Saint Mary's beacon., 1883-08-09
For The BeaeOn1
The Prejudice Against LeOnardtOWa.

II Is certainly strange DuL none the
less a fact on account of its strange
ness, that throughout the county out
side the radius of two or three miles
of us there exists and always has ex-
listed deep-seated and unreasonable
prejudice against Leonardtown, and
these prejudiced ones never miss an
opportunity of letting us know it, al
though at the same time they are un-
able. to give reasonable excuse for
it. AS they never have any personal
cause Of complaint except what may
be implied by the general charge that
we are entirely selfish and wrapped
up in ourselves, and which l feel
bound to assert is an entirely errone-
GUS idea, l am led to believe that
these charges are only reflection of
their feelings and have no foundation
except in their own imaginations.
What seems to be the object of their
greatest horror is that we are, accor-
ding to their view of the matter, eter-
nally at war with each other and al
ways meddliRg with what does not
concern US, which is carried to such
an extent that unless one makes her
NIT of oneself there can be no peace
living in our midst. Now, my expe-
rience has been, and / have had sew
eral years experience of life in Leon
ardtown, that our people bother them
selves very little about the affairs of
their neighbors and (excuse neigh
bors) not too much about their own.
In fact, they take things as they come
"loosing very little sleep" on account
of what is said about them outside.
Another charge is that we have al
ways some piece of scandal on hand
which is hawked about from house to
house until it dies out for want of in
terest in it or gives place to some
thing more recent aad scandalous.
The whole trouble is that our friends
from the country can't take a joke,
and If any one chances to indulge in
remark touching slightly upon some
one else s peculiarities, by which moth
ing serious or offensive is intended
and about which even the party at
tackled thinks nothing, he is at once
put down by these before mentioned
friends as ill-natured and spiteful.
| can't conceive their reason for such
wholesale abuse as they heap upon
Leonardtown, for / think can find
plenty to bear me out in the asser-
tlon that | can hear more news in a
half an hour, and that too in regard
to our village, at most any place FIVE
or ten miles distant than can in Leon
ardtown in a month and while abus-
ing ~os to their hearts content, will
themselves furnish you with a more
choice bit of scandal than ever ema-
mated from the greatest gossip with
in our midst and which of itself will
add more flavor to your dinner than
all the sauces the best Of cooks could
devise; for, who is it, let him con-
demn scandal as he may, does not en-
JOY little dose well sent down? Not
only do the acts of private individ-
uals come under their censure but
public bodies which have nothing in
common with Leonardtown except
that they hold their meetings there,
II they be unpopular, are charged
against US as unhesitatingly as if each
member of the body was a resident
OF the place. According to their the
ory, the town is the fountain head of
corruption; its men are drunkards,
gamblers and political tricksters; its
women scandal-mongers and detrac-
tors, while its very children are held
up as warnings to those outside its
contaminating limit.
Now, these people either do not be-
lieve in their own charges or are ieal-
GUS through h fear of some one else
usurping their prerogatives, and Leon
ardtown might well exclaim with
Esopus to Maria:
"Why, LOnsdale, thus thy wrath---etc."
In conclusion, have only to ask
of these neighbors of ours, that before
condemning us so summarily they will
honestly compare US with other COM
munities and bear in mind the fact that
however much we are censured by
them | defy them to point to any
prejudice or dislike existing in Leon
ardtown against any outside neigh
tOrhood. MILE.