The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1881-01-28
The Egis and Intelligencer.
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BEL AIR, Md. JANUARY %, 1881.
The Temperance Reform Movement.


At the late meeting of the Hartford County
Temperance Alliance, January 2ed, 1881, the
following communication was read. After due
consideration the Alliance ordered its publca-
ton in the three county papers and in the Delta
Herdld, of York county: -
1t is becoming more and more evident 10 all
observers of public sentiment that the temper
+unce question will be brought before the people
of Hartford county in connection with the po-
litical campaign ofneXt fall. The methods here
tofore employed to influence the representatives
of this county in the Legislature having failed to
accomplish ANYTHING in this behalf il is certain
that measures will be adopted which cannot be
disregarded or ignored. The recent tone of
public sentiment strongly intimates that the
time of indifferent and undecided action has
passed, and the. time of distinct, positive and
determined action has come.
The matter which just now demands the most
careful and intelligent consideration is the ques
ton of methods best adapted to secure the de-
sired object, viz the enactment, by the General
Assembly of Maryland, of local option law TO
be submitted to the people. This is all the
friends of temperance seek or can accomplish
through the ensuing campaign. The direct
issue of license or no license properly arises
when the law shall be submitted for ication.
The present legitimate issue is only whether
this question shall be submitted to the people
ornot.
Two distinct methods have been employed in
our State to bring the direct question of local
option before the people. These may be APP
propriately designated as the partisan and the
non-partisan methods. Between these methods
the friends OF tcmperance are TO choose. 1t may,
therefore, be important to state each of them
somewhat in detail, for the consideration of
the public
The partisan method is so called because 1t
introduces the temperance question into party
politics. 1t contemplates placing candidates
In the field who are pronounced advocates of
local IN m
OF the political parties or by independent nom
nations when the party nominees decline to SO
announce themselves. 1t raises the direct issue
oflicensc or no license when the real issue
is whether the question of license shall be sub
mitted 10 the people or not man may be in
favor of submitting this question to the people
who is not in favor of prohibition. 1t unne-
cessarily disturbs party lines, and gives occasion
TO party managers either to resist it or TO use
1t for purely party ends Itplaccs great obstacles
in the way of many who hold to the doctrine of
local option, by requiring them to surrender all
other political issues to this one question. As
Il matter of fact, when the issue is Democracy
or Temperance, many Temperance Democrats will
vote Democracy, and when the issue is Republic
canism Temperance, many Republicans will
vote Republicnnisn.. Say what one may about II,
this fact will be demonstrated at the polls
Parties are institutions of power over voters
Where this method is employed it is impossible
10 mass the temperance vote.
The non-partisan method is so called because
ii separates the temperance question from party
politics and sends II to the whole people wi bout
distinction of race, politics or religion, where,
III the nature OF the case, 1T belongs. 1t Is
method, however, which depends upon the
following agreement between the Temperance
men and the authorities of political paries-thc
executive committees and the candidates:
!. That there shall be printed at the bottom
of all the tickets TO be used the words, "For the
submission of Local Option" aud against
the submission of Local Option"
aln inn. hut
perunce organization shall be attordedall ncces-
sary privileges aud facilities for counting these
ballots at the time and place of counting the
party ballots.
3. That this vote shall be recognized and ac-
cepted as Il vote of instruction on this subject
to the representatives of Hartford county in the
General Assembly of Maryland
!. That the candidates. without being rcquir-
ed toannounce their personal views on the Iner-
its or dement's OF the policy of local option,
shall pledge themselves, individually, to carry
out in good faith the instruction of the people
so given
This plan, il will be observed, raises only the
real Issue of the time, viz the submission or
no submission of the question of liquor license
TO the people. 1t interieres in no way with
party allegiance or issues 1t leaves Democrats
and Republicans equally free to vote their party
ticket and their convictions on the question of
temperance. 1t therefore loses no temperance
votes on account of party relations, and avoids
making an enemy of one or the other of the
political parties by success that carries with
1t party defeat, in part or in whole. In word
it masses the temperance VOTE without obstacle
or hindrance, and applies it as effectively as it
could be by any other method, and at the same
time escapes the rocks aud breakers of the po-
litical parties, on which the temperance cause,
in its relation to legislation, is usually wrecked
1t is important at this time that these two
plans should be carefully considered, both by
the friends of local option and the authorities
of the respective political parties.
LOCAL OPTIoSIsT.