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Hon. Sigo Myers and Prohibition.
Hon. Sigo Myers, President Big Spring Dis
tilling Co., former President Savannah Hroeerv To..
«
at present Viee-President of the National Bank of
Savannah, leaves in a few days for daeksonville,
where he will make his future home.
Mr. Myers’ leaving Savannah is directly charge
able to the Prohibition law, which put him out of
business in Heorgia. closing up his distillery and
I Tohibiting the sale of his goods. 'Those responsi
ble for its enactment must give us an equal valuable
in exchange for Mr. Myers or vote “wet" with us
when the settlement of the liquor question next be
comes an issue in our State.
It is qute well known that Mr. Myers is not much
of a prohibitionist. In a recent interview he talked
interestingly of tin* liquor problem and expressed
himself as very glad indeed to leave Heorgia.
“Yes," said he, “I am going to daeksonville.
Immeasurable damage has been done Savannah by
the nrohibition law. When I saw the trouble brew
ing. 1 tried to warn the people against it and said
that 1 would sacrifice my realty holdings. Many
others would he glad to do likewise if they could
find buyers. No one can point to a single city that
has clone as well under prohibition as under tin 1 li
cense system properly administered.
“Temperance is tin* legitimate us* 1 of tin* good
things of life. A reasonable restriction of the liquor
traffic tends to promote temperance. 'This has been
recognized for ages and practiced. Never has the
world acknowledged that (banking in itself was sin
ful. If drinking is sinning then no one has been
aware of the fact until the last twenty-five or thirty
years, and today the vast mass of humanity fail to
realize the fact. From the creation of the world un
til the present time men have indulged in drink with
out considering themselves sinners because 1 of that
fact. Denouncing the use of liquor as a sin is decid
edly a new wrinkle.
“We are inviting immigrants to Heorgia from
Hermany and other sections of Europe. Does any
body believe they will come if it is told them that
they will be stopped from drinking in Heorgia, that
tht 1 manufacture and sale of beer, wines and whis
key has been stopped here 1 and that they will be put
to as much trouble as possible if they want to get a
drink, and be converted into hypocrites and assist
ant law-breakers. Once that fact is made known
to them, the tide of immigration will never set this
way. that is certain.
“While its avowed object is to prevent intemper
ance. prohibition does not aim its restrictions at the
intemperate, but only at the seller. It does this be
cause the number of sellers is comparatively small.
It does not dare to attack openly the buyers or users
because of their great numbers and because they
would resent the interference with their rights, per
sonal liberty and inclinations. It is content to make
the seller the scapegoat over whose shoulders the
law is really aimed at the purchaser, ignoring the
fact that in all moral respects the seller and buyer
stand on equal footing so far as the sale is con
cerned. It. therefore, professes one thing while it
intends another and creates in fair minds a sense of
injustice. The man who has bought cannot bring
his conscience to declare the seller a criminal by the
act of selling while lie, by the act of buying, is in
nocent. To this extent, therefore, prohibition is not
honest.” *
THE REASON
Industrial Activity at Springfield.
SBRI NHFI ELD, HA., May 2!), 1908.
To the Editor of the Reason :
The Brinson Railroad has been the means of
transforming and making new old Springfield. A
new bank building to cost s.'>,ooo, a SIO,OOO church
and a court house costing $2n,000 are projects al
ready settled. Many new homes are going up;
several recently completed. Streets art 1 to bo im
proved and many now ones made. Hundreds of
new people have come to town to make their home,
and real estate 1 is act ivo.
Due of tin 1 busiest men in town is W. T. Blount,
designer and builder. He is now engaged on four
buildings that represent an investment of s.'>,ooo or
more.
L. H. Hobgood the wheelwright and blacksmith
reports heavy orders for delivery in the near future.
He makes a specialty of wagons and timber carts
lor the saw mill trade, and orders recently given
him indicate that business in the lumber camps is
improving.
The business of tin 1 stores, hotels and postofliee
is prosperous.
Mingledorf A Bird, general merchants, say they
are well pleased with present and future prospects.
Bame report by d. 11. Daley, a newcomer from South
Carolina, who established himself Inna 1 in February.
F. A. Jerald our worthy postmaster is doing a line
business in the general merchandise line.
'The Williams House, by Mrs. F. L. Williams,
opened to tin* public last Wednesday. It is full of
guests. Picnickers to Springfield will find it a con
venient and delightful place to lunch.
The Reason Tips Its Hat.
The present gubernatorial campaign in (Jeorgia
has produced main things of note, but nothin" 1 more
remarkable than that superb specimen of word paint
ing by the lion. Pleasant A. Stovall under tho cap
tion. “ The Lion at 1 Jay.
This masterpiece graced the editorial columns of
tht 1 Savannah Press on May 27, and il should adorn
the pages of every scrap book in tin 1 country.
Mr. John F. Freeman.
Mr. John F. Freeman, whose announcement for
County Commissioner appears in another column of
th's issue l , is a well-known and sturdy citizen, lie
has declared his position upon some very important
matters, and in doing so has incurred the commen
dation of a large number of tht 1 people. Mr. Free
man states that if he is elected lie will favor a road
to Tybee. 'This in itself is a popular position. He is
in favor of 11 si 11 u the products of the poor farm for
the sustenance of convicts and not in competition
with honest labor; he favors a police force 1 for pro
tecting the country people, and recommends the
separation of the races in the convict camps. These
views are doubtless shared by a large majority ot
tin 1 people.
Mr. Freeman has been identified with Savannah’s
successful business interests for years, lie is a seif
made man of tin 1 higher type ami of that variety
of citizenship which may be elevated to places of
trust without fear of the result.
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