The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-02-04
ASTHET c LYING ABOUT LOCAL
OPTION

Having. we think. in two recent issues.
by competent testimony, satisfactorily
iisproved the assertion attributed by a
prominent Wilmington newspaper To a
ubiquitous individual yclept Ieuding CD
merchant of Elkton, "that L0cui Opti0H
h.,d kHled tie torR:.' our only apology to
our readers for reverting to the ridicu-
lous assertion again. is the receipt by us,
this week. of the hnWe of the individual.
upon whom we can, with unquestioned
propriety. bestow the legitimate title of
the aesthetic tictionist. If the average
American can discover any thing either
to amuse or instruct him in the idiotic
pJse Of Oscar Wilde rs the apostle of
fe(thetcism in art, the average ElktOnian
will, we think. be equally successful in
drawing both amusement and instruc-
ton from the example set by this domes-
tic disciple of Tom Pepper. the tradi.
tional apostle of the beautiful in the art
of living.
Concisely stated the aesthetic co flower
(of speech) that the Elkton Bohemian
waved in the face of the Delaware disci-
pie was this: 1t was a bad day before
|. ,ral Option that We did not take 5000
lny it is good day that we take $50
Full blown, the labial sun flower takes
this shade.
Subtracted from the three hundred and
siXty-tive days that constitute the aver
age year the tifty-two Sundays and the
tree legal holidays observed usually in
country villages. leave three hundred
AID ten business days. OF these three
hundred and ten days devoted to traillr,
it is fair to assume that at least one (Sat-
nrda') was in each and every week a
900d day. This is to asSume the mini
mum number There were. therefore. in
The business year two hundred and fifty
light bad and at least tifty-two good DAYS
of trade in Elkton before Local Option
came into effect.
Now to this leading (?J merchant bad
lay meant 800 and Il good one certainly
twenty-five per cent. more than a bad
Que. or $3.50. His receipts. then. from
bad days in any one year before Local
Option, by his own statement. amounted.
days sl3 900 or the gross annual bust
ness of $G4 600.
Colossal figures. Gigantic fiction.
What merchant i'll EIkton. previous to
May l. 1881. took cash in his business. in
any one year, $64 600?
II he took this amount. which this al
legged leading merchant (by Inference
says he did. he is Justly entitled to be
considered what the Wilmington Rppu5-
lieo~ terms him. lcadtng one.
But who is heo
That is the puzzling cOnundrum.
Our most industrious effort failed to
discover this prosperous Ellton mer-
chant. whose gross trade earnings have
been reduced by Local Option from these
imposing figures to the sorry sum of 81.
go per annum, and he not dealer in
liquors, either.
Our reporter diligently searched the
town from business door to business dool
for a shadow even of the man in whose
sorrowful face to find confederation OF
the Rep"bltc"n's painful story.
There was evidently one aesthetic liar
in Elkton. and the RepHbljcoA man de-
MED that he had carried him away with
him.
As the sequel shows, the genius re,
sides in our mid-t
Now comes the amusing feature of the
Republican mans sensation
On Tuesday last the following note
was handed us:
" Dear Sjr:-Mr. Arnstall, a clerk in a
readv-made clothing store in ElkIon, as
sertS that he Is (or least repreSenrtd) the
leading merchant interviewed by the re
porter OF the Wilmington RrDu5lican, whose
fr de had been :" badly injured by Local
Oh ton. Yours truly, TKUTH."
Ambitious juvenile. Delightful young
stu.
And SO Arnstal is the man who leads