Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-12-09
HARDWICK'S DRY LAW TALK
STIRS STORM OF CRITICISM
Spirited Comment Made by
Prohibition Leaders on
HardWick's Remarks at
Luncheon to Commission
er Haynes
Governor Thomas w. Hardwick's

Governor Thomas w. Hardwick's
declaration that the Georgia prohi-
bition laws are unnecessarily and
unreasonably drastic" made Wed
nesday at a luncheon in honor of
Federal Prohibition Commissioners
Roy A. Haynes, appears to have
stirred up a veritable hornets nest
of criticism and protest among the
prohibition and temperance forces.
Spirited comment has been made
by DR.. G. o. Jones, superintendent
for Georgia of the Anti-Saloon
league; Mrs. Leila A. billiard, presi-
dent of the state W. G. T. T.; Con-
gresham William D. Upshaw, of
the Fifth congressional district; W.
Woods White and Commissioner
Haynes, all of them taking sharp
issue with the governor.
The luncheon at which the COVER
nor attacked the Georgia prohibl-
ton statutes was given by Fred D.
Dismuke, prohibition director for
Georgia, in honor of Commissioner
Haynes and other high officials of
the prohibition department who are
touring the country with him. In
attendance at the luncheon were all
the federal prohibition agents in
Georgia, the prohibition directors of
Florida and Tennessee and seVera!
well-known dry law advocates and
leaders in the prohibition and tenn
perance movements.
The governor, in an emphatic
speech, the first on the program, re-
ferred to the Georgia statutes, par
ticularly that one which makes 1t a
crime to have even a small quantity
of whisky in ones possession, as "un-
necessarily and unreasonably dras.
tic and declared he did not believe
the prohibition laws could ever be
completely enforced until this and
other such features were modified.
Governor Hardwick, at the begin
ming Of his speech, complimented Di-
rector Dismuke and the Georgia
force of prohibition agents in the
highest terms for their work, stat
ing that they had done all that
was possible to enforce the prohi-
bition laws and had made excel
lent progress"
Governors Remarks
at is exceedingly difficult" said
the governor, "to enforce any law
that limits the personal liberty OF
the American citizen. / have always
held however, that the only principle
for an officer of the law to follow
is that of enforcing the law to the
letter as long as it remains on the
statute books, whether he believes
in the law or not. If the people gen
orally do not believe in it they will
finally repeal it through their repre-
sentatfvUs
'I do not believe the open saloon
will ever return. But whether the
Volstead act will remain of force in
it's present provisions is entirely a
different question.
"Georgia's prohibition laws are
much stricter than the federal prohi
bition laws I realize fully the storm
Of protest [ will bring upon myself
with my next statement, but I must
say that, personally, l believe we
have gone too far.
Il do not believe the prohibition
laws now on the statute books of
Georgia, or at least certain features
of those laws, can ever be enforced
impartially and equally among the
high and the low, the rich and the
poor-and no law should ever be en-
forced otherwise.
1.-The law which makes it a crime
to have whisky in ones possession
is openly and generally violated.
candidly believe that a great many
Of our highly respectable and other
wise law-abiding citizens are violat-
ing this particular provision of the
law al the time.
1T ought not to be a crime to
have any quantity, no matter how
small. in ones possession. 1t ought
to be a crime to have in ones pos
session such an amount as to show
upon it's face an intention to traffic
in whisky. I do not pretend to say
whether the limit for personal use
should be a quart, a gallon or five
gallons.
Il do not believe we will ever have
proper enforcement, upon all classes
impartially, until this and other fea-
lures of the law are modified"