The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-05-08
EARNEST PLEA
FOR PROHIBITION
4oN. sEAsoRN WRIGHT ACCUSES
eFEAT ENTHUSIASM BEFORE
NASHVILLE CROWD.
F0yR THOUSAND CHEER HIN
Speaker Proves That Statewide
Prohiais.on is Truly Der
ccrstic.

j tSHFIiLE. Tenn. May 4-licn
Seal rn Wright the great Georgia
, lec. rsnc- leader and orator tool
the bogus local option" plea OF the
y uessse whisky interests by tbs
crufI Of The neck at the Auditorium
last nighr and after Kidding il with
sh-Its Of logic and unanswerable ar
auneat. threw It limp and helpless
our he windows into the gutter When
he had concluded. there was no
Ground on which the whisky forces
could stand and make logical or
reasonable appeal to the democratic
oters Of the state.
Fourt thousand or more people
lalf Of them voters gathered at the
auditorium to listen 10 The inyincibie
Georgia champion deliver his speech
It was one of the most powerful ever
aeard in this city, and literally swept
the great crowd off its feet. Mr..
Wright was enthusiastically cheered
st every sentence, at times the people
Using from their seats and waving
heir hats and handkerchiefs in frenz-
I'd fashion. Seldom has speaker so
thoroughly aroused an audience in
Nashville.
Mr. Wright has the greatest of all
cloquencc- the eloquence of earnest
ness and belief that what he says is
right He has a keen, but strong
voice, which could easily be heard to
:he farthest corner of the gallery, and
1lthough it was nearly O'Clock when
he began to speak, he held the audi
ence for over an hour.
At times lie walked up and down
the long stage, waving his arms and
shaking his fists vehemently, and oc-
casionally reinforcing a particularly |
forcible point by stamping his foot.
He proved an excellent foil to the
noted Georgia temperance crusader,
Mrs. Mary Harris Armor Gas the
-heater critics would say and in him
and Mrs. Armor the Cracker state has
the two strongest temper
lnce speakers in the entire south.
The audience which heard Mr.
Wright was thoroughly representative
md was composed of about an equal
number Of men and women. Seated
m the stage were many prominent
minister's of the city, and DR.. E.
FOLK, and w r. Hamilton, of the Ten
lessee Anti-Saloon League; Mrs. 81
ana Holman, president of the W. G.
:. u, of Tennessee; Bishop James
,tkins, and others, among whom were
lien G, Hall, Mrs. Bette Donelson,
resident of the Davidson County W.
. T. u. Mrs. Hamilton Parks. Mrs. {
I. P. Bangs, Rev. W. B. Taylor, Dr. R.
in Cave, Dr. R. M. Tinnon, Dr. Ian S
ing Burrows, Dr. VIM. Frost, secre-
'ry of the Y. M. c. A; Rev. Geo.
ornelson, Rev. c. w. Byrd, DR.. E. B. u
happell, DR.. A. c, Cree and DR.. D. c. C
elley.
Many of the churches of the city
d not hold service, in order that r
eir congregations might attend the v
,eaking. n
The meeting was presided over by Il
ate Senator l. l., Pendleton, and DR..
Lin Cave offered the invocation
The main speaker of the evening r
flowed Hon. J. H. Welcher, of Knox
lie, member of the city council of
at city, who told of the benefit that
d come to his city since the saloons
d been banished, and whose speech {
II be taken UP later in this article.
Mr.. Wright was greeted with a thun-
r of applause when he arose to
eak. He said it was rather late
ur to attempt to make speech, but ca
lat he would say would be exceed m
Ely brief and to the point. te
He said: "The reason why no man. at
man or child in Tennessee should in
Dport local option is that every sa- Oh
IN keeper in the state is for it," pl'
Now, wouldn't it put you temper III
ce people of Tennessee in pretty tel
itude, at this late day, to line you 20
with the saloons?" ms
lie said that local option was dead,
It It had served it's purpose and un
everything It could ac- an
nplish in Tennessee. his
You are not welded to any partic- rel
r method of abolishing the saloon" str
insisted you may abolish it in dia
If own way as you determine 1t of
IL be abolished, and as will be Off
st effectual." the
me