, mo newspaper In the state, no rep
resentatlve in the House. and no man on
the floor has indorsed the liquor traffic.
1t has been tried and found wanting. IL
is wrong; that Is admitted"
lie said the state of Georgia spent an
nually a million and q half dollars for
charity, two million for education and
two million for government making to-
tai of six and half millions. The amount
OF money spent for whisky was $10,000000
a year. He said this enormous sum was
enough to satisfy the liquor men to con-
tribute the small sum they pay toward
the educational fund He said II would be-
far better for the state " s10,000.000 were
not carried from the state every year
as the profit of the liquor men.