Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1884-09-18
[corretendenee efths p.aeon. ]


AAfEH 0FhAhu&p SSpts 30 AoDFs
Messrs. Editors--I am. about to fulfill a 70.
solve made before the battle or contest we had
On the isth Of August on the question Of Lo-
cal Option, which was, whether or not Lo.
cal Option Law 10 Constitutional and binding
II passed.
Man In q state Of nature was without law or
rule OF conduct, and might was the only gov.
erning principle or rule faction. The strong
ruled the weak. As time rolled on and men
became more enlightened the law-making
power was delegated to or usurped by some
individual considered wiser than the rest
Under q still farther advance in intelligence
and civilization, men assembled and elected
their own leg islators. 1t was found out by
experience that men In the mass had neither
laws. Acting on this principle, the people Of
Maryland met In 1865 and elected members to
Q Constitutional Convention to assemble In
1867. Well, this Convention assembled and
passed what Is called the Constitution Of 1867.
In this Constitution, Art. 3, Sec. 80, 1t is de-
clared; every bill when passed by the Cen
erai Assembly and sealed with the Great Seal
shall be presented to the Governor, who, ifhe
approves 1t, shall sign the same in the pres
ence Of the presiding officers and Chief Clerks
of the Senate and House of Delegates. Every
law shall be recorded In the Office OF tho
Court of Appeals and in due time be printed,
published and certified under the Great Seal,
to the several Courts in the same manner as
has has been heretofore usual in this State"
II seems to me as clear as daylight that the
above article and section point out the law
making power. When a bill has gone through
the above process, 1t Is law, and lacks moth
ing to make 1t law. IF not a law then, but
becomes binding law subsequently by the
votes of the people, who passed the law, the
legislature or the pecple2 Show me in the
Constitution where 1t says the Legislature
may begin a law and the people finish 1t.
Contracts and wills have conditions. Laws
must be positive. The Legislature had as
much right to enact that Local Option
should be a law, if the leth day of August
should be fair day, as to enact that a
majority of votes should make 1t law.
Criminal law should be construed liberal
b--Uonshtutiona law strictly and rightly.
A Constitution is to people and State what
a Compass Is to a ship and her crew, in fog.
Throw 1t overheard or even tamper with 1t
90 rs TO interrupt the magnetic attraction, and
the ship and crew may be run on rocks, or
bars, and all lost. If the people are to be
called In to assist the legislature to make one
kind of laws, why not In all 2 and abolish the
Legislature Fanaticism Is Monster, always
hungry, and tOiH have its food The princi
pie of the law Of Local Option Is a bad prece-
dent. Give Local Option law against slim
nlating drinks, and they viii want one against
smoking and chewing, Having performed all
these acts of cheap philanthropy, they may
strike higher. Their whole heart and soul
being bent on beneftlng the poor, the next
demand may be fixing some figure thai no
person shall possess more than, 10, 20, so or
$780, 900. We know that II would be the
maddest folly, but Is not that the very thing
which captivates some minds2 We know
what trouble Nihilism and Communism Is
giving in Europe, and we know, ifan march,
list escapes to this Country. how he Is Lionized.
Great Agitators will find followers; and
though insignificant, II gives trouble.
The contest or battle which was decided on
the 10th of August was anomalous for Re-
publican form of Government. Not one party
trying to elect one set of men with one set of
principles, and another party, another, bnt
one party trying with might and main to
take from another party their rights and
they trying to keep them. At our Polls, 1t
was well seen who were the voters on the two
sides, Against the Law were the poor and
the iaboring classes, with very few having
competency or In easy circumstances. For
the law, we're the rich, those having COM
| potency or In easy circumstances and their de-
| pendents. These were jealous al philan-
throplsts usually are dealing in acts of cheap
philanthropy, playing at the game of robbing
Peter to pay Paul; SEED O, mirabie ct lamen-
/ table dictu, there was not one Nicodemus
No not one little Nicodemus who stood forth
and said Behold Lord the half of my goods
give unto the poor; and i'll have done any
wrong unto any man, return fourfold,
Yours, @, NExER.
N, B. ] do not like to throw stones with a
man in the dark and | in tho light; but 4
your correspondent P. of Milestown will steT
out and show himself, am not afraid TO eros.
weapons with him. am az well known NJ
@. Nexer, as II | were TO write the nns-sylla-
bles OF my real name. ON.