Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-03-10
PROHIS WRITE
To TERRELL
AGAIN
PRINGLE AND NUNNALLY INQUIRE
AGAIN OF TERRELL'S POSI-
TIoN-HE MAKES
REPLY.

G. r. Pringle, chairman or the Georgia
Prohibition association. and G. A. Nun
nally, chairman of the Inter-Denomina-
tional Temperance committee, have adj
dressed another open letter, to Hon. ]. M.
Terrell, candidate for governor regarding
his prohibition views. A copy OF the letter
was forwarded 70 The Journal. 1t was
announced at the Terrell headquarters
Saturday that no such letter had been re-
ceived there.
The following is the communication
FURNISHED The Journal:
An Open Letter to Hon. ]. NJ. Terrell.
Hon. ]. NJ. Terrell. Dear Sir: In reply to
yours partially defining your position on
the question Of abolishing barrooms from
Georgia, we would say: We nave no desire
neither have we the time to engage In a
controversy but we write you this open
letter with the hope of eliciting response
that will be satisfactory to every prohi-
bitionist in Georgia. We feel sure you UNI
derstood the questions that we PROFOUND
ed to you, viz: Will you as candidate,
etc, etc, take position in favor of elect
ing men to the legislature, etc, who favor
state prohibition? To which you reply, I
will not" giving as a reason that 1T
would be indelicate for me to attempt TO
dictate to the people whom they should
elect" etc, etc. These matters should be
left with the people to whom they prop
erly belong" etc. 1t was not INTENDED
that the question should refer to men, but
measures. 1t is not who, but what prin-
ciples would you favor? Neither was II
intended that you should dictate, but rath-
er advise the people. If aspirants Tor OF
flce are not competent to advise they
hardly have capacity TO read and govern,
but thousands of our citizens very justly
have confidence in your ability 10 ADVISE.
The power and prerogative OF choosing a
governor belongs properly to the people
the same as choosing a senator or repre-
sentative but you are quite ready 10 al
wise the people to elect a man for COVER
nor who holds the principles ana aoVo-
Gates he measures that you noid ana au-
vocate Why restrict this ADVICE 10 tne
ONCE Of governor, for 1t may happen tnat
the vote Of one representative or senator
NAV be as important In deciding some
great question as the sanction or veto OF
the governor. -,
We fully believe you have some well
defined policies that you wish 10 see 81.
fected: some fundamental principles OF
government you wish TO see ests Diis lllt,
which Won believe would be for the well
fare Of the entire state To illustrate;
in your announcement you declare your
self I'm favor of equalization in taxauon'
s'public schools" pensions for soldiers:
Now in your public addresses you Woulo
not hesitate to advise the people 70 vote
for men who would cooperate with you
these measures. You should stand Tor
pension and public schools If you knew
every vote in the county would be cast
against you for so doing. Prohibition Is
a statewide issue. Under the existing
laws of transportation and commerce the
saloon evil cannot be localized. It's ex-
fstence in one county is a serious peril
to the well-being of every other county
UNEQUAL taxation, public schools, pension
laws and such like are not so defusiVe
and far-reaching as the saloon. one
county may go wrong on any or these Is
sues and the neighboring county scarcely
be affected by it, but If one county goes
wrong on the saloon question every
county in the state becomes sufferer:
Would you in one county be in favor OF
local option because the people might pre-
fer local option, and in another county Ia
vor the dispensary because the people pre-
fer that arrangement, and yet In anotner
endorse prohibition, and still in another
stand for barrooms because a majority or
the voters might choose the open saloonF
What we wish to know is this: Will you
stand for principles and measures which
aim at the eradication of the saloon evil
from the whole state? Or will you favor
saloons in some counties. local option IN
others, dispensaries in others and blind
tigers in the balance because these mat,
tiers belong properly to the people,, ana
the majority Of the voters have so decid-
ed in their respective counties? The state
is the unit of territory which decides other
issues; why make each county the unit on
the saloon question? Heretofore we resort
ed to local option because 1t was the best
we could do, not because ii was the meas
ure desired by many.
At the time that local option by counties
was introduced there was more opposition
to Il by local politicians and the press
than there is now to general prohibition
or general option by the state. Can we
make no further progress? Is there no
conditions more desirable? You are maxi
ing strenuous efforts to- bring about i'm
provement in our taxation laws and in our
public school systems. Why not join in the
noble work Of improving the laws touching
the liquor question? II you will do this,
we feel confident that II will lead to the
solution of the very serious problem in the
present-day politics in Georgia, and pre-
vent many dissentions and perhaps accrt-
monious discussions in the pending cam
paign and will insure to our people unity
of sentiment and uniformity of action and
a cooperation of effort that will win for
us the peerless title which we have claim
ed-the Empire State of the South.
with sentiments of high esteem, we re-
main yours, ETC.,
c. r. PRINGLE,
Chairman Ga. Pro. Association.
G. A. NUNNALLY,
Chairman INSTRUMENTATION Tenn