The Cecil Whig., 1879-10-11
For The Cecil Whig.
Local Option in Dorchester County, Md

CAMBRIDGE, Sept. 10, 1879.
DEAR Bro. MUREAY:-You ask Inc for
information concerning the workings OF
Local Option in Dorchester county, and |
cheerfully respond. | will put all have to
say under three heads, viz: a. The visi-
public sentiment regarding it. (3.) The
execution of the law.
|. | have been too short time 4 resident
of Cambridge to be able to draw Il contrast
between the times before Local Option came
to be Il law and the present, but | bear
strong testimony to the fact that there is a
great change for the better in the peace and
good order of society. | can certainly tes-
tify that | was never in a community so
little cursed by drunkenness. 1t is 4 fur
ther fact, whether due to Local Option or
not | do not profess to say, that the past
four or five years. during most of which
Local Option has prevailed, have witnessed
an unprecedented growth in Cambridge.
The shipyards and the oyster industry are
steadily increasing in business. Clearly
Local Option has not laid a straw in the way
of our material prosperity.
,. The tendency of public opinion is
steadily in favor of the law 1t is true that
one or two remote districts were lost for
Local Option at the second vote, but this
was due mainly to the lukewarmness of a
few who had it in their power both to secure
the enforcement of the old law and the rati-
fcation of the new one. 1t is counter-bal-
anced by the fact that more districts wore
gained than were lost, i. C., a larger terri
tory is now covered by the Local Option law
than ever before. In Cambridge district,
where is the county seat, at the first vote
there was a majority of between so and 90
7 oca1 nptiop. while af the SAponl
last Fall, there was a majority of 424 in a
poll of about 700. What little resistance
there was to Local Option was feeble and
almost secret in its working.
..-fhe o Law was NOT well enforced in
some of If. remote parts Of the county,
nartiy for reaSas already stated and partly
because OF this >o ""moteneSs, which
equally affects the execnuo.. all laws 1t
is fact that most of the criminal L%neSS
Of olir courts comes from that section. Bu
in by far the greater part of the county it
as well enforced rs are other laws in genera
and far better than some of them, 1t
true that private parties continue 10 send t
iialtiEoie for liqdor, but ! have the test
! mony OF men ConverSant with the rive
traffic, that where once casks of liquor wer
landed on Cambridge wharf, now only dem
johns are seen. Liquor is still sold in Can
bridge-in stables, and in such holes an
corners as are usually frequcnted by vcrinir
Even of this there is very little. While III
usnry laws are openly and regularly SGT a
naught, to the serious hindrance of on
prosperity, the Local Option law is not vic
lated, except in rare instances, with grea
precautions against detection, and only b
the lowest of the community. There i
hardly a law on the statute book of Mary
| land which, so far rs the noar,t or this tow
have power in tbs premises, it would
/ more di1iicult to overthrow.
Yours fraternally, J 7, nTIs,
Pastor zion NJ. f. Church.
Comment is unnecessary.
| W. l.. S. MURRAY