The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1886-01-30
Local Option or High Licarse-Which
Sh II 1t Be?

The friends of Local Option claim that
the law as it is, is even better than to
change to High License, and offer the
| following statements to show that such
is the case: list, That there is much less
| intoxicating liquors used than when we
| had license law. ID, That the sale of
intoxicants is driven from public view
into secluded places, consequently the
moral effect is not as bad as if the article
was sold under license law openly. Sd,
| That Local Option has compelled parties
to buy liquor in wholesale quantities, in
suring a more palitable and wholesome
article of drink. And to insure a sue
cessful law, it is only necessary to drop
| the cider clause, make the fine and i'm
| prisonment more severe and the sale of
rum will cease. Those that are supposed
to be in favor Of a High License law,
formerly local optionists, people as good
morally and otherwise as their prohibit
ton friends and probably better qualified
to know what they declare, assume that
the condition of things in the county is
much worse than when there was license
law in operation. Instead of less rum
being sold there is more. Instead of its
being bought by the glass %t the saloon,
it is purchased abroad by the gallon or
barrel Instead of its being drank at the
bar in saloon, it is carried around in
the pocket, ready to treat whenever a
jovial spirit is encountered on the public
road, at public entertainments, and even
by some offered at the door of our
churches. That rum is now everywhere,
and the people are more demoralized
than ever known in the county. Figures
are not given to prove any assertions
made by either side, consequently the
truth of the matter and the facts in the
case are unknown. Would it not be
well under the circumstances to try and
get at the facts. Say call temperance
meeting to meet in Elkton and settle
upon some course whereby the real inter
est of the community will be secured.
Nothing can be done in the cause of
temperance when the people are so div
ded, it is simply forcing a failure Gas the
failure of the Local Option law has pro-
ven to be- upon those that consider it a
past issue. would propose meeting
strictly in accord and in the interest of
the temperance and law-abidlng citizens
of the county, No particular church,
political organization, nor in the way of
public or party ACKNOWLEDGMENT should
be known. Let all be heard, even the
rum seller, if he has anything to offer.
What is wanted is to know what is best
for the largest number of the people and
then try and get it. Try and get such
laws as can be enforced, and then enforce
| them. 1t is generally considered that
the past Local Option meeting proposed
| by the churches was a mistake. That it
should have been call for all temper
ance people. Then, probably, something
would have been done satisfactory and
the citizens of the county would have
been satisfied. Z. MOVES.
-FOUR esteemed correspondent expresses
| opinions in the above letter which it will
not be difficult to refute. OF course we
cannot concur with them. The meeting
of the Local Option convention in the
hall at this place on Tuesday of last week
was one expressive of the sentiments of
| the entire true hearted Temperance popu-
lation of the county. Something was
done at this meeting satisfactory to the
citizens of the county and we cannot
| think 1t was a mistake. 1t was a call for
all temperance people, but we do not see
how an advocate of high license can con-
slider himself true temperance man, he
is in our opinion direct cross between
the mugwump and the nihilist-EDs.
| WING.