PAGE EIGHTEEN
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
FULL OF GOOD THINGS
“Well, this" preacher thinks (?) he
wil control my vote,” exclaimed a
State Senator as lie finished reading a
letter from a minister, requesting him
to vote for a certain measure then be¬
fore the Senate. Then drawing from
the envelope the remaining manuscript
which proved to he the list of the
names of several hundred of the voters
who elected him, he added, “and he has
done it.”
This is the policy of the Georgia Wo¬
man's Christian Temperance Union in
iegislatve work. Through petitions,
letters, cards and telegrams they secure
the help and co-operation of the men
who hold the balance of power—
THE BALLOT—and they let the rep¬
resentatives heai - from their consti¬
tuency in no uncertain terms, and us¬
ually they give “the sovereign people”
what they want.
It is not a matter of history that
the State Prohibitory law was writ¬
ten upon the statute books of Geor¬
gia largely through these measures of
influence brought about by the W. C.
T. I’., made possible by a campaign
of twenty-five years of education, agi¬
tation and organization.
It is not widely known, but is never
the less a fact, that apparently suc¬
cessful candidates were defeated and
1 licit' opponents elected to the Legis¬
lature of 1907-8, through the syste¬
matic work of the State President of
the W. G. T. P., Mrs. Mary Harris
Armor. Every candidate for that Leg¬
islature was investigated as to their
position in regard to state prohibition,
and where they did not ring true,
through the preachers and the local
unions of the state a movement was
started to defeat that candidate and
elect a prohibition representative.
Quietly, unsuspectingly these plans
were being worked and long before
the legislature of 1907 met the fate
of this bill was fixed.
The Work of The Whit© Ribboners at
The Capitol.
“At the very beginning of the fight
in the Legislature on the prohibitory
1 ill, the W. C. T. u. opened head¬
quarters at the Kimha'l House. TJu
President, with her official staff, were
there. These women were daily send¬
ing out hundreds of letters and tele¬
grams posting the people of Georgia
on the situation at the Capitol and
inviting them to send letters, petitions
and telegrams in interest of the bill.
The state not only responded grandly
to the request hut many came in per¬
son and others mailed checks to the
President, Mrs. Armor, to moot the ex¬
penses of tHo campaign. Daily the
galleries in the capitol were crowded
with eager men and women, wearing
the white ribbon. The desks of the
representatives were loaded with tel¬
egrams, letters and petitions that
came in on every train. At night
great mass meetings were held in dif¬
ferent sections of the city and going
out as far as twelve miles distant.
These were addressed by Mrs. Armor
and representatives of the Anti-Saloon
League, the crowds increasing and the
enthusiasm spreading.”
“Under this high pressure the liquor
men were driven into a corner and
acknowledged that ‘the lull would he
bound to pass;’ hence July 22 was set
foe it to go through. When news
flashed oxer the wires Georgia was
jubilant with praise and her people
began to pour into the city to wit¬
ness the victory. On July 21st the
liquor men had brought all their power
to bear in the securing in the House
enough votes (ono-fiftli) with the
liquor chairman, to call for the yeas
and nays, and demanded of the pro
hibitionists that they allow the bill to
he so amended to go into effect the
first of January, 1909, instead of 1908.
The prohibitionists stood like granite
rocks and said, “No.gafutlemen, we
will fight it out on this line if it takes
all this and the next session of the
legislature to do it.” The Anti-Pro¬
hibitionist became violently antagonis¬
tic and declared they would filibuster
through the entire session and not al¬
low the hill to come to a vote and
moreover, would fill the galleries the
next day (which was set for con¬
sideration of the bill) with their
friends before the prohibitionist could
reach the House. The prohibition
leaders sent a message touching (he
situation to the President of the W.
C. T. U., who called a sun rise pray¬
er meeting to be held in the Second
Baptist church just across the street
from the capitol. The spirit of God
so came upon that service that the
white ribboners marched from there
to the capitol singing in the victory
of faith and before seven o’clock had
so packed the galleries that there was
hardly room left for the sole of
liquor men’s feet.”
“While waiting for the members of
the House to assemble they waved
their flags and hendkerchiefs as they
sang ‘America,’ ‘How Firm a Foun¬
dation,’ ‘Bringing in the Sheaves,’ to
the chorus ‘Georgia is Going Dry, Pass
along the watchword, Georgia is going
Dry.”
“This continued until the Speaker's
gavel fell, calling the House to or¬
der, when perfect silence reigned in
obedience to the rules of the body.
Then followed for thirteen hours and
fifty-three minutes the most sense
loss filibuster known in Georgia his¬
tory. The galleries and the corridors
were filled with the best people of
the stale. Those in the gallery, chief¬
ly white ribboners’ women with their
fathers, husbands and sons, sat there
from 6:30 in the morning till eleven
it night, vcd.bi nf food or even water
save once, the thermometer in the
nineties, and listened to God’s min¬
isters, God’s word, and the wives and
mothers of Georgia ridiculed by the
liquor men under the pretext of ex¬
plaining their votes. The Anti-Pro¬
hibitionist had the yeas and nays
called for every conceivable and well
nigh inconceivable question, until the
proceedings became such a farce as
to provoke laughter from their own
men. They utterly disregarded the
rule of the House, which allowed only
three minutes for each member to ex¬
plain (heir vote, and confine himself
exclusively to that point.
“Instead of so doing they took all
the time they desired and spoke on any
subject, however irrelevant.
“At eleven o’clock, one hour before
the House had to adjourn, a liquoi
man made a speech of unusual indig¬
nity and the ANTI PROHIBITIONIST
raised a shout of applause. The next
man called was Seaborn Wright, the
glorious champion of civic righteous¬
ness from his youth and the eloquent
leader of the prohibition forces in the
House. lie sprang to his feet with
hLs eyes flashing fire, turning to liis
piohibition colleagues, he said, “I be
seeoh you to maintain the dignity and
rder which you have throughout this
trying daythen turning to the
Speaker of the House he said, “Sir, I
would like to know if you are as help¬
less a.s a child that you have allowed
this digraceful performance to continue
;GI day and’—his voice was lost ii* a
mighty chorus as a man in the gallery
cried ‘Hurrah for Seab Wright.’ It
was like dropping a lighted match into
a magazine of powder. The great
throng began to shout, ‘Hurrah for
Seal) Wright,’ ‘Hurrah for Judge Cov
bigton!' ‘ Hurrah for Dr. Hardeman!’
Hurrah for State Prohibition.’ The
Speaker rapped furiously for order
and cried ‘Put them out. put them out.’
And the people shouted back, ‘Yes, put
ns out if you wish, we will have to go
at twelve o’clock anyhow.’
This ‘no uncertain sound’ com¬
ing from Georgia’s best citizens let
the filibusters know that they were
driven to yield, hence an agreement
was made that on July 30th, if the
galleries were closed to the public
and no demonstration allowed till the
bill was passed, they would quietly
allow it to go through.
“When the day arrived, the galleries
were empty according to the pledge,
but in the corridors and grounds about
(lie capitol there was a surging mass
of humanity. White ribbon was flut¬
tering every where. The Fulton Coun¬
ty W. C. T. U. served lunches all day
in the corridors just outside of the
Hall of Representatives. The liquor
men offered thirteen amendments,
which were voted down as quickly as
they were reached. About eight o’clock
the message filtered through the doors
to the praying White Ribboners that
the vote had begun on the hill; in¬
stantly the wildest enthusiasm prevail¬
ed, though no demonstration was made
according to promise. There was a
call for Mrs. Armor and when she
was found the crowd gathered about
her and said, ‘We are going to march
to Henry Grady’s monument and hold
a jubilee as soon as the bill is passed
and we want you to head the pos¬
session.’ Mrs. Armor enthusiastically
agreed, stood in the door of the cap¬
itol while the crowd formed a line by
two and two. As she stood there with
radiant face and quivering with un¬
speakable emotion, a policeman ap¬
proached and said, ‘Mrs. Armor would
you accept a mounted escort to the
monument?’ ‘Yes,’ she replied, ‘this is
our day and we will take all that is
coming to us’. In a few minuutes
he had (he mounted police on the
grounds to escort Georgia's prohibition
army in triumph through the streets.
Suddenly the word flashed down the
line. ‘92 votes, (he bill is safe,’ but
they had pledged to keep quiet until
the voting was over and there (hey
-tood, holding (heir breath in intense
eagerness for the end to come. In a
few moments the official announcement
THE COVINGTON NEWS, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1915.
was made: ‘The bill is passed by a
vote of 139 to 39.’
The scene was indescribable—grown
men sobbed like children, women threw
themselves into each others arms,
weeping, bells rang, horns blew, whist¬
led and screamed. The great crowu
marched through the streets in orderly
procession and in a few minutes were
a great multitude that no man could
number. Laughing, crying, singing,
shouting, rejoicing with joy unspeak¬
able and full of glory, they swept on
until Henry Grady’s monument was
reached, where speeches were made by
W. I). Upshaw, Mrs. Mary Harris Ar¬
mor. .T. L. Knight, James L. Mayson
and Seaborn Wright, (who had been
borne from the capitol on the shoul¬
ders of his colleagues in the House.)
The last burst of fervid eloquence was
made by a little news boy, who orie I
at the top of his voice, “Good by booze.
Georgia’s gone dry.’ From tlie mon¬
ument they marched to tin* office of the
Atlanta Georgian to stand uncovered
before the noble Fred Seely and John
Temple Graves, who. had fought so
brilliantly for Georgia’s firesides:
from there to the executive mansion
where they were warmly greeted by
Governor Hoke Smith, who said. <T
know what has brought you here, rav
friends. I understand your feelings
and enthusiasm and want to assure
you that my signature wil be affixed
to the bill the moment if reaches mo
I wish to say further that T shal ex¬
haust every rseouree of the executive
power to see that (he law is enfor < '
when it is placed on the statute books
“Thus closes one of tho most event¬
ful days in the history of the state,
making a reeord which shall shine a
‘he stars forever.”—Georgia W. G. T.
U. History.
LATER FIGHTS'
When it was learned that a local
option measure had been prepared for
tho session of the Legislature of 1909
the W. C. T. U. busied themselves in
stirring up so much sentiment in At¬
lanta through a series of ten days
meetings and closing with a big rally
with (’apt. Richmond P. Hobson, that
f he representatives of tho liquor or
ganiaztion who was in Atlanta at the
finra thought that is was not worth
while to try to put the measure
through, so the hil was never intro¬
duced. Those are merely the facts in
tiie case and not the story entirely.
During the summer of >1913. when
McNeil introduced liis hill to lfeensi
beer and light, wines, which vffniaHy
meant to repeal fhe state prohibitory
law, and the most of the people treated
it as a joke. About 11 o’clock one
nigt my phone rang- and Senator
Searcy said, “Sister Patterson, can
fhe W. C. T. IT. do anything to defeat
this beer hill, it looks as if it is goin^.
to he reported favorably by this Com¬
mit tee, in spite of all we can do. We
are to have a committee meeting a 9
o’clock in the morning, can you get
Sister Armor here?” I said “I’ll try.”
Fortunately the phone service was
excellent and in less than five‘minutes
I had communicated with Mrs. Armor
at Eastman. She boarded tho 2
o’clock, a. m. train and when the com
mittee met the following morning we
were sitting there waiting for them.
The committee meeting was postponed,
the opposition admitting- that they did
not want to meet the women.
In the few days that followed the
unions all over the state went to work
and the letters, telegrams and petitions
that poured in served, when presented
by Senator Hixon, chairman of the
Senate Temperance Committee, to con¬
vince the Senators that the “people"
did not want “Beer and Light Wines,”
so the hill died in the hands of the
committee.
Tn a little different, but in a more
effective way, Georgia W. C, T. U. in¬
fluenced Congress a few years ago. It
was while the Kenyon-Shepard bill on
interstate commerce was pending. Tho
National W. C. T. U. decided to have
a W. C. T. U. Day at the National
Capitol. For ten years or more the
temperance forces had been working
for the passage of this measure, miles
of petitions had been sent, telegrams
until the operators eried for mercy,
letters until they were not noticed, and
when the news came from headquar¬
ters asking that the State Preside:' 1
come to Washington on the date set
and have the unions to send telegram
and petitions. T wrote, suggesting that
instead that each state send one del¬
egate from each county and besiege
fongerss with a petition in person
The reply came that is could not bo
done, but Coorgia could try it.
To make a long story short, when
flie day arrived it was not to "the news¬
papers and Congress National W: C.
T. U. Day. but Georgia Dav. Geor¬
gia’s committee, headed by Mrs. Mary
Harris Armor, and "ontposed of lead¬
ing. substantial business men. marched
into the committee hearing about sev¬
enty-five strong, and what they did
and said there that day is in the Con¬
gressional Record whore all may read.
So well pleased were onr representa¬
tives that they succeeded in getting
a meeting of the committee of the
whole. The result was that the bill,
after all these years, was reported fav¬
orably and has since become a nat¬
ional Jaw
Dr. Wibur F. Crafts, in speak.ng of
tl ■ Co r:ia Committee, termed it “A
committee in boots” and said it was
the most effective thing that had hap¬
pened in Congress in the twenty years
that he had been there.
Ti e Woman’s Christian Temperance
Union never enters an important cam¬
paign with ait first soaking the guid¬
ance of the Holy Spirit through fast¬
ing and prayer. The National Conven¬
tion, which met at Seattle, October
9th-14th, appointed December 2nd, a.s
a day of fasting and prayer for Nat¬
ional Constitutional Prohibition and
adopted resolutions asking that Dec¬
ember (lie 5th he a special da.v of
prayer for Congress in all the churches
of the country and that December 12th
tie set aside for a prohibition mass
meeting in Washington, and local
union mass meetings in every city and
town in the United States. “It is not
by might nor by power but by My
Spirit. Saith the Lord.”, and no one
knows this better than the rank and,
file of the Woman’s Christian Temper¬
ance Union.
It was through the efforts of the
W. C. T. U. that Physiology and H.v
'ene. teaching the effects of Alcohol.
f ohiicoo and other narcotics upon the
ystem, was made a part of the public
•ho<d system. And among other law:
‘n which they have been actively in
ter ’sted are Child Labor, Compulsary
Education. Juvenile Courts, Reforma¬
tories. Auti-Cigaretto and lmuiv others
MRS. T. E. PATTERSON. State Proa.
“FLORIDA” WRITES ON
LIQUOR CIRCULARS.
Mi;s. W..-.C. Clark, President of tho
Covington: Chapter of the W. C. T. V..
has received the following anonymous
letter, signed “Florida”, written on tin*
back of a lurid circular letter from
one of the whiskey houses of Dayton,
Ohio. It is interesting reading:
“Uncle Sam is protecting this great
nurse against his will. And I am sure
the time is not far distant when he
will b strong enough to assert his
rights. And then his protecting arm
will be removed from this thing. And
to the good women of our country be¬
longs the red it.
“FLORIDA.”
v'jfcgl S i
SI. NEW LINE OF
rm
A A P
m
m AND
NEW TRIMMINGS
A HAT FOR
m Every Personality
Also a Full Line of the Latest
*1
NOTIO N S I
m 1
m
East Side of Square Ccvlngif Georg" I
c,
*
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CITY LAUNDrI )
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