The Atlanta constitution., 1901-12-09

continuance OF the tyranny of the whisky
power.
1.-The reasons given by the governor for
his veto are misleading. SO foreign tn
the truth. that in the light of the facts
they fall a boneless mass of imbecility.
His excellency says:
Three sufficient reasons impel me to
withhold my approval from this measure.
First. While il purports to be in the In
terest of temperance and for the restric-
ton of the sale and use of Intoxicating
liquors. IL will. i'm my opinion, however
good the intent. have precisely the oppo-
site effect. Ii will open the Hood gates
i'm the dry counties and overwhelm them.
and at the same time set back the cause
of temperance in the state at least a gen.
eration.'
Means More Dispensaries.
"'open the fiocd gates i'm every dry
county and overwhelm them The gov-
ernor knows that the flood gates are open
now: he knows that under the Camilla de-
cision I'm the 10th Georgia the right TO
resist dispensaries is taken away from
the people of the dry counties and placed
absolutely I'm the hands of one man VINO
may represent them. He knows that TINS
legislature has been flooded with piiis
from dry counties to establish dispensaries
He knows that the people have pleadea
for the right to vote upon dispensarles
before they have dispensarieS fastened
upon them. and yet As fast as thcSe Iocai
bills have passed the legislature IN" go s
ernOr has promptly signed them ana fas-
tened these laws To coin the tears am
nlood of the wives and children OF weak
and vicious mon into dollars 70 MI the
Golfers OF town and county treasures
"He deliberately. In the name OF pro-
hibition. vetoes bin giving the right 20
the people of the dry counties OF georgia
to resist by vote the establishment of dis.
pensaries and signs. as fast as presented
to him. local bills fastening dispensaries
upon them without a vote.
The Legal Construction.
" Secondly says his eNcellency. II
the construction put on il by some able
lawyers is the true construction. IL IS
delusion and a snare. because says our
governor. If dry county votes Tor
dispensary and IL does not carry. II
opens bar rooms in that county
Il assert that by no flight of legal
Imagination could such construction
he reached. ] said to the governor when
! heard of this remarkable proposition
that II he would submit the question
to the attorney general. and II the at
torney general agreed with him. or even
thought there was a doubt on this point,
l would sign the petition To veto the bill.
The governor Is not lawyer; the At
torncy general was never consulted. The
reason is manifest. And yet upon this
legal absurdlty he oVerTideS the over
whelminR vote of both houses of the
" Third says his excellency. instead
OF putting a quietus on the liquor traffic
IL will inaugurate in almost If not quite
every county in the state fierce contests
over IT.
This is the milk In the cocoanut'
The governor is satisfied with the pres
ent condition of the liquor traffic in
Georgia. l am not Under existing laws
the liquor traffic IS intrenched in our
great cities. IL cannot be moved one
Inch. The monopoly Is complete. Con-
troll Of state legislation is certain. The
governor-in the name of prohibition
does not want IL interfered with.
The Cry of Peace.
''IIe SAYS: Defeat the bill and let the
status remain as II is. and as it has
been for some years past since nearly
all the counties have under the present
local option law outlawed the liquor
traffic and peace will reign in these
counties Ave governor. and peace VIII
reign in the great ,hquor-soakedi
blood OF wives and children will flow for
And the pity of it all is that the Oh
cry Of peace. peace has caught the ear
of unsuspecting prohihiuonlsts, aud they
have followed this siren song, 1 fear,
10 death.
I'm conclusion I repeat what ] know
s true. prohibition Will never take ono
step forward until the Liquor Dealers As
ISOLATION Is destroyed. 1 believe IL can
only he done by the establishment Of dis
pensaries In our great cities, With ne
dispensary bin vetoed the dry counties
in Georgia viii go dispcnsary one 10y one
by local enactment. and governors who
veto general dspensary hills which
threaten the peace OF the mg wet coun-
stroy the peace of the little dry ones.
''SEABORN WRIGHT