The Washington herald., 1908-08-23
Rr JoHN $. HARDWOOD.


A ten-year-old boy. with tears stream
ing down his face. stood IN the streets
Of a little Georgia town nearly forty years
ago. and with agonizing appeals and
frantic gestures tried 10 stop an angered.
drunken woman from beating her child
into fnsensibility-
The boy was Seaborn Wright To-day
Seaborn Wright IS probably the best
known prohibition leader IN the United
States-he could have had the Presidential
nomination this year had he but signihed
his willingness 10 uaSe the race He IS
generally credited IN Georgia. by prChibi-
tionists and saloon men alike. with doing
more than any other man 20 put that
State IN the dry column; and through
out the South he IS looked upon as being
largely responsible for the spread IN that
region OF the present-day remarkable tenn
perance wave that IS extending pretty
much over the entire civilized warld. but
moro especially in this country snd TIE
north CT Europe.
A Lasting Impression.
Il was the spectacle Of the drunken
raother-vhen sober. & charitable and low
!ng womau-trying 10 xiii her son that
sion against the sale Of liquor. and from
the day that he tried 10 protect the child
until now he has been a fighter FOR pTohi-
bition- IN its cause he has spoken in
every state Of the Union For its ad-
vancenent he has spent each year for
many years a large part Of the income
that he receives from his 20ooo peach trees
and other Georgia farm land and his Law
practice And 20 further its cause he en-
tered politics when q young man has
been member Of the Georgia legislature
for a quarter Of 2 century, and a thorn in
the flesh OF the Cracker politicians for as
long. Georgia still vividly remembers his
race for governor on the Prohibition
PopuIIst ticket ten years ago, when he
polled thTee-foUrtls Of the States white
vote, being defeated by the heaviest negro
registration known IN the history Of the
State
Wright has attained his prominence as
q promoter OF the dry doctrine not
only by his everlasting keeping at Il, but
also by his eloQusnce- It Is TO be doubted
whether the cause he champions can boast
to-day Of a more fOrCeful speaker A feS
weeks ago he addressed on their invita-
ton. the members Of the Louisiana legis-
Iature on his Savorite subject There was
present also an anti-prohibitiOn delegation
from New Orleans. but before he had been
speaking long Mr. Wright had not only
the legislators but the i-prohibitionists
standing upon their chairs and cheering
for him Ike q lot oS delighted college
boys The last two years he has delivered
addresses all over the South; not infre-
Cuently he has spoken night after night
for considerable stretches. and his audi
ences have numbered all the way from
100 70 l1eJ0 people
Favored TaIker.
As a member OF the Georgia legislature
Wright always receives the closest etten-
ton when speaking When he wants tc
say anything he rises from his seat. walks
70 the front OF the chamber, throws his
right leg across the TOP Of an unoccupied
desk. removes a pair OF goId-rimmed spec
tacles. wipes them carefully with a hand
Eerchlaf. leans his six-foot slender frame
slightly forward and begins, with not 3
whisper 20 disturb his train Of thought
for though he has had many opponent:
in the legislature. none disputes his ora
t0rical powers
Wright comes OF a family noted in his
section Of Georgia for its orators as fal
back as the Oldest resident can remember
Some Of his ancestors were sturdy old
pioneers Of the Georgia backwoods. They
were the leaders IN the brush-fi7e political