The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1917-01-31
REPRESENTATIVES WALKER
IS FOR "BONE-DRY" LAW
From the Macon Telegraph:

public at this time is very much inter |
ested about the Hon. Nat E. Harris, |
Governor of this great state, calling |
an extra session of the legislature to |
pass what is being called bone-dry |
law prohibiting the shipment of any
liquors into this state. We have al |
ready the state prohibiting the manu-
featuring of liquors in this state, and
to prohibit the shipment of liquors in
to Georgia will make the state bone
dry as far as the law is concerned.
The thinking people of this great state
are anxious for this law. For many,
many reasons the thoughtful person
realizes the harm that has been done
and the harm that may hereafter be
done on account of this deadly stuff
called whisky. We cannot tell Just
when it will get in it's deadly work.
1t is like unto stray bullet from a
madman's gun. We cannot tell who
the victim will be. Thousands of in
nocent people suffer on account of
whisky. Human lives have been TAX
en- walking along the public highways
of this free country of ours going to
and from their own private and public
business affairs, paying strict atten-
ton to their own business when they
have been as the stray bullet from the
madman's gum attacked by an uncon-
scious drunken maniac raging upon
the public highway, interfering with
the peace and prosperity OF our citi-
zens who pay into our government the
taxes demanded of it to support the
government Who should we look to
for protection? We are looking to
the government of our great state
(Georgia) to protect u.s. And there
has never been more opportune
time than just now for our govern
ment to take into their hands a ques-
ton that concerns the peace and pros
,perity of our country which our fore
fathers intended we should have when
they wrote that independent clause in
our Constitution If sober, thought
full people of our country cannot cure
this state of affairs now while thew
have the opportunity of their lives;
If not, then we have no Constitution
protecting our rights; for without
prohibition clause the Constitution
availeth nothing as to protection of
life and property but only Furnishes
for the crime committed
Now, it is very common thing for
people to kick on expenses, especially
when it comes to paying anything out
OF the public treasury of state or
county. Stop for moment and figure
who pays the money into the state. l |
say examine the court docket and see
who puts the burden of expense on
the people. Then look on the tax di-
gest and see how much taxes the
drunkard pays. dare say that hardly
one out of hundred pays more than
a poll tax, and that poll tax is paid to
keep him in good standing in case if
ever comes to showdown of a law
with the referendum attached thereto
1T the question of expense is standing
in the way of our Governor in call;no
an extra session to dry up the state
of the whisky business, and say that
1t cost $4,000 | will be one of the
twenty thousand to give one dollar
INTO the treasury of the state to help
pay the expense of the extra session,
and | conscientiously believe that
when the call is made there will be
more than twenty thousand big-heart-
ed Georgians who will only be too
glad to assist in raising this fund
Humanity is knocking at our door
and demanding the protection of in
nocent children who are deprived of
that which they are Justly entitled to
under our government At the 1916
session of the legislature | was one of
the few who voted against the social
ed compulsory education bill. | stated
then IN part why | opposed the bill
because of the fact that when we
force child to go to school without
tree books it availeth nothing. Thou
sands OF parents drink up their living
and have not the money to buv
enough bread to sustain life, saving
nothing about decent clothes for their
children to go to school in; saving
nothing about books, big item itself
How can we compel the attendance of
children under such circumstances
unless the state takes them in charge?
Let's dry up the whisky business
and see if it won't help conditions
Let's make our Constitution speak |
what 1t was intended to speak. Pro-
hibit as well as prosecute.
WESLEY r. WALKER.
Representative Ben Hill County,