The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-10-04

knowledge that a decided majority of the
qualified voters of the county, irrespec
tive of political proclivities, favor its
speedy abolition. The interested leaders
Il ,minant in the county, have, however.
industrously evadcd the issue, and have
assiluously awaited themselves of every |
means to prevent the question from con-
ing to 4 vote Of the people. Here, as
every where else, rum has been potent
ally Of Democracy, ready helper Ill
every hour of political need. Eliminate
from Democracy in Cecil county the po-
tential influence Of the liquor traffic, and
you have shorn it of its chief source of vi
Cality and life. But important factor as
whisky is i'll Democratic politics, still the
sentiment in favor Of the abolition OF the
traffic in it has been rapidly gaining
ground in the county, inspired by the
successful example of other counties in
which prohibition has been achieved,
and by the speedy crystallization Of pub
lie opinion against the traffic, both upon
moral and material grounds.
Now at this election one Of three,
courses was open to both parties. TO |
openly declare in favor of Local Option |
which tho Democratic party dare not do. |
To ignore the question entirely-which it |
feared to do: or to take 4 nome ommIttal
Il
assembled on September 9th, at Elkton.
Forty-thrce out Of the forty-five delegates
composing that body may very safely be
assumed AS having no expectation Of
having the obnoxious question thrust
upon them. The whole business Of nom-
nations had been gone through with,
the busy plottcrs FOR party spells not
troubling their brains(?) about the pub
lie morals, and three gentlemen having
been unanimously selected as candidates
for the Legislature, without regard to
their opinions upon Local Option, or upon
any other subject than the success of
Democracy. Well aware of the delicate
mission he had undertaken, the Chair
man of the Convention, Mr.. Brady. Just
upon the eve of adjournment, secured
the service of delegate from the end
district to offer resolution, RELOCATING
the whole question to committee, all
thorizcd .to take such action as they
may deem necessary to ascertain the
wishes of the people i'll reference to Local
Option" \ palpable dodge, and one
that meant anything, or meant nothing.
The Convention adjourned, many of the
delegates and sympathizers expressing
their undisguiSed disapprobation even of
such indefinite action. The committee
held hurried meeting upon the deserted
floor of the Convention, the prevailing
| opinion being that they had disposed of
| the question in manner least prejudi-
cial to their party, and appointed Messrs.
Brady and Cruikshank a so-called COM
mittcc of conference to wait upon the
| Republican ConventiGn in the vain hope
that it would adopt the same non-com-
initial course, and print upon the Rcpub-
| lican tickets, as they had decided to
print upon the Democratic ones, two
words so conveniently adapted to help
them out of the dilemma" For" or
Against Local Option.
The Republican Convention met the
next day, September 10th. But to it's
credit be it said, it was in no mood for
shifts and lodges. 1t saw no reason
why, if the principle Of Local Option
! was in character so democratic, relcgat-
/ ing to the people in their sovereign ca
/ pacity the settlement of the license que.-
/ ton, they should not honestly say SO, in
| stead Of shirking the issue, for mere party
! advantage rs the Democrats had done
! the day before. 1t therefore pronounced
"For" Local Option, and said to the
/ people of Cecil county: 8 You have the
right and ought to have the opportunity
to decide by ballot whether the present
ished in the county, and it consistently
selected three gentlemen as candidates
for the Legislature, who were open and
pronounced advocates of the principle
which the Convention enumerated in its
resolutions. and who. if elected, would
{ go to Annapolis the rtrtcin advocates of
i bill submitting the question to the pco-
pie for decision. Call it what you will.
partisan or non partisan, it was d straight
/ forward, unequivocal declaration upon
the question at issue, which no honest
man can mistake. and which no true
friend Of tho principle of Local Option
will try to misreprescnt.
If the Republican party of Cecil county,
professedly party Of morality and
honesty, ever performed an act that
ought to commend it to the favorable
consideration of the non-partisan voters
Of the county, it was the manly, open
! and unequivocal course pursued by its
Convention. Disguise the fact, as the
adroit leaders of the local Democracy
may, the underlying principles Of Local
Option-the right Of the people to decide
at the ballot-bo1 every popular question
--lS HOW III L. lSSuS DcloTc Tie voters Oh
the county. And while the Republican
party of Cecil county disclaims any at
tempt to reap the slightest partisan adj
vantage out Of tie situation, yet had
the non-partiIan voters of the county
waited the sweet will of the local Demo-
cratic leaders, the issue would never have
been raised before the people of Cecil
county. Tho lusrubrious editor Of Tie
CrrH Democrat, Of course, mourns with
lily concealed hypocrisy, the perfdn vi
the Republicans in forestai'ing the tardy
and hesitating course of lcft-handed
Democratic committee, sort of after
birth of a Democratic Convention too
timid to recognize its bant!ins by an
open and honorable assertion of it's pater-
nifty. But can any intelligent man doubt
the purport Of the action of the two
Conventions? Suppose the united votes
OH both tickets 80 for Local Option" shall
constitute majority of the legal voters
of Cecil county. Are Mcssrs Steel,
Mccullough and Touchstonc bound, or
pledged, to the advocacy Of Local
1,x, e., !, 4