The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1886-10-16
LOCAL OPTION LAW IN KENT.

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The remark is frequently made by
the enemies of Prohibition that the
Local Option Law is failure in Mary
land-that there is as much drunken
ness there as there ever was. The fol-
lowing admission from a man who is
not temperance man. nor never afili-
ated with them, but all the time an I'M
compromising Democrat-the editor of
the Chestertown T1anSe,lbt-ought to
be taken as good testimony in this par
ticular. A recent issue of that paper
contains the following editorial:
"In some of the counties of the state
where the local option idea is just be-
ing urged for practical consideration,
there is in progress the usual bitter
fight between its friends and foes. Its
friends claim that the prohibition law
will anihilate drunkenness. Its foes
claim that the prohibition law will act
ually increase the sale of rum and cor
relatively, drunkenness. As Kent Co.
is frequently pointed to by both sides
as an illustrative proof of both sides of
the case, it may be we'll enough to give
fair statement of the degrees and fail
ure of the local option law Of this
county. The law has been in operation
here about seven years. The county
endorsed local option in the election of
1873 by large popular majority, and
the next Legislature enacted prohibit
ton law tor the county. At first,
great many plans were tried for evad-
ing the law, the favorite among which
was the amateur drug store. Kent
county grand juries, however, showed
disposition to place strict construc-
ton upon the law, and the more eau
tious abandoned their schemes for
evading it. There were others, how
ever, that continued to sell in spite of
the law. Some of these have been
caught at times by grand juries, and
have been compelled to pay heavy fines
and penalties. Others have been fore
ed to leave the county FOR tear OF con-
sequences. Now there are very few,
probably not more than two or three
places in the county, that sell regularly
and Systematically.
"There are, of course, parties who
buy at odd times, quantities ranging
from one to five gallons, and retail it
from old stables and other out-of-the-
way places. The steamboat lines do
very large trade in the transportation of
demijohns to and from Baltimore.
These are mostly for private use, though
of course the retailers from demijohns
make up some of the traffic. As to the
amount of whiskey consumed in the
county and as to the question of in
crease or decrease of drunkenness,
there can be but one opinion. Any
fair minded observer whether he be in
favor of free whiskey or of no whiskey,
must concede that there is not one fifth
the whiskey consumed in this county,
and not one-tenth the drunkenness
there was when the sale of whlskey was
legalized. OF course there are still cases
of drunk enness. But are almost ex-
clusively confined to person who &C
CURED drinking habits fifteen or twenty
years ago. A man staggeringly intox-
icated, instead of being common, is
now very rare sight indeed to see, as
is also young man under twenty give
years of age. The fashion of setting
the drinks in public place. has lost
all Its eclat In this county. For several
years after the local option law was
passed, the whiskey men fought it bit
terly. Especially in every year in which
representatives to the Legislature we've
elected, the whiskey question became
more or less of an issue, both in the
primaries and at the general election.
The leading politicians, however, avoid
ed making 1t direct issue. The fight
against the local option law in continu-
ally losing force. The whiskey question
entered less into the last legislative
contest. There is a growing sentiment
throughout the county in favor of the
law and if put to vote this year, 1t would
undoubted be carried by a larger
majority than in 1873"
She could ,caH as reH as erer.
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