The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-11-28
REMARKS BY THE WIG.

REMARKS BY THE WING.
Our correspondent, like many we'll mean
ing people, wishes to be on the side of good
morals, intelligence and good government,
but is apparently very uncertain what course
to pursue. In all such cases it is best to
lay down plan which he is determined to
pursue as an indiridual. Toget rid of that
little muddle, politics and temperance, does
he, individually, think it promotes the best
interest of society and his own individual
interest as well, to multiply grog- shops
indefinitely, or dd Hbitum' Or should the
State cease to make its revenue by grant
ing permits to establish such places to every
or any man or women who applies? Now
as these two propositions embrace the whole
of prohibition, Local Option, license and
anti license and all the on dts involved in
this knotty question of law and temper
ance, which side of these simple PROPOSE
tons will he choose for himselfo Which
ever is best for him, it will not be difficult
for him to determine will be best for every
other man. The whole boundless CONT
nent is too large an area for one pair of
eyes to scan; SO the better plan is for each
man to ask himself if it would promote his
individual interest and happiness to have
a friend establish dram shop at his own
door, or on the highway at the mouth of
his lane. 1t seems to US better to get down
to this kind of hard pan, than to stumble
about among shadows as our correspondent
has been doing all these years. What ever
is best for himself, he may be sure is best
for society, if lie is SOBER industrious
man, which we know him to be. This is
the common sense view the grog seller takes
of the question, and he acts on that with
out hesitation. He does not attempt to
ride horses, or pull wires. 1t is his inter-
est to sell whisky to all who will buy
Is it yours also, Reality that he should
continue to do so? That is the question
to ask yourself without attempting to solve
what would be best for the whole people of
State or Nation.
The little charge of Reality" of our
attempting to ride two horses or pull meta
phorical wires, belongs to the shadowy pop
ulation which SO thickly people that land
Of dreams, where phantoms of prohibition
and other unsubstantial forms stalk. We
never owned hobby. horse or wrought with
wire.
The argument of our correspondent seems
to be that it is folly to attempt to restrain
the use of spirituous liquors till men are
so thoroughly educated as to not have any
desire to use them as beverage; to which
we do not object, but believe they might
learn faster to be temperate, if the oppor-
tunities for getting drunk were not SO con-
venient, while they are under instruction.
Suppose the Legislature of Maryland should
serve Cecil county as it served some of the
counties further down the Eastern Shore,
and transfer the granting of license to sell
grog from the clerk to the people, and our
correspondent was required to vote for or
against opening grog shop at the nearest
cross roads to his home. Would he vote
for or against it9 If he would not vote
ava ~ Nv mo o"h eooAs AO los Nv W
vote to place the same at any other man S
door, nor has the clerk or the county court
any, except an arbitrary right, to do the
same thing.
Notwithstanding our correspondent seems
to have overlooked the fact, public sent-
ment is steadily advancing in opposition to
the State being a party to the spread of
intemperance. The large daily papers
speak out more and more against it; the
pulpit is beginning to condemn it in more
decided and aggressive manner. The courts
deliver severe lectures to prisoners and
.uries, sustaining laws which impose penal
ties and restrictions, and visit violations
with the heaviest fines. To base an opin-
ion on the little tricks of politicians and
bickings of parties, or the loud talk of over
Jealous advocates, is to cultivate a most
imperfect understanding of the status of
the temperance cause. AS a question of
political economy the License system is
classed with the opium trade of China.