Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-05-04
FINANCIAL SIDE OF PROHIBITION
DISCUSSED BY SEABORN WRIGHT

FIeSS.
SPRINGFIELD. Ill. April 7.-Former
Lieutenant Governor Lawrence Y Sher-
man was defeated for mayor of Spring
field yesterday by Attorney John s.
Schnapp, Democrat, by a plurality of 300
votes The contest was one of the fiercest
i'm the citys history. Sherman ran on
law enforcement platform pledging Sun
day saloon closing. Schnapp also prom
Used reform but was silent on the Sunday
closing. Party lines were shattered"
From one end of the republic to the 9TH
er the liquor interests are bent upon null
lifying all law, not only PROHIBITING
but REGULATING the traffic.
The laws of Illinois against Sunday
opening are as strong as our Georgia law;
no conscientious. clear-headed man de-
bates their wisdom. The question in
Springfield was the enforcement of this
regulation; non-enforcement, backed BY
the liquor interest, won out, and the
spectacle of a man elected to office
pledged to non-enforcement of state law
wisely REGULATING the saloons is pre-
sented to the American people.
Keep in mind, the issue was not PRO-
HIBITION of the saloon, but simple
REGULATION of the saloon. Springfield
is not alone. Nearly every great city in
the union, wherever the liquor interest is
strong enough, elect men openly or tacft-
~ pledged to non-enforcement of wise
laws REGULATING the saloon.
The people had just as well open their
eyes to the fact that broadly speaking
the liquor interest is criminal in their ut
ter disregard OF all law either REGU-
LATINO or PROHIBITING.
A certain class of reasonably good men
in Atlanta are beginning to say, Better
repeal the prohibition laws; the old sa-
beer holes, are multiplying Them"
These good people ought to know by
this time that the criminal liquor in
terest, whenever they are strong enough,
will nullify all law, either prohibiting or
regulating.
Some good folks in Savannah say: I'VE
utterly fail to enforce prohibitory law
therefore we should repeal this law and
REGULATE the traffic. AS a matter OF
fact, did Savannah liquor interests obey
the state laws regulating the saloons.
when she had them? If the prohibition
law was repealed would Savannah en-
force. the Sunday closing law-the law
against the sale to children and women?
A long time ago came to the con-
elusion that the big question the Ameri-
can people had to deal with was the en-
forcement of law, and after conscientious
study of the question for a quarter of a
century, I simply know that laws will
never be enforced in our cities, until the
liquor interest in them is Utterly crushed
and destroyed.
The theory is that the saloon is a place
to sell liquor. The truth is in all Of our
great cities II has become the headquar-
tiers of the growing, dangerous, criminal
element, opposed to all law and de-
cency.
In ninety-nine out OF a hundred cases,
political rottenness.- graft. gross inde-
cency and demolition of public morals,
can be traced to me saloon and its GRIM
inal following. tt.
1t is easy for the average gentleman
in his club or home TO sip his liquor and
ridicule the fanatics who oppose saloons,
but If they will open their eyes. study
conditions in our great cities, I'm their
relation to life, liberty. property and
happiness" they will change their sneer-
I'm gcontempt and think better OF men
who are fighting the liquor interest ON
the broad ground that they are menace
to life, property and the government un-
der which we live.
am as certain as / live that the one
issue fast approaching, not In one city or
state, but in every city and state, Is the
enforcement of all law against a dan
gerous, growing criminal element, wins
would nulify our laws.
sEABoRN WRIGHT.