The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-03-04
SMITH SAYS He DIDN'T SAY 1T
DECLARES HE HAS
BEEN PLACED IN FALSE LIGHT.
Constitution Reproduces a Written
Statement by Him to Associated
Press on Dec. Goth. Last.

Statement by Him to Associated
Press on Dec. Goth. Last.
On Thursday afternoon Governor
Hoke Smith gave to the afternoon
papers of Atlanta a statement in
which he denounced as false the
statements to the effect that he fa-
vored modification of the state pro-
hibition law which would permit the
use of beers and light wines. The
governors statement is as follows:
my attention has been called to
local story published by the At
lanta Constitution this morning in
which it declares that the brewers
of the state are moving to amend the
prohibition law in Georgia so as to
permit the sale of beer and light
wines.
"That article says that this move
ment is due to recent public state
ment made by myself to the effect
that there should be such modifica-
ton of the law.
Says 1t Is False.
simultaneously with this publica-
ton in the Atlanta Constitution, UNI
der Atlanta headlines substantially
the same thing appeared in other
papers in Georgia.
II have made no statement that
there should be modification of the
Georgia prohibition law as to the
sale of wine and beer.
THE publications are willfully
and maliciously false. They are in
line with similar publications on
various subjects which have APP
peared for weeks past in the Atlanta
Constitution, and which have been
sent from that paper under Atlanta
headlines to various other papers
throughout the state.
What the Governor Wrote.
The Constitution reproduced the
foregoing statement Friday morning,
and along with it the following
statement furnished by Governor
Smith. in his own handwriting, to
the Associated Press on December
20, 1907:
II do not expect the temperance
movement to produce, as rule,
laws so stringent as the Georgia
laws, but | do hope to see the Ameri-
can standing bar prohibited nearly
everywhere,
THE use of whisky and similar
drinks might then be confined to
medicinal purposes, and the light
drinks, such as wines and beer, be
used only at the table as food. "A
He Fires Back an Explanation. y
Governor Smith gave out another
interview Saturday In regard to the
interview he gave to the Associated
Press, in which he says:
Nobody could misunderstood the
meaning of this interview 1t was
an expression of hope that barrooms
would be prohibited nearly every
where. After that had been accom-
plished then whisky and similar
drinks might be confined to medici-
nal purposes. And then wines and
beers might be confined in their use
at the table as food.
This possible condition of affairs
has reference to the entire country,
and only after the American stand
ing bar had been practically elimi-
mated | made no statement that |
favored amending the Georgia law
with reference to the sale of beers
and wines.
mo question was ever raised as
to the accuracy of the Associated
Press report. I gave the interview
and everybody knew | gave that in
terview. Ny complaint is that in
stead of publishing what said in
their recent issue the Constitution
published what | did not say. They
charged me with stating that the
Georgia law should be amended as
to wines and beer. | had said moth
ing of the kind"