Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1884-02-07

Wulskey men, Whe0Se pecnnbdI,y t7ltereSCS
are at stake, ths would move earth
and heaven to defeat prohibitory
law. Their conventions have spent
their thousands to dam up the strong
tide of Prohibition that is breaking
through all barriers of bribery and
corruption, and must, at no very dis
tant day, flow into U. s. Constitu-
tional amendment that will prohibit
the aeoursed traffic forever. The pro-
hibitory laws have passed in spite Of
the money and whiskey thrown out
by the whiskey dealers as bait to the
weak and unprincipled. In Kent
County, for instance, the law passed
by majority Of some five hundred,
though the dollars of the rum mills
were generously distributed few days
previous election. = = ------
G Nexer charges the Local Option
lists with "fanaCicism." He evident.
ly does not know the meaning of the
word. Enthusiastic they may be, and
ought to be-for it is only men of
red hot" convictions, that can accom-
plish anything in the cause of Tenn
perance-but faratical they are not.
The leaders are men whose public
statements are founded upon the most
carefully gathered statistics. In
order to ascertain the extent of drunk
enness, and of crime, pauperism and
lunacy occasioned by the traffic, they
have searched the records of Nation
al and State Government, and the
archives of courts and penitentiaries,
and have visited almshouses and la
matte asylums throughout this broad
land. IF this be madness, there is
much method in it."
Among the citizens of Baltimore
who were, last year, in favor Of Local
Option for that city, we're such men
as Hon. Geo. L. Brown, Daniel O. Gill
man, s. G. Chew, M. D., Rev. Jnlins
Il. Grammer, Hamilton Easter, John
II. B Latrobe, Reverdy Johnson, Chas.
Markell and II. Bowie Davis--men
that, we presume, are generally recog-
nlzed as rational beings wbo have a
spaiI portion of the worlds Judgment
not appropriated by the brilliant (but
modest) Q Nexer, who let's the read
era of the BEACON know that he has
written so powerful a philippe against
Local Option, that the Day refused to
publish it for fear of totally unhing-
ing the already unbalanced minds Of
large portion Of its Subscribers.
Alter reading his refacd wit of i'm.
plying relationship Of his opponent
to the monkey, the reader docs not
marvel that the Day, though opposed
to Local Option, hesitated to publish.
We are reminded Of some humorous
things that Oliver Wendell Holmes
wrote--so funny that the buttons Of
his servants vest flew in all direc.
tons, Perhaps the Editor of the Dan
was afraid q like calamity would be-
fall the good people Of Baltimore, if
they read the electric flashes Of
"Chimpanzee" wit contained in G
Nexer's classic.
Our friend does little credit to his
workers, when he says that they
are "like parties in court without
counsel" How modest after his mas
terly defence He is, however, mis-
taken. Henry Ward Beecher does
not believe in Prohibition. The ma
jority of the politicians are ruled by
the whiskey ring. Were it not so,
the principlesof the Local Optionists-,-
principles that he as the foundation
stone of all good governments, demo
cratic or otherwise-would, long ago,
have crystallized into law in every
county and city to forbid men from
corrupting society--slowly it may be
sometimes, but surely always. We
say that these princi Plies are the basis
Of society, because they declare that
the individual privilege must yield to
the public safety and they aim at the
overthrow Of an Ubiquitous system, the
abolition Of which can injure no mans
interests, except the pecuniary inter-
ests Of those engaged in the traffic.
No sane mind will deny that the traf-
fc is ruinous to the interests OF socie-
ty. G Nexer may retort that the ruin
falls upon the drunkard only. What
about his wife and children? On an
average, family Of four who suffer
untold miseries rs every one can wit
ness, who has lived with or near
drunkard's home. Is it not the part
of manly citizens who can vote to pro-
tect the mothers and children who can
not G Nexer speaks Of Local Option
asan infringement of personal right"
and appeals to the prejddices Of the
poor man, trying to assure him that
the law would benefit the wealthy
only. How far from the truth II is
the poor man who IS the greatest sui.
ferer, who continues to put into the
pocket Of the rum seller, his hard
earned gains until he has not enough
money to buy even IAN acre Of land
as G Nexer admits to be his own case.
Poor Nexer If you take drink (by
the wholes ale) every time you per-
spire, we fear you never will own IAN
acre of land to lime with whiskey."
Pour less down your throat, and you
will have more wherewith to lime
your lands.
But to resume. If Local Option
"Isaninfringement Of personal right"
there are many OF our laws, that O
Nexer, no doubt. considers just. also
an Infringement Of such rights
Doubtless the thousands who were en-
gagged in the State Lotteries thought