Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-01-27
ROME CRUSADERS
HIT BY NEPHEW
Of WRIGHT
Judge WiIIingham Says claw
and Order League Fanatics"
Are Running Town.

ROME, GA, Jan. 27.-Hon. Wright
Wilingham, former recorder of the DO
lice court of this city, nephew of the
famous prohibition leader, Seaboru
Wright, and prominent lawyer and
Sunday school worker, has created a
genuine sensation here by denouncing
the local law and order league, OF
committee Of seventy" of which his
distinguished uncle is the head. as set
OF fanatical meddlers. more concerned
with sending a niger to the chain
gang for violating the prohibition law
than with conserving the material and
reasonable interests of the city
Rome has gone crazy over this law
and order business" said Mr.. willing
nam IN an address published, in part. in
The Rome Tribune Herald. and so
long as they can send Will Martin ct
al to the Changing. some people are
perfectly willing to let the town go to
hell-and that is right where it is go
ing. unless the people wake up TO the
real condition and take more interest in
their affairs
Continuing Mr. Willingham said
How many men run this town.
Some say twelve, some say two, and
/ think the latter number In nearer
correct than til. former. But how are
they running it? We do not know. BUT
we see evidences of extravaganza on
every hand, with a constant increa S.
ing tax rate, that il kept up viii ruin
the owners of property
Leaders Have Gone Crazy"
What is the trouble? ] will tell you.
1t is because our leading citizens have
gone crazy on the subject Of law and
order leagues, and care absolutely moth
Ing about the town. That is the only
thing they take any interest in. II they
can get a few poor devils in the chain
gang they are happy, and the town can
go INTO bankruptcy for all they care
This law and order business is fun
ny. They have big meeting up at the
big church with two speakers. To hear
these people talk you would think there
was no crime in the world except sell
ing liquor They care not II you violate
all of the Ten Commandments, except
the one against liquor selling that has
been added. They damn the liquor
seller while the good old sisters shout
hallelujah, aud the good brothers have
electric thrills running up and down
their spines
"All they want to do Is to catch a
few of these little scavengers Finally
1t got to where the scavengers would
have mobbed that law and order bunch
If they hadn't done something else, so
they got after the big circus the Elks
club. II they had done that first, VIII
Martin and his gang would never have
been SO defiant of the law.
Wants to See Awakening.
What | do want is to see our aver
age citizens. our strong. sensible COM
mon people. wake up and begin to take
an interest in their own affairs ana
take the reins Of government into thefr
own hands. instead Of dancing to the
tune piped by a few politicians. II
they do not, God pity US all"
Mr.. Willingham's reference to two
men running the town" presumably
means hi& uncle, Seaborn Wright. and
Judge John w. Maddox, for both have
been prominent in the law and ordeI.
activity. and were the two speakcls'
in the big church" meeting directly re-
ferred to
The closing OF the Elks club two
months ago was effected through bring
ing Of an injunction against ii as IA
nuisance" by Mr.. Wright Mr.. VIII
lingham is not member Of that club
nor any other in the city, but the clos
ing Of it evidently made a profourG
impression upon him.
The utterances OF the former recorder
of the city. very familiar with lis
status morally and otherwise, in which
he SO severely lambasts his uncle and
the retiring judge of the superior court.
is the one topic of conversation among
citizens today, and has aroused a lot OF
vehement discussion, favorable and
otherwise
BY reason of the activity Of the Law
and Order league in Rome, every locker
club in town has been closed, all near
beer saloons have been abolished, sun
day selling of soda water and cigars
has been stopped, and playing pool OH
the loser pays for the game plan has
been cut out