The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-05-10
For The Cecil Wing.
" N''5 WIT W nj
ABERDEEN, Nd. May 9TH, 1878.

EDITOR CECIL WHIG-Dcar .Sir:-Of
late your correspondents seem to have
sad time over anthropology. 1t is true
that the subject of the origin of man is an
now ask room for few suggestions is of
far more pressing Importance to the public,
at least in my estimation. | refer to the
temperance movement, but as you gave me
half page last week, must be as brief
as possible this time. l did not read The
Democrats North East letter against $50
cal Option" but am disposed to suspect
that Chester county will not lose anything
in the end by it; even if fewer fish-wagons
do run. This Local Option question is,
| am glad to see, getting to be disturb
ing element in the political world. Almost
every day l hear the lament that party
lines are getting SO weak; for myself am
glad of it; it is about time. The old polit-
ical issues are, or ought to be extinct
The "nigger has been first and last and
all the time, but the Baltimore convention
can now turn him over to the anthropolo-
gists.
This week the temperance convention is
to meet in Baltimore. l hope its action
may be dictated by prudence, but fear it
will place State temperance ticket in the
field. There are temperance men enough
in nearly every County to hold the balance
between the parties. Let the temperance
nominate no candidates of their own, but
cut ecery candidate, Democrat or Republi-
can, whom they cannot trust. If temper
ance clubs can be organized in every Dis
trict, as should be done, November will
give US a temperance legislature. I ad-
vance the idea for what it may be worth,
and hope those who have more weight in
temperance and social circles will act on it.
To us Marylanders it does not matter so
much whether the next legislature is DEM
ocrat or Republican, as it does to have men
we can trust. The schools and Local OPP
ton bid fair to be the main questions and
neither are political. To my eyes we are
much more likely to get good men by tax
ing the best offered by the two parties than
to nominate candidates Of our own.
The call for temperance convention
invites the churches to take part-this is
as it should be; compel them to show their
hands. Some of them sadly need a revival
on this question. The real foe of the
church is not rationalsm or much abused
science, but alcohol. 1t is rather amusing
to note the efforts of some city christians
to keep the libraries closed on Sunday,
when half the grog shops are open and no
protest offered. l think sometimes the
Pharisees, who strained at gnats and swal-
lowed camels. are not all dead yet. The
ministry costs the country $15,000,000 a
year, our schools 800, 900, 900, our tipping
5000, 000,0 900. One dollar for education,
mental and moral, six for drink. Isn't it
about time that God was getting something
like a fair proportion of money as we'll as
Satan. Some folks think our ministry
costly luxury; it may be so, but our grog-
shops are much more expensive one.
Every one has an influence, and if all
will use that influence who favor temper
ance, we can have fewer grog- shops
Friends of "Local Option" by whatever
name or creed, political, or religious, you
may be known in the name of a common
humanity, unite and work in concert and
something can be done toward exercising
the drink demon,
Respectfully, JOHN A. CALHOUN.