The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-01-10
North East and the Rum Traffic.

North Fast is a small town, situated
at the head waters of the North East
River. It's location is unsurpassed in the
county for manufacturing facilities, eligi-
BILE alike to both water and railroad trans
portation. The total population is about
one thousand. many of whom are intelli-
gent, industrious and enterprising; in
fact. it has been currently reported and
placed upon record that our town is al
most Il paradise. and from the geographic
cal situation would seem tn the unregen-
Grated the Garden of Eden. But in the
face of all such records, North East has
two rum mills in full blast and can turn
out as many inebriates, young and old,
on a Saturday night, or a Christmas eve,
as any Of her neighhors. These are men.
too, who toll through the week and when
paid their money. wend their way to
those banks of hell and deal it out in
whisky and return to their families, in
the dark hours of the night. reeing to
and fro. without money or the neccs-
saries of life for their much-neglccted
families. And who is responsible for this
state of things but the respcctable(?)
q
miles distant, who sign their petitions.
endorse their bonds, with d witness that
they will not sell more whisky than their
customers can drink or carry away. We
have two professional drunkard makers.
but only for the respectable freeholders in
the district Gor they can get none in the
borough, WHO assume the dire RESPONSE
bility Of making drunkards, paupers and
widows w Id no ro al
be paradise. Not only are the signcrs of
petitions morally guilty with the sellers
of the ardent, but all those who endorse
the business by furnishing the rumsellcrs
with the necessarics of life in exchange
for the proceeds of liquor. Our criminal
code will not exempt any one from guilt
who is known to be an accomplice in
murder, robbery, or even q petty larceny.
Then why eXoneratc those who protect
men in Il business which is far more de-
Structvc to both human life and property
than all the murlertrS. robbers and
thieves in the land? Neither do we hold
the man guiltless who would recommend
his numerous readers where TO find the
groG shops where the best liquors for
medicinal and other purposes We're kept,
when it is evident the druggists keep a
sui1iciency on hand to fill any ordinary
or even an extraordinary prescription
| This to some may seem like strong Ian
guagc. but we only ask the reader to
pause and think. Any candid and I'M
prejudiced man will be satisfied of its
truthfulness. In many instances the
druggists are limited and even restricted
i'll selling poisonous drugs, yet the rum.
sellers are licensed to retail as much of
their poisonous liquor us they please and
send their seventy thousand victims to
the drunkard's grave and hell and make
two hundred thousand orphans annually.
If any one should be known in a commu-
nifty to distribute poisonous food for the
purpose Of destroying the worthless ours
which infeSt every community. they
would he Missed and lawed out of the
ncighborioudi vet the rlmsellers can dis
pcnse their poisonous fluid, make hus-
bands. fathers. sons and brothers drunk
and abusive Gas was the case on Christ
mas eye) and finally bring them to a
premature grave. Still they are pro-
tectcd both by law and public opinion
How much better are dogs than human
beings
Our fQrmcr Legislators :: frameth mis-
chief by a law to proleCt worthless ga
mines. but no law whatever to protect
dcfenccleSS women and children from the
brutal treatment Of a drunken husband
or father. But We trust We now have 4
Legislative body whose sensibilties are So
awakened 10 the best interests of their
constituents thai they will, without hest
tation. pass 4 law to give 10 the mu lority
Of voters of the State, ward. county or
district the privilege of deciding by bal
lot whether or not liquor shall be sold in
their respective limits. Cecil county de-
cided, by a large majority, at the last
election. in favor of Local Option, and
we have every reason TO believe that our
Delegates will woEk' assiduo,,sly for the
interest of their constituents. We have
faith OCCASIONAL.