The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1888-03-02
High License"
Garner.


quor interest to have the prohibition law
of this county substituted by high license
law, as we predicted would be the. case
Petitions are being circulated and "numer
ously signed''-any petition may be nu-
merously signed, if willing hands are found
to push it, asking the legislature to do
almost anything There is nothing
remarkable, however, about the effort be-
ing r,sde by the whiskey Interest to have
another opportunity to repeal the present
law The majority was small which de-
clared for the law, and the action of the
prohibitionists who assumed to be the
warmest friends of the present law, since
the law has been in force, has done much
to encourage its enemies to renew the at
tack upon it, Two of the delegates who
were elected last fall to the legislature,
were reported to be avowed license men.
The report was not contradicted and we
heard Of no efforts being maze to haye a
distinct avowal from them on the subject.
A prohibition lecturer, one of the best in
The state, was advertised to speak at Rising
Sun last fall, at Rising Sun, mind you,
which is claimed to be the Gibralter dist
riot Of temperance. The speaker was re-
ceived almost with Kisses and rotten eggs,
and concerted movements amongst the
"prohibltionists who were by general con-
sent assigned the frat place as leaders in
temperance work, to keep away from and
prevent anything like meeting. The Ii.
cense men stood by as quiet spectators,
with amazement at first, then with sardonic
smiles of triumph, turning on their heel,
said, 1--WE know thes- great PER o-h-i-b i
t-i.o-n-i.s-t,s ~ had no faith in What they
professed. Where are they all, now there
is no county election to carry? Don't want
to hear one Of their best orators speak on
the subject they pretend was so near their
hearts, ha, ha, hal" And word was soon
sent to the Personal Liberty" leagues,
organized by the distillers and Wholesale
liquor merchants and brewers, that prohi-
bition was mere sham in Maryland, that
a we'll managed effort at the next election
wonl3 sweep it like chaff before the wind.
Word has passed along the line and the
first parallel.is being opened in Cecil.
This is not mere sporadic movement in.
stigated and directed by the liquor men of
this country. 1t is part Of general move
ment along the whole line. 1t is national
on the part of the whlskey interest, order
ed and directed from head quarters. That
interest no longers fights prohibition with
the naked sword, Of right, but the entire
ruling liquor power. able men who stand
at the head of the liquor organization, men
OF broad mental ability, men who have
millions of dollars at their command,
do not rest their claim on the
assumption that the business is en-
titled to the same untrammeled rights of
other lines of traffic. Oh no, they do not
say that. They all ask for thigh license" |
They claim that high license is the only
method to effectually bar out prohibition.
they say that high license does not dimin-
lsh the rale Of alcoholic liquors, but that it |
places the trade 10 the hands of more re-
spectacle men, who can handle the busi- |
ness with ability. That 1t breaks up the
low dives, and helps to establish the gilded |
saloon, makes the business reputable and
drinking more respectable. That the high |
license brings to the towns large revenues,
which soon become popular with tax pay
ers.
Where high license has been tried, in
Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and other places
The officers of the liquor leagues write to
their friends in other states where the
struggle is now being made to hand cuff |
the prohibition movement with high Ii
cense, that it is the grandest thing for the
liquor trade that has ever been tried. At
first there is an interruption to the business
hut after the business becomes adjusted to
the new order that the trade regains its
loss AID works on better than ever.
Prohibition is now TO be attacked here
and every where with high license, and the
movement is being directed by the able Of
dcers of the liquor leagues; and it is aston.
ishing TO behold the numbers of temper
ance lambs and sheep, that are bleating in
this high license drove, with the lie .ders in
the liquor industry cracking them up with
high license whips.