The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-02-10
Local Option.

Local Option.
We notice that our temperance folks Of
Cecil are making feeble effort in petit
tioning the present legislature in favor Of
"Local OPTION as remedy for the
gigantic evils of intemperance. Dec asion-
ally petition signed by few hundred
about two hundred, or a few over, being
the maximum-names are presented by
some member of the legislature, and is
quietly referred to some pigeon-hole COM
mittee, who, doubtless, as complacently,
consigns the said petitions to the waste
basket. Considerably more effort, and
vastly more self-sacrificing, will have to be
made by those who have taken " orders, y
and dedicated themselves to the work OF
purging the land of intemperance. There
is commendable show of doing temperance
work affected, but it seems to us, as far as
we have been able to arrive at the true
condition of the temperance organizations,
that there is considerably more ceremony
than real, intelligent, telling work per-
formed. 1t does appear to us that the cry
ing out against rum drinking and kindred
topics has become, in a measure, stereo-
typed and has lost great deal OF its org
inal power to move the public. The law
which organizes and protects the trade
from which SO vast stream of misery,
restitution, want and crime constantly
pours, is the only vulnerable point left to
assail. Assaults upon the moral supports
of the custom are but little regarded, now
a-days, by liquor men. Such attacks are
met by smile from them. If the organ
lied workers in the cause of temperance
hone to achieve the overthrow of the bust
ness. they must direct their concentrated
efforts upon this one point, instead OF stop
ping to deal damnation to every man who
shows the inherent weakness of human
nature by tasting a glass of wine' OF, 1t
NAV be, something stronger, when it comes
too temptngly in his way, for his weak
nature to resist. They must emulate
Butcher, who pushed on to Waterloo, IN
place of stopping to fight Napoleon
Marshal we'll knowing that if the head was
crushed that the limbs would succumb
without further effort With lodges organ
lied in every Election District, the temper
ance reformers, with proper and deter
mined, or rather industrious effort, should
have been able to send in thousands OF
names, against the license law, in place
of hundreds, as they are doing. Such petit
lions might have been all prepared and
ready for forwarding when the legislature
met. Plain, simple addresses could have
been published, stating the grounds taken
by the anti-license party, and Occupations
sent to every church to ask the active
co-operation of each denomination in the
work. An ordinary amount of common
sense thought, embodying definite plan
of action, in which each member had some
we'll defined part of the work allotted to
him or her, and who would be responsible
to the Society for the fulfilment of that
task to the letter. might have accomplished
inconceivable results, and with less labor,
perhaps, than has been fritted away in idle
forms, and, shall we say silly ceremony
A number of boys and girls banding to-
gether, and attaching cabalistic letters to
their names, as the insignia of official dig
nifty will answer as very fair specimen OF
faith without works. There can be nc
objection to ceremony, accompanied by a
corresponding amount of intelligently di-
rected cork; but we fear that very large
per cent. of the brothers and sisters of the
cold water army, though having very
vivid perception of the ceremonies and
social enjoyments afforded by their orders,
have but dim conception of the vast work
they have undertaken, and an intelligent
mode by which it shall be done, if accom-
plished at all. True reformers are stern,
thoughtful workers, and find no time fol
light amusement during their hours OF
labor. The petitions which have gone uI
to our legislature are fair index of the
kind of working material our temperance
orders are composed of, and that theil
march against the citadel of rum, partakes
more of the nature of a picnic than real
work; and the social enjoyments of the
lodge room are found to be more attractive
than the calls of stern philanthropy.