The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-05-17
First Gun of the Campaign.


county, and many came and left fail
ing to gain admittance. The meeting
was opened with prayer by Rev.
Stoudenmire, pastor of the E. L.,
Church. after which Judge Hamill
was elected President, F. A. Thayer
Secretary, and Rev. D. H. Friend and
Andrew Mullen, president of the
board of county commissioners, Vice
Presidents. The first speaker intro
duced was VIM. Price, Esq, of Cum
berland, who in an able and forcible
manner, portrayed the evils of intem-
perance and the good to be derived
from Local Option. In the course of
his remarks he cited many incontrO-
vertible arguments in favor of Local
Option. One of the objections urged
against it was that it takes away the
rights of individuals. In answer to
this Mr.. Price said: The people have
rights that are paramount to the
rights of individuals. No man has a
right TO do as he pleases when his ac-
tons injure others. Two men go out
to fight /; the law comes in with its
moral power and says yOn shall not.
A man may have L slaughter shop in
your town, and may be doing per-
fect'y legitimate business, yet if it is
shown to be nuisance or injurious
to health, it may he removed by law.
Aud again there may he a powder
mill in your town. lit is seen that
property and life are in d4nger you
can compel its removal. In the sa-
looms you have what is far worse
than a powder mill. The saloons de.
stroy property, health, life and soul.
Another very significant fact is, you
can't trace money spent for whiskey.
You invest 500 in sheep, you have
something to show for it. The same
way if you buy horse. But how is
it if you spend your money for whis-
key? What have you to show for it?
Nothing! Oh yes, something red
nose, a defective brain, a sad broken
hearted mother or wife, ragged and
neglected children.
Hon. A. X. Seyster. Judge of the
Circuit Court, was then introduced
and said, that from his own kn0Wl.
edge, acquired by thirty years prac.
tice at the Bar, twu-thirdS of all the
criminal cases is the result of whis-
key. Out of twenty-Seven murder
cases in which he has been engaged,
twenty-five Of them can be traced,
not remotely, hut directly to Wiskey.
He said Garrett county has broad
acres and that the same would soon
lie bought up aud improved if we
had Local Option, because our taxes
would be reduced vrry materially,
and parents with family of sons
would be glad to settle in cOmmu-
nifty where the temptation to fall into
habits of drunkedness, the worst of
all Affections, is removed. He cited
Kansas with the most stringent pro-
hibitory laws in the universe, as an eX-
ample. The people are f1ocking there
from all sections Of the country, and
the state is improving faster than any
in hn inh &c,
proven to he failure. If we have
high license law none but the rich
can get license, and they mOnopo.
lie the business. The saloons are
heautified and made more tempting,
and the young men are more readily
ensnared. Better have liquor as free
as the air, or wipe it out of existence
entirely, and drive it from your
county as the worst enemy that ever
entered your borders. Men who are
addicted to drink appeal to us to put
it out Of their reach so they will not
he tempted, l never knew man
who wanted to learn to drink, but |
know many who want to quit. Men
who are not addicted are liable to fall.
Not only the young, but the old men
resort to whiskey in which to drown
their troubles. You can't tell who
will be overcome. In answer to the
argument used by the other side, that
Local Option is failure. the Judge
referred to two districts in his own
county. Prior to the adoption of To-
cal Option these were the worst dis
tricts in the county for riOting and
breaches of the peace, since the adop-
ton of Local Option, about three
years ago, there has not been single
case of violence. He also referred to
Franklin county, Pa, where Local
Option prevails. and said that the
taxes had been so much reduced that
the people marveled at it, and per.
sons that formerly opposed Local Op.
ton, now favor it as a matter of econ
omy. The Judge also said that a
wrong impression prevails with many
that the sale of license is source of
revenue to the county. The county
does not derive one dollar of revenue