The daily sentinel., 1907-12-31
IT Will BE
DRY, AWFUL DRY
IN DEAR OLD GEORGIA
Not Drop Of Red Eye, Not Swallow
Of Corn Juice Can Be Secured After
the Old Year Dies-Even Ministers
Can't Serve Wine at Sacrement-Heavy
Loss in Revenue to the State.


Atlanta, Ca. Dec. 3O.-Only one
day more remains before Georgia will
become ar arid desert, with never an
oasis in which the thirsty Cracker
may relieve his thirst from the flow
Ing bowl. The state prohibition law
VIII go into effect when the church
bells ring in the new year. Mean
while conyival ones are endeayoring
to save the saloon keeper from loss
by making a brave attempt to dis
pose of all the wet goods in sight,
and 1t is likely that 1905 will be well
coined by thousands of Georgians in
conditions properly described as
'soused." Already the last great de
bauch has commenced and will con-
tinue without intermission until the
saloons close their doors for the last
time tomorrow night.
Present indications are that prac-
tically all the liquor dealers will OBJ
serve the provisions of the law to
the letter and will make no attempt
to continue in business after tomor-
row. Nearly all of them have sue
ceeded in iisposing of their stocks
and only odds and ends of wet goods
are now left to satisfy the demands
of the thirsty. That the state will
not be thoroughly dry, however. is
evidenced by the number of myster-
ious barrels and cases received at
freight offices all over the state of
late, and which bear witness to the
activity of the liquor jobbers and dis
tillers of other states, who have re-
Gently flooded Georgia with their ad-
key direct to consumers.
The senate bill prohibiting the
manufacture or sale of alcoholic bev-
erages in Georgia after January L.
1908, was passed by the lower house
by vote of 139 to SO on July last,
and was signed by Governor Hoke
Smith on August 6. The signing of
the measure was the occasion of n
great demonstration by the religious
people of the state, who throLged
the capitol singing praise God
From Whom All Blessings Flow"
The prohibition bills number was
known as Senate Bill No. 1. 1t was
the twenty-third bill to reach the
governor for approval, however, and
he gave 1t the "siiddoo" number
which was very significant, from the
standpoint of the liquor dealers. BY
signing the bill Governor Smith de-
prived himself of handsome income
from the bar of the Piedmont hotel.
The bill will cause loss of rev.
nue.. state ard municipal, of more
than $1,000 600 year. Under Its
terms no whiskey, wine, beer or in
fact anything that will cause intoxi-
cation. can be legally sold after to-
morrow in Georgia. Provision is
made whereby licensed druggists
may sell pure alcohol for medical
purposes Only upon the written pre-
scription of a regularly practicing
physician. and under conditions
closely specified.
Nothing In the act. however, can
be construed as to prevent whole
sale druggists from selling alcohol in
wholesale quantities to regulal IL
censed Wholesale druggists or to pub
lie or charity hospitals, or to medi-
cal or pharmaceutical colleges. Mel
ther does the bill prohibit the sale by
druggists of wood or denatured al
cohol for artistic. scientific or me-
chanical purposes, or grain alcohol
for bacterioligists who are actu-
ally engaged In that class of work
for scientific purposes only.
Under the provisions of the law
prescriptions for alcohol must be fill
ed upon the day in which they are
dated or on the following day. With
in ten days afterward the druggist
is required to file the prescriptions
with the ordinary of the county. who
will make public record of them,
open to inspection by any one at any
time. No druggist who is also a
practicing physiciaL will be allowed
to fill his own prescriptions for al
cohol. nor shall they be filled ct any
drug store in which the physician Is
financially interested. No prescrip-
ton may be re-filled. nor may more
than one pint of alcohol be sold on
any one prescription. The delivery
of alcohol under prescription may be
made only directly to the person Tor
whom IL Is issued or to the physic-
ian, or in case of minor, to the pa
rents or guardian, or in case OF a
married woman to her husband.
These provisions are expected to pre-
vent the sale of alcohol or any bev-
erage containing alcohol in large
quantities, by druggists, business
which has been carried on largely in
Maine, Kansas and other prohibition
states.
A feature of the law which has
caused protests from the religious
and reform element which was large
ly responsible for securing the pas
sage of the bill makes 1t unlawful to
administer wine at the communion
table. This protest is as follows:
After January L, 1908, every
minister who hands sacramental
wine to his members will subject
himself to as many indictments as
there are members. Every deacon
will also be subject to similar pros
ecution. We petition the general as
sembly to make such amendments to
the law as will allow the Christian
people of the state to worship COD
according to the dictates of their