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the conflict, but we might as well have tried to foice
back the sea or divert a cyclone from its path by a ,
wave of the hand.
“The advocates of prohibition were not at all
punctilious as to the methods which they employed
in supporting the measure lor which they were work
ing. There is a law in Georgia which prohibits the
presence of lobbyists in the capitol building, but
they disregarded and trampled upon this statute
with the utmost nonchalance. Men, women and
children filled the corridors of the capital and the
walks surrounding the building: prayer meetings
were held in the committee rooms, cloak rooms, cor
ridors, on the steps, and on the street, and the poor,
harrassed and sorely perplexed law-makers were
buttonholed at their hotels, at their meals, on the
street and anywhere else that life could be made
miserable for them.
“The whip was list'd on members of both Houses,
and threats of political death, were freely made to
all who failed to support the bill when it came up
for final passage. No weapon is so effective as that
which threatens an office-holder with political anni
hilation, and when this is followed up by scores of
letters and telegrams from his own constituents,
advising him that he will be forever denied political
preferment in the future unless he complies with
their demands to vote for or against a certain meas
ure. he will surrender in almost every instance.
“II may not be out of place to mention one of the
chief causes of the prohibition sentiment now prev
alent in Georgia. The state is composed largely of
rural districts and these can outvote the cities three
to one at any time. For some years wholesale liquor
dealers had been very active in the dry counties;
despite the protests of the people and the officials
in these sections, their drummers solicited orders
from negroes as well as whites, and the negro, who
had little money, was supplied with a whiskey which
was absolutely vile, to say the least. The people
insisted upon this being stopped, and finally served
notice that unless the city dealers ceased shipping
whiskex into their counties they would unite and
drive it out of the state entirely. As they could
outvote us three to one. you can readily see how
little chance we have when the country becomes
arrayed against the cities upon such a question.
“While all this is true. Gov. Smith could have
prevented the passage of a prohibition bill, and
would have done so if he had been consistent. lie
was elected on a local option platform, and when
the prohibition question was presented it would
onlv have been necessarv for him to say that such
a measure was in violation of the platform adopted
by the Democratic State Convention, and that those
who wish to see such a law passed should make the
fight at the next primary and in the next State Con
vention; but instead of doing so he stated that he
would sign a prohibition bill if such a measure was
THE REASON
passed by the Senate and House of Representatives.
This practically settled the matter; from this time
on we had no more chance than a wisp in a whirl
wind.
“Now. as to whether prohibition prohibits in
Georgia any more than in other states where simliar
measures have been in operation, permit me to say
it does not, and it never will. In rural districts,
whore the sentiment of the community is favorable,
the law is well enforced, except that anyone who
desires to do so can order his liquor delivered by
express from some dealer in the adjoining states.
In the cities the sales are of course much less than
they were when the saloons were open, but the
brewers and the wine dealers have been the chief
sufferers. Owing to their bulk, very little wine or
beer can be had, but in all of the cities and towns
that pass the limits of the village, a man who wants
a drink of whiskey can get it without any trouble.
“At the present time it seems to be an unwritten
law in Georgia that a malt beverage containing not
more than two per cent of alcohol can be sold as
“near-beer.” What. the Legislature will do at its
coming session in July we do not know; but the
brewers of Georgia hope that a bill will be passed
permitting the brewing and sale of a two per cent
beer, or possibly even a stronger beverage, with cer
tain restrictions. The people will have to be edu
cated to the point where they realize that such a
beverage is not intoxicating, but is a healthful, tem
perance drink. To accomplish this we have a long
and hard fight ahead of us, and any assistance which
may be rendered us by the United States Brewers’
Association will be fully appreciated.
“In conclusion, permit me to call your attention
to the fact that under the existing conditions the
Georgia brewers cannot expect to do anything like
the business they did last year. We are prohibited
from making or selling beer of standard grade, but
must be content to put out the two per cent article.
“Now, in all candor, do you not think it would
show a better and more fraternal spirit if the out
side brewers would not attempt to compete with us
in our own state, in the manufacture and sale of
these lighter brewed beers? It is customary where
there is a strike against a brewer, or a number of
brewers in one city, that outside brewers are imme
diately appealed to by the officials of the United
States Brewers' Association, and are urged to make
no shipments of beer into the city having the trouble.
Why should not this rule apply also to the poor devil
in a prohibition state, whose privileges are so few
and who is struggling so hard against frightful odds
for his very existence. The outside brewery has the
entire state in which he can ship his standard beer,
but in common fairness I beg* you not to compete
with us in the manufacture and sale of prohibition
beers.