The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-01-02
GEORGIA THE
DR|EST Of ALL
DRY STATES
Will Be a Sahara Desert if Pro-
hibitory Laws Are Strictly
Enforced.

Harris has signed the three prohlDi-
tiop bills passed by the legislature
at the recent extra session. They are
said to be the most drastic yet writ
ten into the statutes Of any state.
They become effective May /. 1916.
The governor used four pens Ia
signing the three bills, and preseu T.
ed one Of them to the Georgia apti-
saloon league, OF which DR.. G.. w.
Elchelberger Is superintendent; one
to Representative H. w. Hopkins OF
Thomas county, floor leader of the
prohibition forces In the house, and
one each to Senator Stovall. who in
troduced the bills In the senate. and
Senator Manghum, who took an ac-
tive part In this passage.
There were present in the COVER
nor's Office when he signed the bills,
In addition to those named, W. s.
Whitman, Atlanta broker and pro-
hibitionist; Thomas B. Fielder an
Atlanta lawyer, who formerly repre-
scented the liquor interests in the
state, but Is now an ardent prohibi-
ZIONIST and helped to draw the bills;
Eugene c. Galloway, member Of the
Atlanta Business mems prohibition
committee; Mrs. Mary L. McLendon
OF Atlanta, head Of the Georgia
branch of the Woman's Christian
Temperance Union; Mrs. w. H. Fell
ton, Of Cartersvile, and Representa-
tive j. H. Evans of screven county.
May Be Too Drastic.
The consensus Of opinion In the
legislature is that Georgia now has
the most effective prohibition laws
of any state in the United
States. Taken together. the three
bills absolutely eliminate locker
clubs and near-beer saloons, to-
gether with breweries, will prohibit
the shipment Of whiskey, wine and
beer into the state except In speci-
fled small quantities for private use.
and will abolish the advertising of
whiskey, wine and beer in any form,
whether the medium be newspaper.
magazine or other publication pub
lished in George or elsewhere, or
whether by billboard or street car
sign or in any other way.
Upon the fact that the laws are
so drastic the opposition base their
hopes Of oyerthrowing them in the
courts. Members of the legislature
who supported the bills admit that
the constitution was strained in or
der to get in certain provisions Of
each Of the bills.
For instance, the omnibus bill pro-
hibits the manufacture or sale OF
any malt drink. whether 1t contains
alcohol or not and whether intoxi-
eating or not. Some lawyers in the
legislature hold this to be uncon-
stitutional on the ground that such
a drink could not be incorporate
and therefore is not within the pur-
view of the states organic law.
The anti-shipping bill undertakes
to limit the quantity of whiskey,
wine and beer which an individual
may lawfully keep on hand for his
private use. Some members of the
legislature declare this to be an
infringement upon personal liberty.
The anti-advertising bill applies as
said, to publications published out
side the state, which some leglsla-
tors conceive to be an attempt by the
state to regulate interstate COM.
merce.
As to Communion Wine.
1t seems to be question whether
or not these laws will prohibit the
serving of wine at communion SER
vices at churches. In discussing the
bill the house minority claimed that
1t would. and the prohibitlonists
never satisfactorily refuted 1t. How
ever, several prohibitionists have
since come forward with state
ment that in their opinion the bills
will not prohibit wine in churches,
as 1t will not repeal the old prohi-
bition law exempting churches.
In connection with the anti-ship-
ping provision OF the law there was
a general belief throughout the state
that 1t permitted the receipt monthly
by each individual Of a maximum
OF two quarts Of whlskey, and" four
pints Of beer--a pretty respectable
amount Of drinkables for those OF or
binary temperate habits. This be-
lief arose through an Interpretation
OF the law which did not take into
consideration the difference between
the coordinate conjunction and"
and the distinctive COR"
This preconceived and much cher
ished notion as to the amount of
turntables obtalnable, even under
radical prohibition, received rude
shock with the announcement of
Senator Stovall that the mistake
arose through the use by the news
papers of the conjunction "and" in
stead of or" In other words the
law permits the receipt by any in
dividual or two quarts Of whiskey
per month, "or" four quarts of wine,
"or" forty-eight pints Of beer. The
individual may elect to take either
one Of these, but he cannot have any
two or all three. II more than the
specified amount should be found
upon his premises he could be called
upon under the omnibus provision to
explain their presence there; their
presence on the premises would be
taken under the law as prima facie
evidence Of possession Of liquors for
unlawful purposes, regardless of the
habits and capacity OF the individual
In question.
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