Daily Republican., 1882-01-23


to a close, without any noteworthy III.
cident, and then, at ten minutes past
twelve, the Court adjourned until Mon
day, when the closing argument will be
made by Mr.. Porter.
>e~-
was IL . MisrepresentasiO
ON Wednesday last an article ap.
peared in the columns of the REPuB-
LICAN, written by representative OF
that paper, who had been on a visit to
Elkton, Md, IN which "a brief account
was given of the effects of Local OPP
ton in that town. While il IL not the
intention of the writer OF the article to
enter into newspaper controversy
with the editor of the Cecil County
Wing, who accused the aforesaid
writer of "wlifully misrepresenting the
truth" it Is desired to place the matter
right before the public aud the citizens
OF Elkton.
One of the main points that the Wing
found objections to was the following ::
an talking with leading merchant
of the place, in regard TO the unusual
auietness on Saturday, he said it
was all on account Of local option. The
question was asked him, " Does 1t have
any effect On the business of the place."
He answered the question by saying,
i" 1t was n bad day on Saturday II we
did not take in over $500 before this
law went into force, and now it is q
good day il we t1kr in 800 Many
other citizens were interviewed GU the
suhjec,, and they Al, with one accord,
say that loca. option has killed the
town.
In speaking of that paragraph the
Whig says:
I'VE deny that local option has
killed this town, or that ever il killed
any other town, while whiskey ha' de.
populated many village. We have
waited personally upon our leacing
,nerchants-M Messrs. Il. G. Lewis, Nc
Crery x Boulden, F. p Price, X. G.
Reese, Thomas Drennen, +. Brown,
etc and they all with one accord,
deny that they have been interviewed
by representative Of the Republican,
or that they have expressed to any one
the opinion credited tosome one OF them
in the above extract.
IL was not stated that any of the
parties named were interviewed by
the writer, neither was the statement
credited to any one of them but we
cannot believe that these six firms
alluded to constitute all the the leading
merchants of Eiktou, neither are We
inclined to accept the Wings cbal-
lenge: "To publish in his own paper,
or send to us for publication, the name
of the leading merchant of Elkton,
other than a recent liquor dealer, with
whom 1t was bad day before Local
Ootion in which he did not take over
500, aud with whom, since Lo"al op.
ton went into effect, 1t is good day
that he takes $50.
While we do not, for various reasons,
feel disposed TO give the merchant 's
name, we will say, however, that it
was not a recent liquor dealer, and we
will further FAY that he never sold a
drop of liquor in any way, shape or
form, and for ought we know, does not
indulge in the flowing bow but at the
same time his business has been de-
creased since this law went into effect.
The At ,tement OF a recent liquor dealer
would have had no influence in the
mind of the writer Of the article in the
REPUBLICAN,, but the article in the
Wing would lead people to suppose
that they were the only men visited by
the aforesaid writer
While the writer does not uphold
the liquor traffic, he could plainly see
that the town of Elkton is not the
business place it once was, and this
fact is apparent by many who are in
favor of Local Option, but, at the same
time, they can zee that there is not so
much business done now as before, (the
liquor business not included.) The
writer would be glad If Local Option
prevailed the country over, then bus.
mess would not be affected, but we
stick to ii, that where Local Option
prevails in small town, while in ad-
joining towns it does not, all business
in that town will be more or less af-
fected.
OF course living business may be
done by all the merchants in Elkton
while this law Is in vogue, but at the
same time there has been a falling OFT
in their cash receipts. The citizens
have no other alternative than to buy
at the stores in the place, which is
right and proper, but the country peo'
Pile, as a rule, give the town a wide
berth.
The writer in the REPUBLICAN did
not give mis- personal views In the mat
ter, hut simply stated what he heard
in conversing with some influential
and perfectly reliable citizens of Elkton,
Notwithstanding the Wings assertion
to the contrary.
While the figures quoted by the
Wing, as CLEANED from the cash book
of one of the leading merchants of that
place, which show a financial increase
since local option went into effect, it
does rot take into consideration the
fact that business has been better,
throughout the country, the past year
than for many years, but attributes it
solely to the effects of having local
option.
From the present state of affairs
throughout the country, it Is TO be sup
posed that more business was done last
year than for several years past, but,
at the same time, still more would be
done In place like Elkton if Local
Option did not exist.
With these few remarks the writer
will leave the people to judge if the
article in the REPUBLICAN, "wilfully
misrepresented the truth" In sub
slantiating the article in question, the
following Is clipped from the Cecil
Democrat, a paper published in the
Same town in which the Whig is issued.
1t says:
man har of tho aIitorinl cfa ~ of