Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-16
AIM OF PROHIBITION
Purpose in the South Was to
Guard the Negro.
KEPT AWAY FROM WHISKY
Liquor Blamed for the Crimes That
Caused Lynchings.
ENFORCING LAW IN GEORGIA
Only twenty-five Counties Of the
State Concerned in the Enact
ment Of the New Statute.
KEPT AWAY FROM WHISKY
ENFORCING LAW IN GEORGIA
BY WILLIAM +. CURTIS.


ATLANTA, Ga. April II, 1905
There is difference of opinion about
the cost of prohibition to the people OF
Georgia, but the law has not been en-
forced long enough to determine how far
the revenues of the state and the differ
ent cities and counties will be affected.
John W. Grant, chairman Of the nnance
committee Of the common council Of At |
lanta. and Mr.. Goldsmith controller Of
the city, estimate that the deficit caused
by the enforcement of prohibition In the
revenues of the municipality will be $780,
600; from liquor licenses. $134, 600; from
fines j.. the police court, 10000. and &c.,
600 from taxes paid by liquor dealers and
manufacturers on their stoc.:s, fixtures |
and other property. This deficit will have
to be made up by other forms of taxation. |
These gentlemen estimate that the prop
erty value of saloons, breweries, rectify
ing establishments and wholesale and re-
tail liquor dealers which was made USE
less by the enactment OF the prohibition |
law in the city of Atlanta was about |
81, 300, 900. and that the amount for the |
entire state will exceed five million dol |
lars. They estimate that 1900 persons in
employment by closing up the saloons
AMI shutting down the breweries, and
tat the total number for the state is
about 1900. which is considerably less
than the estimates heard in Augusta.
Only 22 Counties Concerned.
But prohibition has not been SO sweep
Ing in its effects in Georgia as one might |
suppose. At the time the new law was
enforced seventeen counties out Of 148 in |
the state permitted the sale Of liquor
under licenses. and five others maintained
official dispensaries for the benefit of the |
school fund. That left 1875 counties en-
tirely dry by local option, where the
revenues have not been reduced dollar. |
why're no man has been thrown out of en-
ployment. where no property is idle or
other losses occasioned by the enactment
of the prohibition statute.
Gov. Hoke Smith, who was opposed to
prohibition and resisted the passage Of
the law in the legislature tells me that
not more than Is per cent Of the entire
population Of the state have been affected
by it one way or the other: that at least
so. and probably IS. per cent of the pop
ulation were already prevented from en-
gaging in the liquor traffic under the To-
cal option law. Gov. Smith does not agree
with the high estimates that have been
made concerning the expected loss of
revenues for the school fund and other
public purposes. He believes that the loss
to property owners in rentals will be in
hnitesimal. because the breweries are al |
ready manufacturing ice and soft drinks |
and he is not aware of any building for |
merly occupied for saloon purposes that
has not been rented for groceries, soda
fountains Or for other lines of business.
Gov. Smith Financially Affected.
Gov. Smith was himself one of the larg-
est sufferers financially in the state by
the passage of the prohibition law He
owns one-third Of the stock of a new ho-
hor of
did a larger business than any other re-
tail establishment in the state The man.
ager of the hotel told me that the net |
profits averaged about $4,000 a year. so
that Gov. Smiths income was reduced at
the the rate of about $4,000 year when he
and barrooms of the state
GOV. Smith says that there will be no |.
difficulty in providing sufficient revenues
to make up all the deficits from closing
per $1,000. and under the constitution II
can be raised to S per 1000, which will
produce revenue sufficient for all pur-
poses.
Hitherto the proceeds from the liquor
traffic. under a constitutional provision.
have been given to schools The oppo-
nents of prohibition raised the point that
the license system could not be legally
abolished for that reason: They argued
that this implied an obligation to con-
tinue the license system for the purnose
of raising that revenue This pronosition
was promptly overruled by Judge New
man of the United States federal court.
Activity Of United States Courts.
The United States courts of GEORGIA
nave taken more active part in the en-
forcement of the prohibition law than
some of the strict constructionists ap-
prove or. The Augusta Chronicle the
other day contained bitter attack upon
Judge Speer Of the United States court
for the district of Savannah for what II
believes to be an invasion of the sacred
rights of this sovereign state. They take
very seriously down here matters of that
kind, which would not provoke a word
Of comment one way or the other in the
north.
1t appears that certain gentlemen in sa.
vannah invented what were known as
locker clubs to evade the prohibition
law. They organized an association,
rented a room, sent for a carpenter to
build rows of lockers in which each mem
Der placed his private bottles and his
glasses, and from which he helped him
self and treated his friends at pleasure.
These clubs were incorporated under the
general law of the state. and within the
first two months paid $500 into the city
treasury as taxes The liquor was bought |
outside the state and shipped in by ex-
press. The rooms were taken charge of
by attendants and everything was regu-
q
thorizes any three men to organize for
social purposes. There was no secret
about these clubs There were fifteen Of
them in Savannah alone and many Of the
most reputable business and professional |
men in the city belonged to them. And |
they naturally were very much surprised |
and chagrined when forty four of them
were Indicted in the United States court |
for violating the federal internal revenue
laws and were hauled up before Judge |
Speer They all pleaded guilty toAthe |
charge and sentence was suspended upon |
their signing an agreement never again to |
engage in the liquor business.
Locker Clubs Suppressed.
Judge Speer ruled that each member of
every locker club" in the spirit and in
tent of the law was engaged In the retail
liquor trade. He is severely criticised for
mixing up, in the matters which. they
claim, he has no business with, and is
accused of 'tyrannical proceedings" The |
cath or agreement he exacted from the |
culprits excites much Indignation. II
reals as follows:
II win hereafter in no respect violate |
the laws of the United States and par
ticularly engage that 1 will not take |
part in any manner in the unlawful op- |
GRAFTON of locker clubs or In The deal |
ing, sale or furnishing Of whisky or other |
intoxicating. spirituous. v.nous or malt |
liquors within the state of Georgia; and |
in this respect will act in accordance with |
the laws of sad state; and that / will |
at once offer to return to the citv of