Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1881-04-08
Correspondent nrr.

Nr. Eiitor:-I perceive that Votel
has again come to the trent reinforced
by the addition of votes. l inferred
from his former communication thai
he might have had property rented
for the purpose of selling spirituou.
liquors, and happy it is not so but
am not surprised at his recoiling from
the insinuation of such an association,
and beg his pardon for it; for by pas
ssd experience, | know such associa.
tions are not connected with pleasant
reflections. | cannot answer Voters
question in regard to the doctors. !
have no knowlsge of whether three
fourths of them are local optionists or
not, but | suppose if he would appeal
to them; they are pretty we'll in
formed and | hope will enlighten him
on the subject. | am not . physician,
out my impression is that4they see the
evil effects of its abuses in their prao-
tice. Why aeed any one 90 to . doc
tor to get prescription for whiskey
| Gf they would go no where else for it
they would be the better for it, when
he can prescribe for himself, and have
his jug, demijohn or barrel" at home,
Local option will not prohibit that.
| must say that entertain high es-
innate of merchants, and all other
honest and honorable persons, no mat
ter what may be the vocation 4; politi-
al or rali,innc Sant;popf, aran ;f T
should differ from any of them on this
subject. | oensure no one for an hon.
est vocation. A store is considered q
public beueiit and convenience to the
neighborhood, whilst a grog-shop is a
curse and an evil, might say ca.
lamity. 1t benefits no one. There is
u great difference between grog-shops
and stores in my humble estimation.
| know of but one merchant in fifteen
or twenty miles Of me in this county
that retails strong drink, and he keeps
back" not in front, and you would
scarcely know that he kept it without
being told. He has no tippling or
card playing about his house. The
merchants are generally considered
inclined to local option. 1t is at
places where there is nothing else to
sell but strong drinks, possibly cigars
and tobacco at soms,) table set out
with cards and game keepers to play
for drinks &C.; where the liquors are
set in front and you do not have to
walk back" where you can see no Ia
dies, that the terms of rum-shops,
rum mills, drinking saloons are gem
orally applied. Local option is not
lnimical to any person, but only to do
away with the terrible traffic. l see
by the returns that this county paid
to the State of Maryland for 1880
Sl,04S,32 from the source of liquor H.
cense. But stop, who are the respon
slble parties that paid this amount?
the poor dram drinksr and the re-
taller, the instrument Of the law to
handle the money and whiskey. Why
not Adopt local option and be hber-
ated from that special burden of ST.
0is,32: There are several counties
in the State that pay no such revenue,
and after next May there will be
nearly eleven exempt from it, and /
hope to see Charles county at no dis
tant day fall into line. Now can Vo-
ter be actually in favor of keeping up
this traffic to wiring out of the poor
mans earnings that amount Of reve-
nue.. hope not. Where is the re-
sponsibility attached to the traffic, no
matter whose hands it falls in or
whether it be in places already named,
or in fence corners. by-paths or parks,
(such places never heard of before
for the liquor trade. named by Voter.
He insinuates that if local option was
adopted here, there would be more
drunkenness in Charles county than
ever, on account Of its contiguity to
Washington, Alexandria and Balti-
more. He will pardon me for differ
ing with him on that point. People
seldom get drunk at home, at private
houses; often when out at public
places drinking in social way with
friends. All person has to do now
to set up grog-shop, is to advance
the amount for license antil the dram
drinkers refund to him, get stock,
whether in '.jugs, demijohns, or bar
rels," it matters not; get u table, a
pack of cards, open his bar, fill his
bottles, and stand behind the counter
there is the outfit, do you call
that place store? We are Taught
from infancy up, to offer up petitions
to be delivered from temp alton, and
how can Voter, who is an abstainsr,
vote to keep this nefarious traffic, this
awful attractive temptation in Charles
county to be stumbling block, not
only to the present (whose habits aret
already formed), but to the rising |
Men and women of
Charles county, see what your duty is
in this hour! These trafficers are not
held responsible for any da nages done
by their sales to any one in the world,
If man dies on the road from intox-
ication, or is manned or killed in il
drunken spree, or goes from the grog
shop home under the influence Of
strong drink and abuses his family,
who can make them pay the damages.
In some of the States of the Union
they are held responsible by law, and
have to give security to that effect be-
fore obtaining the privilege. Not so
here. i
| say again that understood the
result ut the general election on this
subject, but why should l relax my ef-
forts in trying to obtain fairly and
honorably a different one, which I feel
sanguins will be accomplished under
different influences. Local prohibi-
ton will forbid the sale of intoxica-
ting liquors, but not the drinking of
them anywhere in this county, and
agree with Voter that large MAJOR
itv of Our CON ntv pAoplo no;tbor & rht |