Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1908-12-30
ONE YEAR OF PROHIBITION

Tomorrow closes Georgias first year
81 prohibition. Has It been success
fuI IN lessening the consumption of
intoxicating liquors. in decreasing
disorder. in diminishing crime, in i'm
proving the moral condition of the
people and promoting their material
interests? These are the questions
that are being asked. Rev. DR.. Aims
worth. of Savannah, a probable fu-
ture Bishop of the Methodist Church,
declares that they have been, Nthat
many beneficial results have already
ensued and that more will come as
the people are educated to respect the
law and the officials are brought by
the pressure of a strong public opin-
ion to more rigidly enforce it.
DR.. Ainsworth, who has gone some
what extensively into the subject,
has no doubt in his mind as to the
success of the law. In his address
treating Of its operations thus far, he
said:
Prohibition in Georgia has been
eminentIy a success. OF course one
year is too brief a time in which to
expect the complete reversion of the
habits of thousands and the demon
stration of complete efficiency in any
law. but gratifying progress in sob
rietS has been made. Sane men will
ponder the following facts They are
instructive and convincing.
GQ0
police arrests, against 1886 for the
same time last year. OF these, 1888
were for drunk and disorderly, against
1852 last year. Macon has had for
the year 1855. against 1855 last year
OF these 453 were for drunk and dis
orderly against over I 500 last year.
Brunswick has had % arrests in nine
months for drunkenness, as against
30S for the same months last year.
Columbus reports arrests having fall
len of over 80 per cent. with practi-
callv no disorder and very little
drunkenness since prohibition went
into effect Americas reports a
Christmas unmarked by drunkenness
or easualUy-not one arrest made for
drunkenness, against 60 last Christ
mas. Augusta reports nearly 100 per
cent GELE EdCE IA G4AESAo I(i IA ttAlr
ness. despite q lax enforcement and a
wet Carolina just over the bridge.
Rome, Athens, Albany and Valdosta
make similarly striking reports. Near
u every one Of these cities. including
Macon and Atlanta. report in official
agurss greater building activity than
last year. despite both prohibition and
The panic
81 H. Il. l..
whisky is shipped throughout the
state and used. but Commissioner of
Agriculture Thomas G. Hudson, him
self a practical farmer, asserts the
beneficial effect of prohibition on
the negro farm labor of the state.
Prohibition is driving hundreds of
negroes from the cities to the farms
and wherever I go, planters tell me
they have much better success with
labor. Railroad conductors almost
everywhere testify to decrease of
drunkenness and disorder, and ex-
press agents in all the little towns
assert their records show less liquor
shipped than when it could be order
ed nearer by.
The brewers have made persistent
assault upon the law, and have sue
ceeded in selling a great deal o. gem
uine beer along with the near bees
almost everywhere. The history of
the brewing business shows it to be
IawIess everywhere. They are US
uaIly the last criminals under pro-
hibition to be driven to submission.
Despite them the course of sobrlety
has made incalculable gains, and ere
long the state VII throttle those who
hold her statutes il contempt.
All the facts and figures show that
good laws help to make good men.
Gladstone said that the primary OBJ
ject OF law was TO make it easier to
do right and harder to do wrong. If
law does not restrain but only makes
the vicious more determined to in
dulEe themselves then it is best to
repeal all law. This argument is a
sophistry of those who hesitate not
10 be in defense of a degraded cause.
Laws are a restraint, and survey OF
the facts shows the virtue of this law.
II is in Georgia the harbinger of a
better day.