The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1886-09-18
Important Testimony.

MIR. EDIToR:-In regard to the enclos
ed extract from an E .stern Shore paper,
not an advocate of Prohibition, as con-
tanning important testimony to the sue
cess of Local Option, under better laws
than that now are in force in Cecil. It's
writer also corrects very generally mis-
taken idea of the object of prohibitory
laws:
This idea of personal liberty which
seems to have taken possession of many
has evidently caused them to mScon
ceive the object of prohibitory laws. Pro.
hlbitory laws are not for the en- ,orcement
of ''Jeetotaiism' or morality for the in
dividual, but for the protection of society.
And yet by the removal of the templa-
ton often the reformation of the individ
ual follows. We punish the thief for lar
ceny, but no one ever supposed that this
punishment was designed for the refor
nation of the thief, its real object being
to enforce d social discipline by which
the rights Of private property shall be
respected. So The object of pronibitory
laws is not to make men Roial-aS some
toolishy argue-but to prevent a privi
legged licensed class i'll the community
from making men immoral by law.
WHAT PROHIBITION HAS ACCOMPLISHED.
Local prohibition now prevails in thir-
teen counties, as whole, out of the
tweuty.three in Maryland, with the ex-
ception OF few election districts and To-
calities, and in addition about one-tnird
OF Frederick and six or seven localities
in Baltimore and other counties, SO that
we have what is equal to about thirteen
and half counties.
| have only space to give few briet
extracts from letters written by men who
occupy POSITIONS of honors in the State,
as to the benefits of local prohibition.
Hon. Geo. VIM. Brown, chief Judge of the
supreme bench of Baltimore city, says:
"Beginning i'll Maryland with Caroline
county, it has gradually extended over
about half of the state witch remarkably
favorable results i'll diminishing drunk
enness and crime and promoting general
prosperity and morality" Hon. Henry
Page writes as follows: "On the whole,
my opinion (Which think is that of Il
large majority of our best citizens) is
that the law is u success aud has done
our community great good Mr.. T. A.
Nelson, "a highly respected and worthy
citizen of Delmar Del, in recent letter
to religious journal, says, in proof that
prohibition does prohibit, that on the
4th of October he visited Bishopville,
Md, and found all the rum shops in full
blast, with drinking, swearing aud light
ing right in the center of the town.
About ten months later he made second
| visit and found quite change since rum
| had been driveu-nO drunkenness. no
| swearing or fighting. This is the uni
versal testimony where prohibition has
been given tHEr triaL
In other states where prohibition pre-
walls by constitutional amendment it is
| more effective than in Maryland. The
| prohibitory laws of Rhode island went
INTO effect July Isl and the arrests for
that month are less than One-half what
| they were the same month in a number
of preceding years. No sane man will
claim that prohibition will reclaim the
men who are saturated with whiskey and
who are determined to have it at onycOst,
but it is claimed and believed by tuous-
ands that by removing the temptation to
| drink, viz, the licensed saloon, the young
and rising generation will have no chance
| to form the drink habit and will thus
| grow up to be sober aud useful citizens.
Whatever may be the opinions of
others on this the most important ones
ton of the age, to me it is very clear
and easily demonstrated that prohibition
is right, reasonable and practica BILE !;
right, because in accordance with Gods
system of dealing with sin ; reasonable.
| because it proposes to deal with cause
not effect, and practicable because right
and reasonable, and the day will dawn
sooner or later when over the doors OF
the legislative halls of these United
States and on the hearts of their individ
uai citizens will be inscribed the beauti-
full and inspiring motto: $40 License or
Ljqnor 7rafic in -4"y Form Jor ing
| Prize