The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-12-12
PROHIBITION AND INTEMPERANCE

Mr.. EDIToR:-With your permission !
will give my compliments to " Reality for
his very elaborate production that has now
been five months in process of Incubation,
and when it is out, reminds us of the re-
mark that was attributed to the OLD hen
wher, she had Matched the duck. 1t is GER
tainy curious chicken.
We do not see that in all this time he has
adduced any facts to answer the ones he is
discussing but on the other hand he has
let fall several remarks that disprove his
own position of which we will speak di-
rectly: The only point that he seems to
make is in reference to the recent election
in Massachusetts,, but he neglects to state
that prohibition was not made an issue
by either party, aud while the Liquor
League" and - Beer Brewers Congress >
were able to spend millions to buy votes in
both parties to secure the Legislature, the
moral and religious elements in the State
were unheard for want of an efficient Orgln-
izution pledged to prohibition. Our opinion
in regard to it is that any party that fails
to come up to the demands of justice in
this particular does not deserve to succeed
and no permanent support can be given to
any measure by party that has no settled
policy in regard to it. These remarks also
apply to the State of Pennsylvania, where.
in spite of the 8. friendly legislation ~ that
the Republican party has sometimes en-
acted, their own Local Option Law would
have been defeated, or what is worse. re
pealed in open disregard to all principles of
political morality, after it had become a
law, and after it had been endorsed by an
emphatic vote in large majority of the
counties of the State with the full under
standing both expressed and implied that
they were to live in the enjoyment of it
three full years, when its opponents have
the right to alter the popular verdict at the
ballot box. Yes after having carried their
case through every court in the State, and
having the consttutionality of the law sus-
tanned in them ALL the Whisky Ring "
went to Harrisburg to bug outa Republican
Legislature and secure the repeal of the
law, and but for the votes of " Temperance
Democrats they would have succeeded.
We should be very much obliged to
" Reality if he will demonstrate his propo
sition that GO 1t is impossible to educate the
public mind up to point that will carry
and sustain a prohibitory law"
We fully endorse the rest Of this sent
ence, and are as fully in favor of universal
and liberal education as any other man and
hope to see the day when the public school
system of Maryland shall be as perfect as
i'll Massachusetts, and when thess schools
shall teach that alcohol is poison and
the use or sale of it for drink is crime.
| Yet after all this shall have been done,
we will still need political prohibition y
nearly as much as now, for in spite of all
your training, there will always be a class
who will neither fear God nor regard man,
and who only be held to order by the strong
arm of law. We favor
mental suasion for the man W no thinks,
Moral suason for the man who drinks,
Legal suasion for the drunkard maker,
Prison suasion for the statute breaker
Reality" first says that it is impossible
to educate the public mind up to the point
to sustain prohibition and afterwards says
that universal education will remedy the
evil. What further concession do we need
from him of the falsity of his opening
proposition. Is lie one of the number
that is always crying "Peace peace when
there is no peace?' He is not too young
man to rem ember the controversy on the