Smyrna times., 1884-10-29

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can, honestly, IN the sight of my Maker.
say that If l am in favor of prohibition II
Is not from any malice or ill-will to those
engaged in selling liquor. Many of them
are clever men, kind-hearted, and. look
ing at this traffic from the standpoint of
trade, do not feel as l do upon the subject
But that Is no reason why, if see they are
lnJurlng the people, and l believe there is
plan by which that injury can be MATER
tally lessened, l ought not as a good citi
zen, to adopt that plan, though it nav
close their trade How quick the people
stopped phosphate factory on the edge of
the town from fear of injur;ng the health
OF t3e community 1t has not yet injured
anybody, yet it might One of the large
cotton factories on the Brandywine had TO
spend many thousands of dollars to make
sewers, because their dyes nliqht iniure the
water 1t had not injured anybody, but it
might. Did we not order every slaughter
mouse out Of the town? Why? They
might injure somebody. Had they done
so? No, but they might.
II the llquOr traffic Of this town was linz
tied to the fear of the future, | would not
blame people for difference Of opinion as to
the necessity OF action. But, what do we
see ! The surplus over and above the
meagrest kind Of Il living, of a large num-
Der OF our laboring classes, is spent in al
c0hoilc and malt liquors; our Jail and
almshOuse both are crowded with the re-
suit OF this drinking habit-all at the cost of
the better class. | fOrbear to draw aside
the curtain of the home.
Hearing much Of the result of local op-
ton in Maryland, it was with considerable
interest went to Cambridge last year, for
week. put up at the hotel, and with +.
NJ. Stevenson and William T. Kellum
walked ITS streets; went very frequently
into It's three hotels and lounged on its
Wharves, and in that week we never saw
drunken man, though the population was
of all classes with which .!e are acquainted.
the most inclined to drinking. and that is
the oysternan. Dozens of oyster boats
were coming and going, and several hun
dred colOred men employed in its Gamer
les. Who believes that Saturday night
would not have witnessed dozens Of LoOck-
erman street fights had there been omen
bars IN that place? Yet I've no doubt
that liquor could have been procured by
the knowing ones. When | was Young I
used to go to Maryland-iong before the
days OF prohibition. The rule was nearly
every young man carried pocket-hask
ana drank freely, and it was on the side
board OF nearly every house, and not to be
invited to drink was the execution TO the
rule. presume local option has not vet
changed the habits Of the people entirely.
IN that respect. 1t will take a generation
ut the labOring classes first, and. as the
children of the more able grow up, not be-
ing thrown constantly past open bars, and
having society against the habit, better
state OF affairs will come about among the
wealtEier classes Reforms never com
mence at the top first, if they do they are
short lived. Reform the mass Of one gen
Grafton and you reform the elite of the
next.
| ,vrotn to a. ,,or,,,,,,l f.;.l :: 7,
to the effect of local option in Caroline
County, and this is his reply:
DLNTpN NIB oct. l7th 1881
Caroline county is the pioneer county for local
oPuon III Maryland The law has been in sue
cesSiul operation for ten years, and is a. well en-
forced as the laws against theft bigamy, forgery
or any other. II is sometimes vi0latrd bnf i
always punished when proof can be obtained
Before 1t was in operation Denton was famous for
utuHkchheSS' rOtlng, profanity, etc Now il is
the exception To see a drunken man or hear an
0alh; II Is the most quiet, orderly town ! ever
iiNel III. We nave but one prisoner in iail and
ne was put there last week Tor violating the local
option law. His sentence was SlOU and costs and
stands committed till paid. Last Fall the old
SherlH moved out and the LeWly-eected one did
not move in for three weeks and the mil was
tenanlless during that time-waS only OCctpipd nv
Iats ana mice, and such like" We rarely ever
nave prisoner IN jail. II has been SO for the
nearly three years / have been here We have
put eighteen pauperS in the amsh0uSe II costs
the county but about II 3OJ wear to suDnGrt ber
Z
ior iOcai option here. Ii lett to the people again
II would carry by an overwhelming majority
Loeai OPlion IN Caroline the oldest local option
tIOuHtS' mas beeH grand success. For while
the temperance people grew careless about ell
forcing the law. but for the past year we have a
UislIIauce committee, ana our grand jury last
week found twelve indictments, and violatorS
are neelug The state suppose Delaware will
have Share Of them. They will seek more con.
geniai son 70 Ply their vocation. Haven't the
statistics al hand 10 give You actual figures but
state you facts in the case and you can give me
as authority ready 70 stand by them. IfyOu have
Il mass meeting in Dover before election wOuld
come and just state the plain facts in the case
have written IN great hurry.
Yours, A. D. DAVIS
l showed this letter to Rev. A. W. Milbv. /
ana sald to him, " Is this exaggerated q
years IN Denton and am well ACQUAINTED
with the change in the habits of the people. |
the picture Is true one | asked Mr.. |
Carroll, the principal of our public schools. |
: Is this exaggerated ?' lie said No.
know all about it, and it is false that local /
option is failure in Caroline County. II
has wonderfully decreased drinking among
the people. Denton, before local option,
was an awful place, and now it is far ahead |
Of Dover"
Perhaps Of all men living in Caroline
County, the best acquainted with the peo- /
pie IN their homes is DR. Alexander Hard /!
castle, of Castle Hall. He wrote me that |
when LEGAL option was first voted for i'm |
Caroline County he opposed it, because he |
did not belive in it. But its success had /
made him its friend 1t had proven of /
great advantage to the people He said if /
It was again brought to the polls, it would /
carry Oy very largely increased majority.
received II letter from CheStertown |
which was signed by the sheriff the attor
ney-general, both magistrates, several law
Sers. ana long list of merchants, stating
most positively the beneficial effect upon
ne working classes by local option From
many ministers and other reliable peOple I
nave clear testi nOny of the benefit TO the
mass of The people, of local option i'm
Maryland. l asked DIR. Hardcastle. who
5 5 a.; worry prominent Democratic politician:
' Did 1t injure the Democratic party ."
No. on the contrary, by taking the whole
,ubJect out of politics, it consolidated us.
II was constantly previous to this dis
urOlng element. Now, if the people want
lquor they say 50; if they want it prohibi-
ed they say so. 1t is out Of politics"
Ihere has not county in Maryland
changed from Democracy to Republican
sm, that has adopted local option, and
neither would Kent County, Delaware, be
ne slightest adversely affected. Now, on
he other side ask you to ponder this
Is it, if prohibition is a fail
ire and more liquor is sold under it than
lnder license, that every liquor manufac-
urer and seller, and friend OF the traffic. is
he friend of license and the enelaU of local
)ptiOn2
For the above reasons l am working to
tenn the tide of intemperance in our midst.
Ny creator knows / have no enmitv
igalnst those who differ with me on this
question, but when ] see a great State like
Name, after trying prohibition for thirty
'ears, vote by the enormous majority of
., 900, to put it in its constitution; when |
&c that IN Maryland, in adjoining counties,
lnder conditions no more favorable to local
'ptlon legislation than Delaware that
eunty after county Is falling into line
when see that all through the South,
state after State is coming into the ranks;
when L read such testimony as l have given
o you above, by most trustworthy people
wing on the spot, / must as "a Christian
nan throw my influence upon the side of
ocal option, as an experiment for niy State. |
t cannot prove more of IA failure than mas
license system, and may prove great
blessing Anyway, all the petitioners to
he Legislatures for several years have
sked, and all the Temperance ticket now
n the field proposes to do, is To pass the
most Democratic measure possible and |
hat Is to put this question before the people
t an especial election in the odd wear. and
the majority of the people are in favor of
he license system they ought to have it.
nd ought not the advocates of prohibiting
he sale OF Intoxicating drinks have the
anne privilege, II they are in the majority?
ma yet from the intense opposition to this ,
JemOcr0tlc measure, bV the whisky rinr