The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1910-08-11
STRONG SPEECH
FOR Temperance
Hon. Seaborn Wright. Of Georgia,
Addresses LARGE Audience.
CLOSE ATTENTION PAID SPEAKER

option campaign by Anti-Saloon League
!. Tuesday night, when the Hon. Seaborn
Wright. of Georgia, spoke in Hurkamp
Park. and il was undoubtedly big gun.
Mr.. Wright proved himself to be of
) large caliber, well primed and aimed,
and loaded with dry powder and steel
proiectles. An audience Of probably o
thousand people, men, women and chill
dren, listened very attentlvely for con-
siderably more than an hour. what
ever may be thought of his views as to
temperance policies. none who heard
him can doubt that the distinguished
Georgian is popular orator OF no mean
ability.
Erect and slender, clean shaver, with
iron gray hair and piercing eye and a
flexible and sivery voice, he easily
dominated his audience and sustained
his reputation as a temperance speaker
of the first rank, while presenting an
old and familiar cause In an uncommon
w clear and striking manner. HIS ad-
dress was pitched throughout on lofty
plane, and as he promised at the outset,
free from abuse or Objectionable fea-
lures.
Just before the speaking several tenn
perance songs were sung by the au-
dience, led by Mr. Richardson.
On the speakers stand were the
speaker, ex-Mayor NJ. G. Willis, Mr.
Granville X. Swift, Rev. +. j. Rich
ardson and Rev. J. d. McAllister, of
Richmond; Rev. j. II. Henderite,
Messrs. p. V. d. Conway and 5. +.
Eastburn, of this city.
The meeting was opened with invo-
cation and closed with benediction by
Rev. j. II. Henderlite.
Mr.. NJ. G.. Willis. president Of the
Anti Saloon League. presided. After
some stirring remarks by Mr.. Granville
K. Swift, Rev. +. j. Richardson. field
secretary of the State Anti-SaloOn
League, introduced the speaker of the
evening as "the man who made Georgia
dry.
Mr.. Wright in opening expressed his
pleasure in this, his first. visit TO Fred
ericksburg; that he felt at home in Nir-
GINA, as his father had served in the
Confederate Congress and three broth
ers had fought in Lees army. He said
"the South everywhere venerates Vir-
ginia as a child it's mother and IS
watching her struggle for temperance
with deep interest and sympathy. lie
declared that he had no unkind words
to utter nor abuse of any man. That
men honestly differed as to policies
that he felt every inclination to help
the drunkard, and that he did not lay
the evils resulting from drink upon the
= saloonkeeper. but upon the people who
:. 8. 81 a M
saloons unless the citizens invite them.
1t is up to you. When trouble come;
don I damn the saloonkeeper. but those
who voted to bring them back. What
ever the future brings these men are
responsible. He declared that the
policy of the South today is against the
saloon system. "Of the twenty-threC
million people in the South twenty-onC
million are living in dry territory
= Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, North
Carolina and Tennessee have outlawed
) the saloon: Texas is four-fifths dry anC
the other fifth will be so in two years
Louisiana is practically dry outside Of
New Orleans. II is not a local but ;
Southern issue. Let the men of Vlr
ginia, the mother of States, not isolate
I themselves, but join with the rest.
At this point Mr.. p. V. ID. Conway
interrupted the speaker in order to reaC
telegram just received by Mr. Rich
; ardson stating that Winchester ha'
voted dry by a majority Of l5l. The
news was received with tremendou'
applause.
! Resuming. the speaker said thu
South had reasons for thus outlawinl
the saloon; that the fight was primarily
against the open saloon system, as con
tanning the root of the evil.
He presented two arguments against
the present saloon system as working
: great evil peculiarly against the South
The first argument was addressed 4
the economical aspect OF the question
1.-THE saloon cannot benefit the Souti
or Fredericksburg, because they arr
not producers of intoxicants, but con
sumers. Nine-tenths of the liquor con
sumed is manufactured in the grea
corn belt Of the middle West. TIT
: whiskey and beer come; the money goel
I back to the rectifiers and brewers o
{ Cincinnati and Milwaukee. If the sa
looms return what will they bring witt
, them to benefit the town? Money
Factories? Will they develop your nat
ural resources?
when a manufacturing plant come
to town it brings capital, profitable EN-
ployment to laborers, business to tn
merchants, new homes and so forth
What do saloons bring except the re
. quest, Give US your money to send ava.
? to enrich brewers and distillers. w
I give you nothing or worse than nothing
, in return. 1t is merely leech sucking
the blood of the people. 1t feeds OF
, every industry and reaches across tn
' heads Of men to whiten the faces o
the women and TO stunt and cripple tn
: little children. 1t hurts the laborinj
: men most, because they constitute
5 four-fifths of the men,"
The speaker endeavored to set fort
:, how the saloons did not really help tn
revenues Of the town. The saloon
:, keeper simply added the license tax t
the price of his goods, and so the con
sumers, the drinking men, paid 1t
. Under the saloon system the South ha
/ been drained to the extent of $500, 900,
: 900 per year, to pay the Federal, Stat
: and city taxes on drink. Every cent o
. this has been paid by consumer, VIII
e paws from 81 to 81 for whiskey tina
can be manufactured for Is cts.
: gallon.
In considering the moral and socia
aspect Of the question, the speake
ayowed that this was not a movemen
to control men or to curtail their liber
+ ties, but to help the women and chill
J., dren, the most pitiful victims of tn
s evil. He said: Herein lies the ours
y of the modern saloon. Its purpose
r not to satisfy the demand for drink
0 Those who have acquired the taste o
n formed the habit may and probably wi
}. get it some other way. Handsome an
d attractive rooms, rich furniture, mil
= rors and music are not needed to draw
8 those who want drink. They will b
i satisfied to drink in cellar. The So
loon is provided in order to educate
new generation to drink. The averag
life of drinkers is about twenty years
Another generation must be trained
take their places and stand in the shoe