Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-11-29
WRIGHT BLANES
JOE BROWN FOR
LIQUOR HOUSES
Famous Prohibition Leader
Says Governor Is Responsible
For Violations in Savannah.

| ROME GA, Nov. 2S.-AfouSeu ny TIC.
publication of shameless violations OF
! the state prohibition laws in Georgia
as set forth in The Atlanta Georgian of
Monday last Seaborn Wright, the great
| dry" leader of Floyd county, the man
| who put the state wide law on the stat
ute books, expressed himself vigorously
| today as to the cause of the Savannah
situation, and outlining at least one
method Of procedure whereby 1t may be
abated.
Mr.. Wright says that the John Sulll-
van, Jr.. Company, of Savannah, which
concern has been circularizing Georgia
| through the United States mail, 'solic-
iting mail orders for whisky to be ship
ped out of Savannah broadcast through
out the state. is but doing the same
| illegal thing that houses in Augusta
an6 other cities are doing, all in fla
grant and objectionable violation of the
law of the state.
The Floyd county prohibition leader
| severely scores Governor Brown for his
passive attitude in the matter of law
enforcement 50 far as prohibition law
is concerned, and contrasts it with his
| activity in enforcing it against RAILROAD
| strikers and negro criminals.
Mr.. Wright says the solicitors and
| judges have weapon with which they
may reach the evil sought to be cor
rected. and that without waiting for a
| jury verdict, too often not coming; and
| he cites his own city of Rome as an
example of how the law surely may be
enforced against violators.
Mr.. Wright said:
"The mail order houses Of Savan-
nah are but another forward step by
the whisky trust and brewery combine
in the open, shameless nullif1cation OF
| the law of a sovereign state.
"The cause of this forward step by
| the whisky and beer interests lies in
| the fact that the people have elected a
governor who says he can not enforce
| law in Georgia; have elected judges and
: solicitor generals who will not enforce
law against an arrogant brutal power
in our cities, because their fear of los
ing office is stronger than the sanctity
of the oath they have taken to uphold
the laws Of their state. -. %r
ut Is folly to mince words to deal
in mild language. The governor, the
| judges and solicitors general of our
large cities are responsible for the out
rageous notification of great law they
| have sworn to enforce.
Some months ago the present gov
ernor Of New Jersey, a man by the
|
| good people of certain cities in his
state that the city officials and local
state officers would not enforce the law
against the powerful whisky and beer
| interests of these cities. This govern
or did not hesitate or bubble; he noti-
fed these officials if the state law was
not enforced he would see to it that 1t
was enforced. This simple announce
rnent was enough. Notification of law
in New Jersey stopped.
| "a few weeks ago the present gov
ernor of Indiana, a man by the name of
| Marshall, not a whit bigger physically
! than GeOrgias governor, was notified
! that the laws of Indiana against race
| track gambling were not enforced. Also
this governor did not hesitate or quib-
bic. He notified the officials of the
county in which this open notification
of law was going on that If it was not
stopped he would take hand. 1t was
| not stopped, and he DID take a hand
and the army of the state, of which he
was commander. went and stopped It.
| Now, Georgia's governor, who, of
| no,
to protect railroad property from strik-
! ing workmen or a negro brute from the
anger of an outraged people, can not
touch the Savannah mail order houses
though the cursed stuff they force upon
the unhappy country people of Georgia
| jeopardizes the safety and honor of
| thousands Of white women in Georgia
Now a word as to the judges and
solicitors general Of our big cities They
know the law is being violated, openly
trampled on and despised by the liquor
interests. Are they helpless to enforce
it? Have they no power to enforce
law?
why do they not perform this oath
bound duty? There Is not an inteli-
gent man in Georgia who does not
know why.
And the pity and shame of 1t is that
we must respect-aye, reverence--the
judiciary!
Rome is a splendid little city of 49,
600 people. We have no near beer sa =
looms, no clubs, no oreweries, no mail
order houses. Why?
Our people up here believe it is be-
cause our judges think more of the
sacred laws they are sworn to enforce
than the office they hold, with it's emol-
uments
The paramount question before the
people of Georgia is whether the whis-
ky trust and brewery combine of the
middle West, solely with the purpose of
making millions out of the people of
the South, through their local mail or
DER houses near-beer saloons and
| clubs, can go on MULTIPLYING OUR
LAW
J. p. Moore,
II Moore