Prohibition in Georgia.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5552, 25 February 1886, Page 4

Prohibition in Georgia.

' «. . ! THE RESULT OP UNITY OP : purpose. L The following is from a letter to the l LytteLton Times from its American eorre.-?-L pondent : — Immediately upon finding the result <•£ . the special election in Atlanta, Georgia, an ; Atlanta liquor dealer, in conjunction with i a firm in Cincinnati, Ohio, who were , interested in a large brewery in Atlanta, t made application for, and were granted, a ; temporary injunction against the announcet ment of the result of the ballot, on the > ground ot the unconstitutionally of the ; law. This case was rapidly pushed up to f the Supreme Court, and a decision has I been rendered which affirms the constitu- > tionality of the law upon every point save . one, wherein an exception was made in favour of native wines, or wines made from . Georgia grapes. This practically makes I the law stronger and prohibition more ; absolute since than before the decision. l This struggle in Georgia has been watched > with more than ordinary interest, and the I triumphant result gives a grand lesson that ; must be learned by all the States of the i Union — that is, its non-partisan racihov.s. » Georgia is to-day practically a prohibition L S bate as a result of non-parti san action . Ha d . the friends of the movement in Georgia i listened to the men in other States who . are constantly aspiring to lead something, ; and organised a now party that r.oulil - force Prohibition upon either of the older L parties, it would have been as Hat a failure : 5 as in Ohio and Indiana, and •.-lsewl-.ere, s • where organised opposition was strng.

. The liquor interest understand this s thoroughly, and hold their forces to- . gether, and play them against the two . party organisations, and their business is • safe. When all men and women who are 1 opposed to their infernalism can be united ! against them, then their defeat is certain ' and swift. > In no State iB Prohibition more effec- • tually enforced than in Georgia. There > is no playing of one party against another ; • the opposition to the saloon comes from all > i parties. The Liquor Dealers' Union can i : make overtures to the Republicans, because j ■ . to yield would lose the Prohibition vote, j ' and for the same reason they cannot ■ ; negotiate with the Democrats. The Pro--1 hibitioriists are masters of the situation, and l hold a position that is impregnable while j ; ■ they work on their present line, because the ! > ■ movement has been inaugurated and main- '. l ! tamed a purely moral one, and not polir tical, and kept entirely outside of party I . lines. i I The law is enforced ; the officials have t! no choice in the matter. They think no i j more of discriminating in favour of a I j liquor-seller than they would a burglar or )* or highwayman. In 110 counties of i 3 J Georgia the liquor-seller is looked upon by j C j the officials and moral law-abiding people I I as a criminal, and he is hunted out, cap--1 tured and punished, as aro other criminals. I This thing is contagious. The same 1 methods are being tried in other Southern b States, and the same results will surely 3 follow. It is not a theory built upon the r clouds of gush and sentiment, but solid 5 earth. They really desire to crush the b rum traffic. They go about the business 1 in a business way. They will not tolerate r nor follow theorists nor self-conßtituted leaders, but proceed to wipe out the saloon i as they would any other nuisance. b Men and women of all parties are in- ■ terested in the movement. Demol crats and Republicans, black men and . white men, the church member and E the moralist, work and vote together for I the common weal and common protection ' ' Wipe out the saloon, and drive the mm 5 traffic out of the State. Upon all other i questions, whether of Freetrade or Protec- ) tion, or other theory of government, the ; people divide upon their party lines just as I before. i The great need of the moral reformers i of the day is the recognition of the ! fact, coupled with a sincere conviction that , it is the power of truth which is going to , >' win their battles. Victory is on the side 1 of the heaviest battalions, where mecham- ■ cal elements are supreme. Tactics and > tacticians may win upon the skirmish line, , but when the battle comes, truth incar- '■ nated in human souls must do the fight- • ing, and finally capture the field.