The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-10-30
Self-Denial VS.. Self-Restraint.

Mr. SELF-RESTRAIST-Ded !Sir:--A copy
"SynopSis - of it are before me. You start
out by expressing the desire that our papers
will publish it before the election. They
did publish it Just after it was enacted, and
your mistakes regarding it are only pausi-
bic on the ground that you have so recently
discovered that you have not had time to
properly consider its provisions.
You assert that said law could not have
been prepared by our Senator or Delegates,
hut that it must have come "uut of some
foreign shop If those gentlemen had not
the heart or brains to produce the law, they
certainly fathered it and assumed all re-
sponsbility of its production when they
presented it to the Legislature and asked
for it's passage. Gou seem to think that
they had not the ability either to produce
or to detect the "slyness - that is adder
like coled up in the law. Those gentlemen
are not SO devoid of understanding us you
represent them to be, nor is your attempt to
apologize for them at all complimentary to
them.
You assert that while we are to vote for
or against the sale of Spirituous or ferment-
ed liquors or alcoholic bitters "that wine is
not to he voted upon by the people" Where
did YOU get your information? The law
does not say any such thing. Perhaps YOU
are not aware that wine is .rcrn,ented Ii
quor. If you are not aware OF this fact
almost any dictionary of our language will
give YOU the needed information. Wine is
to be voted on as much AS beer. lou need
not be troubled about wine for sacramental
purpose, as the Christians of Cecil county
have no fears on that account and will look
out for themselves.
Your claim about the farmer not being
able to take social glass of wine with his
friends at his home without suhjectng him
self to the penalties or the law Is wholly
unnecessary Where did you learn that
the residence of the farmer is his place of
business" What kind of business does he
transact there: He eats and sleeps and en-
tertainS his friends at his residence, but his
place OF business is outside of his house, at
the barn and wagon house, in the fields, at
/ the stores and shops of mechanics and rail
road warehouses Men that do their farm
ing in p;trlorS and sitting rooms OF their res
idence are unworthy of the name of farm
ars-are nothing but good or-nothing lazy
! oaferS. Let me inform you If you do not
already know it that the Local Option law
relates exclusively to those engaged in the
| liquor traffic and has no more to do with
social drinking in private residences than
our present license law has to do with such
drinking.
| The third section says nothing whatever
about the physician prescrlbing"r being sent
| to Jail That section refers only to parties
selling the forbidden article. Perhaps you
meant section four instead of section three.
! Even then YOU seriously err in saying that
| if the physician violated the law in giving
| prescriptions he will be sent to Jail. The
| law only imposes a fine on the physicians in
! such cases and says nothing about impris-
| onment. Having the law in your posses
sion, as you declare, how could you thus
misrepresent it to the public: You had
! better called your paper caricature OF the
Local Option law instead of synopsis.
| In what You say about sections two and
| three, near the close of your article, you dc
not seem to understand that the Legislature
enacted this law in all its provisions and
that its going in force or not in force on
| May l, 1881, is made dependent upon the
wish of the people, to be expressed ut our
next election. The people neither make MOI
enact the aw-the Legislature has done all
this and the people are to say on November
md whether or not they want it. This law
is as clear rs crystal and as explicit as any
in the Maryland Code. No man that seek
the peace of society, loves his country anC
obeys its wise and benevolent laws neer
ever fear the penalties of the Local Option
law.
Selfrestraint is one of the noblest virtues
only when it rises to the manly height o
being able not merely to abstain for its OWL
sake but for the sake of others. Then it be
comes selfdenial clothed with charity, anC
is recognized as one of the most charming
Christian graces. We fear that your self
restraint will have a long journey upward
ere it attains that noble height.
SELF-DESIAL.