Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-12-19
CARTERSvILLE. Ga,
n TO.nT

Dec. III, lS0l.
The Journal of this afternoon carries
glad news to its thousands Of readers
because of the news given out that the
senate had almost unanimously pass
ed the bill which will erect magnifi-
cent passenger station on the old de-
pot site in Atlanta. There was gem
eral interest in hat bill, and the
mature. deliberate opinion of the
thinking men of this state has been
carried out by this act of the Geor-
gia legislature. OF course the COVER
nor will approve this bill and It VIII
become law.
have noticed with a great deal Of
interest the sayings and writing on
the governors veto of the gem
eraI dispensary bill. 1 note tnat
Mr.. Wright is quoted as say
ing: The strongest pressure brought
to bear on the governor to
get him to veto that bill was brought
by Bishop Gambler and Frank Potts
/ am for Seab Wright first. last and
always. because believe Seab is
terror to the liquor gang and his heart
is right on the liquor question:; but
I declare I was disturbed in mind about
IT A friend of mine spoke TO me yes
terday saying: Sam, 1 am glad you
washed your hands of that oispensary
bill: you could not indorse thing you
could not champion, and 1 do not De
lieve the day will ever come when you
will take the stump and champion
disuensary in any county in this state.
I know that If the governor is in ia
vor Of the suppression Of the liquor
traffic he is placed in an awkward po-
sition because of his relation to other
bills passed by the legislature insti-
tuting and inaugurating dispensaries
in dry counties by legislative enact
ment. without even giving the dry
county the privilege Of voting upon the
question. If such is the case, that is
species Of deviltry and infamy that
ought not to be tolerated in a free
country. No legislature has right to
pass a law putting any bad thing into
any county which that county don't
want 1t is undemocratic and has the
devil in il. If the governor has ap-
proved that sort Of bills, then he is
no friends 20 prohibition, to say the
least of 1t.
I understand there is now pending a
bill whether passed or not do not
know, giving the citizens of Floyd
county the right to vote on whether
they will have dispensaries or saloons.
Some have intimated that he would
veto that bill. If he does. then he be-
longs to the whisky gang from snout
TO tail. and he cannot deny it. and his
denial of that fact won't weigh one
hundrdth part Of an ounce with think
ing men.
Seab Wright talks right out in meet
ing. but 1 am candid when 1 say that
not but one citizen of the scores who
have spoken to me in reference to that
general dispensary bill. but that has
said to me: Il am glad you withdrew
your championship of the dispensary
hill." I prefer dispensaries to saloons,
lust as 1 had rather have smallpox
than yellow fever, but God knows
want neither. But something has got
to be done in Georgia generally on the
whisky question. If the legislature Of
this state is to pass local laws inaugu-
rating dispensaries in these dry cOun-
ties, and they are to be approved by
the governor of the state, then II viii
not be "A months until the whole thing
is dispensariZed or salOonized. I wish
I could cut a canal through old Floyd
and Fulton counties and drain them,
as dry as the desert Of Sahara, and
then they would cease to slop over on
the decent dry counties around them