Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-03-13
LOCAL OPTION in Maryland.
The Question in Montgomery County
Monster Petition Sent to Annapolis
I'm Behalf Of the LaW-FOur Thousand
Signatures Against the Restoration OF
the GrOg-shOps.

MONTGOMERY Co., Md, March IL, 1886.
Correspon dence Of THE EVENING STAR
Thursday local option committee, composed
of leading citizens from the several election
districts of Montgomery county, Md, went to
Annapolis Tor the purpose of presenting to the
delegates from the county mammoth coun-
ter petition TO that placed in the hands Of the
delegation by the opponents of local option.
The tollowing-named gentlemen constituted
the COMMITTEES: Hon. A. B. Davis chairman;
DIR. j. L. Lodge, Messrs. David III. Bouic, vice
president State Temperance Alliance; Frank
Higgins, vice president prohibition party; Benz.
H. Miller, vice president Temperance League;
Desellum, III. j. Wagner, George Rice, Benz. d.
Palmer Alfred Ray, John w. Hodges, Wright
Curtis. Cansin Condict, John C. Wilson, ]. G.
mon M. Smith. The petition presented by the
committee contains nearly four Thousand
names OF Leading and respectable citizens and
portion OF the property-owners and taxpayers,
and at least one-half Of all the voters in the
were less than g. 900 votes cast in the county and
the names of not less than half oi the qualified
voters are upon the petition, representing fully
seven-tenths OF the property of the county.
AT Annapolis the committee was received by
Representatives Laird and Crawford, of the
Montgomery delegation, the other member,
tour. Hon. Philip d. Laird, in whose hands the
petition was placed by the committee, will pre-
pirate address, and the committee feel assured
that in the hands of that gentleman the cause
of local option will not suffer.
The petition of The OPT onents OF local option
praying for re-submission of the question TO
the people has been placed in the hands of the
senator from Montgomery county, aud although
the number of signatures it contains has not
been made public, 1t is said, upon good author
ity, to contain less than a thousand Names and
fhe sentiment in favor Of local OPTION % " has
proven to be stronger than was anticipated by
some OF the most sanguine and ardent support
ers OF the present system, and the local option
petition gives evidence of tho high favor in
which the law Is held by an overwhelmingly
large majority of the better class OF citizens.
One need be but partially informed to know
that the present prosperous state of the county
is due to the effects OF local option. Only a few
years ago grog-shOp might be found at every
cross-road and one or more IN every hamlet
village and town in the county. Labor was
completely demoraiized and II was with diff
Guilty that the farmers could procure trusly men
to assist them upon the farm, and more SO to find
sober, reliable men to carry their produce to
market, on account of the temptations by the
way The county Jail at Rockville was also
constantly occupied, and the courts and lawyers
Were kept busy. Now new order of things exist
Beautiful homes have sprung up where once
was desoiation and want-the county Jail is
often closed for month or more at a time. and
when poor criminal does enter its doors he's
mere shadow0f its former self-and the lawyers
we'll, some of them have thought seriously of
leaving the county tor want of something to do.
Furthermore, labor is more steady and reliable
and, as a consequence, is better paid, and the
workingmen are beginning to procure for them
selves and their families comfortable homes.
Still further, the tide OF immigration, which
hitherto has been flowing into the more accessi-
BILE but less healthy sections along the main
branch of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad is
beginning to set in this direction, and there is
constantly increasing demand for property
along the route OF the Metropolitan branch rail-
road, which needs only to be encouraged to
still further increase. In view of this state Of
things, there is an element in the county, many
of whom, however, are honest in their opinions.
which would undo all the good that local option
has done. But the petition which has just gone
before the legislature must be SO APPALLING to the
resubmissionistS that for time ut least the
good people OF Montgomery may rest assured
that local option will not be disturbed.