The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-11-28
TEMPERANCE AND PROHIBITION.

minds, that there can be no permanent
temperance reform through the agency of
prohibition. There is no doubt but some
members of the Cecil County Temperance
Alliance are honest in their opinions, but
they will find it impossible to educate the
public mind up to political point that
will carry and sustain prohibitory law
The masses must receive moral education
through some other than political source
before temperance can prevail. 1t is those
who know their duty but fail to do it, who
battle temperance legislation. Those who
make politics business do it for pay; see
ing, then, that the liquor dealers pay best,
there is no possible chance for temperance
in political contest against combined
enemy, united by the love of money and
strong drinks.
There was not one Democrat office seeker
in the Convention held in Elkton, on the
10th of September last, and but one or two
Republicans, and they put on their hats
and stepped out. Why was this? Because
there was no prospect of making any votes
there. But mark how things change: In
September, 1878, the Temperance Alliance
held County Convention in which poll
ticians of both political parties took an
active part, and pledged themselves to
support the temperance cause, mainly for
the purpose of Strengthening their respec-
tive parties. But they did not pursue the
same course to accomplish their object.
The Republicans relied on Temperance
Democrats for support; but as soon as the
Democrats succeeded in helping to drive
whisky loving Republicans into their ranks,
they abandoned the temperance cause and
returned to their first love. The assem-
bling of temperance conventions. and pass
ing resolutions without carrying them out,
only furnish capital for politicians to stir
up the whisky element. To prove this let
me relate an incident or two which occurred
last Fall. One of the successful candidates
for the Legislature electioneered with a
rumseller thus: "The Temperance Ali
ance having resolved to vote for those can
didates who are favorable to Local Option,
may ruin your business unless you and
others exert yourselves in behalf of your
own interest. 1t is we'll known that my
opponent and many of his friends favor
Local Option, while l oppose it. Now you
have an opportunity to protect your inter-
est" This information has been derived
from ore of the parties alluded to, and is
substantially correct l have it from the
same source that all Elkton politician spent
fifty dollars in one night, electioneering at
groggeries in the Fifth District. He had
messengers sent out to invite youths and
other guests to the bacchanalian feast, that
they might be made drunken, preparatory
to making them Democrats. He was voted
for by leading members of the Alliance,
who had pledged themselves to support
temperance men. Thus it will be seen that
politicians and rumsellers work to one
another's advantage; but in so doing they
corrupt morals and fleece mothers and
children.
If l understood your criticism on my
article, published in The Wing of June the
18th last, it was your object to draw atten-
ton from argument in favor of moral
training; but sarcasm without reason does
not confute argument. Your discussion of
the temperance question shows that you
are not as well skilled in riding two horses
at the same time as your neighbor of The
Tlemorr0f har
not so successful in pulling the right wire
at the proper time to make it benefit to
your party.
We have been expecting to see something
further on the temperance question from
your able correspondent &C." as he mani.
tested strong desire to discuss the subject,
and received considerable encouragement
to 90 so. He asks US for statistics to show
that license law diminishes drunkenness.
Now we think it should be understood that
we are not advocating license law, nor
the sale of intoxicating drinks, but what
we consider to be the best mode of promot-
ing the temperance cause. We might ask
with as much proprietv for statistics to
prove that ignorance diminishes immortality
and crime. We admitted in a previous
article that Local Option might be benefit
in certain localities; but we do say, and
have already proven, and can further SUBJ
stantiate, that the evil resulting from the
efforts made to obtain Local Option over
balances the good.
70 -
published on the 9th of June, to show
how prohibition is worked in Massachu-
sets:
"These blind guides assert that the law
is failure, when the people of Massachu-
sets after repeated trials, having had pro-
hibition in 1867, license in 1868, prohibition
in 1869, excepting malt liquors, in 1S70-1-
3, and prohibition in 1873 and 1874, now
fully endorse the latter. If the law is fail
ure, as these papers would make us believe
why are the people so slow to repeal it?
and why did they re-elect the Governor
who favors it, and now have elected him
to the United States Senate? Or if he
were not sustained by the people, how dare
the present Governor veto an act that was
intended to cripple the law"
liz ISiio 10 shoV 1uC pcoplc VI uidoSdCuuSttlS
have changed the law from prohibition to
license, and from license to prohibition, a
number of times within the last six years.
"and fully endorse the latter" in 1874.
He then informs us that the peoples rep
resentatives passed an act in the Legsla-
ture of 1874, that was intended to cripple
prohibition, "and elected their Governor
who favors it, to the United States Senate"
not because he was temperance man, but
evidently that their act might become a
law. We fail to see the endorsement
Though his statements are contradictory
they show that the politicians of Massachu-
sets have been changing the law from
prohibition to license, and from license to
prohibition, alternately, for the purpose of
retaining power and obtaining the whisky
mems money.
We now see how the people have settled
the contest: The Governor, who vetoed
the act intended to cripple prohibition, was
nominated by the Republicans for Governor