The Cecil Whig., 1874-02-07
DEFENCE OF LOCAL OPTION.


prompted them, l embrace the present
occasion to take up the guantlet that has
been thrown down and make answer to the
various points in controversy between the
Temperance men" and the friends OF
moderation or "moderate drinkers" in
our community.
We will briefly notice the "Call = first,
as few sentiments expressed in it contain
the key to the whole subject. In doing SO
we do not wish to be understood as enter
ing into any argument with its author, but
rather with the clement of society for
which he speaks, and of which he is 4 fair
exponent.
The first sentence of that article would
seem to be intended to clnch an old and
popular notion that liquor selling and
hotel keeping are one and inseparable, an
idea that has long since been abandoned as
untenabe by large part Of all Christian
people. All travellers know that this ad
vancing public sentiment has driven the
liquor department into the basement, Or at
least, out Of the most conspicuous place in
all our best hotels, SO that the refined por-
ton of society may not be disgusted with
it.
The last clause of this curiously -werded
document seems to have been intended to
keep away from this meeting all who have
at all identified themselves with any pre-
vious movement in the same direction,
although all friends of good order are in
vited; and we noticed several saloon keep
ers there whom we presume are Of the lat
ter class.
We regret that this allusion to the Alli-
ance, or the Local Option law, should have
been made, as it had the appearance at
least that was manifest in the meeting, OF
being or making it a cut and dried affair,
without bit of free discussion or analysis
Of the measure by any one not concerned
in its previous preparation. No sweeping
and severe legislation is desired, only q
compromise, or at least local relief, and
you have bill, that, if not sweeping, is at
least, very severe.
No one was more surprised than myself
at seeing the Call, and I was reminded of
the old proverb, "Can any good thing
come out of Nazareth - and the answer
seemed to be, go and see And what did
I see I saw some things that were calcu-
lated to make one ashamed of the place or
county of his nativity. ! saw that public
sentiment in Elkton was only beginning to
wake up, to find itself far behind the rest
of the county; as sentiments that are there
looked upon with disfavor, are chcered
when delivered from the platform at the
Rising Sun and elsewhere. | see some Of
her best men earnestly advocated a law
that has been tried in all its main features
in Pennsylvania, Except the bond provi-
sion,) for many years, and pronounced a
failure by popular vote in nearly all the
English counties Of the State; those where
the German element is prominent (23 coun-
ties out of G5) only voting to sustain the
present license system.
l saw lawyers and others who did not
know that the constitutionality Of a Local
Option law had been sustained by every
Court in Pennsylvania and that there were
five men now serving out a term of six
months imprisonment for violating its pro-
visions in one district.
| heard one man assert that liquor was
as freely sold in Chester county now rs ever
- tlo
of her officers show but II indictments in
her Courts against 1877 under restricted
license, and this including all classes of
prosecutions.
But we will draw the vail of charity over
this seeming ignorance and proceed to ex-
plain in few words our position i'll sup
porting Local Option as step in advance
of this measure. That it is in advance is
proven by what has been stated. That
there is a vital difference in the principles
Of the two measures is also susceptible of
a clear demonstration. We live in a Re-
public, where the people are supreme,
where the majority rules, and where pub
lie opinion is the foundation OF law.
Without this public opinion no law
would be on our statute books, and to edu-
cate that opinion is equivalent to making
laws.
A Local Option law does not submit the
Divine right of liquor selling to a vote Of
the people, but simply recognizes the fore
going principle and makes prohibitory
law where the people desire it, just as it
submits many other matters, that involve
no moral feature, to the control of cor
porate or municipal authority. This pub
lie sentiment, when expressed by vote, set
ties the legal aspect of the case, but does
not alter higher law and good citizens have
in this case to submit to an evil that they
are powerless to prevent or remove to a
more favored community. The same rule
applies to all other abuses when hedged
about and supported by a sufficient intu-
ence to secure a numerical majority. and
good men often submit to the most unjust
and wicked rule, that bad men can devise
for their own benefit, ere they can be in
duced to simply take the trouble to vote to
throw off the yoke.
4 License law is not founded on any
such Democratic principle. 1t says hotels
are necessary and liquor selling is essen
tial to the proper entertainment of travel
ers, but in order to prevent them ii. e.
travellers from being too well entained, or
from being entertained on the Sabbath day,
or from having their minor children to par
take of this sort of entertainment on any
day of the year, we will lay down certain
rules TO be observed by those who shall
pay for the monopoly of this branch of
trade and give them State license to Sc
cure them in the full enjoyment of all they
can make out of the sale of alcohol to
their guests and neighbors, and immun-
ty from all consequential damages result
ing from said sale, provided always the
liquor is sold in lawful manner. IT,
when men are thus lawfully intoxicated,
damage shall be done to person or proper
ty, the State agrees to pay the costs, but if
he shall make them unlawfully drunk or
sell to minors or on the Sabbath day he