The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-03-15
Local Option,
EVANSVILLE. Nd, March 6. 'S4

AHC ouiyeS't vi AOCot OptiOu HOO oe
tated the minds of the people for
some months past, and few thoughts
on the subject at this time may not
be amiss. That it is fully time to
take some action, which will in q
measure prevent or check the evil of
intemperance, cannot longer be de-
MED it has grown with surprising
rapidity and is still growing from
year to year, The influence of the
saloon is constantly thrown around
young men at time when they are
least able to resist the temptation of
drinking, and many of them thus
contract habit in youth, which, II
continued, will work their ruin in
after life; many men just in the prime
of life, men of strer 9Th, men of intel
lect and men of influence, have fall
len beneath the iron sway of alcohol
and find themselves unable to resist
its tyrannical power many who
have crossed the meridian oflife, feel
the wretchedness which intemper-
ance always brings and, seeing the
misery that it is causing them, are
still unable to resist its temptation.
1t has been said that to deprive a
man of intoxicants is to deprive him
of his liberty. What is liberty? 1t
implies freedom or exemption from
the control of another surely a man
who wishes to abstain, when he sees
TIE harm intemperance is doing him,
and is unable to do so cannot even
boast of liberty this is slavery; this
subsection, not to living master,
but to monster, demon, the bitter
ness of whose sway neither can pen
picture nor tongue can scribe. The
slaves of the south were unable to
gain their own freedom, but it requir.
ed the interpOsition of many a FREE
man. whose blood frenched the
sandy plain, before the curse of sla-
very could be abolished and if we
would abolish the sale and use of in
toxicats In our county as beverage,
we must expect to bear the battles
fray and and to endure the carnage
of such warfare. Some claim that
We have no right to prevent man
from drinking if he wishes to do so.
We live in society to which we are
indebted for many of the blessings
and privileges which we enjoy, and
which are essential to our comfort
and happiness; hence every citizen
should endeavor TO elevate the STAN
dard of society and to oppose that
which tends to lower or debase it. In
temperance has lowering influence
on society, seen nowhere so much as
ir the saloon, and felt nowhere so
much as ia the home where naught
but purity should dwell. How to
prevent this evil has long been a
question for discussion, the solution
III "hiSh iiuo tlot uo yCI DCCu luiJ
reach. The objections found to Local
Option are numerous. Some have
claimed that it will impoyerish our
county; that the money formerly
spent in saloons here will be taken
to the adjacent counties and there
spent for a similar purpose this in
extreme cases may be true, but it is
only the exception and not the rule.
Local Option, without a doubt, will
place intoxicants beyond the reach of
young men and boys during the most
dangerous period of life. and lit does
this, if il. is the means of preventing
the young from taking the first drink,
it will eventually accomplished its
purpose and fulfil its mission. We
can try it at any rate, and if it then
proves a failure, we can discard it.
Should the bill pass, it will be the
duty of every citizen, concerned in
his own welfare and in the welfare Of
his fellow creatures, to labor for its
adoption by the people of the county
with an earnestness and zeal that al
ways insures success.
GEO. RoYER.