Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-04-18
THE COUNTRY HOME
CONDUCTED BY MRS W. "a. FELTON,
THE PIONEER TEMPERANCE PEG
PLE IN GEORGIA


There were some heroes among the
temperance advocates in my early
life. l have heard elderly people In
my time tell of Josiah Flournoy, who
traversed Georgia, at his own ex-
pense. to secure names to petitions
to be presented to the general as
sembly. [ heard considerable, Of
Hon. Joseph Henry Lumpkin's efforts
when it required courage to stand
up and tell the people that they were
handling something as bad as dyna-
mite or smallpox, when they had a
sideboard with decanters and glasses
on top, and all sorts of liquors lock-
ed up IN the lower part. "Uncle Dab
ney p. JONES'" was figure often
seen, often quoted and often sneered
at, where l heard his friend and
his foes discuss his efforts to abol-
ish the use of intoXicantS from their
homes.
Before I reached my teens I join
ed the organization called "The
Washing We met one
month in the Decatur, Ca, court
house, to listen to speeches and es-
peCially to sing the temperance songs
that they used in their meetings.
Women and children could join if the
men folks accorded permission. In
looking backward over seventy years
and more, 1 have located my very
first public activity, in this Wash
l have no recollection of when 1
first began to sing. However, L do
recollect that I always was ready
to ojin in when my dear mother
sang, or Black Nanny sung the
songs brought from "OI Virginny."
She was a singer par excellence. Her
voice was not trained, of course, but
her tones were mellow like an or
cams notes.
So it happened that I had been
granted some sort Of voice culture
when 1 joined the Washingtonians,
My memory travels back to those
good old days Where 1 sung with
spirit and the understanding" those
temperance songs of that early time.
L had to pass a grog shop en- route
to school, [ saw what was going
on by seeing those who went in and
especially those who were, coming
out. 1 knew the homes of the town
because 1 was acquainted with. the
school children who lived in them.
l understood what constant drinking
could do to those homes and the
prosperity of those schoolmates who
had sober homes, and the lack of
it in those who had tipping fathers
to contend with.
One day a very drunken man came
along by our own gate. He was in
the abusive stage of intoXication. L
was the only person, big or little
that he saw, and he poured out such
torrent of ugly words that fright
ened me into a fit of crying. MY
father happened along, also, and
what he said to the drunken man
and what he said to me remains in
my mind, and my terror, that had got
the best of me, I still remember
In the long years that have come
and gone, 1 can trace the intention,
dimly formed in the mind of little
ri in enlist
for the war to subjugate old King
Alcohol. I had experienced an OBJ
ject lesson, so l joined the Washing
tonians. Then L joined the Woman's
Christian Temperance Union in 1885,
and entered into the conflict to Sc
this country, and sober fathers for
the coming generations. have new
err occupied the post of leadership.
Of the many things that L rejoice in
in this time of very advanced age,
l count myself happy that | have
ans organizations.
And there has never been time
that L did not go when called upon
if I had health, strength and my do
mestic duties permitted me to go
forward, in a time of stress and
strain. never said, Il know the
best way" l simply went and took
my share in what followed, some
times praise, but oftentimes censure.
Mistakes 1 made, of course-whoeVer
is too perfect to be occasionally
mistaken?
It is a very long step between that
noble patriot, Josiah Flournoy, who
had no railroad to travel on, yet he
travelled the country, to make the
general assembly feel that the men
and women of Georgia were asking
for sober homes and sober children,
and a plain north Georgia woman
who dared to go, just before election
days, and beg the voters to save
their own homes and their own chill
dren from the liquor evil. Some
months ago, during Governor Harris
administration, there was great
rally in the Atlanta Auditorium, to
celebrate what was known as the
bone dry law" when the speakers
were selected to hold up hands and
say 1--WE fought and rejoice in this
victory" [ found / was the Georgia
woman who had been voted to
speakers place on that occasion, on
the first ballot.
Somebody, somehow and in some
way recollected that seventy-fve
years of service meant loyalty and L
was chosen over really great leaders
among temperance women.