Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1888-02-10
Prohibition and High License.

Edit0r Sentinel In your paper OF two
weeks ago was an article entitled "The I'll.
tects OF Hugh License" Not having at hand
such tables of statistics as would enable me
u reute figures with figures in this particu-
lar instance, | do not propose To tell how
many drunkards were made, Or how many
hwines were desolated by the increased sale
which brought forth such Increased revenue.
The TACT uf the Increase tells It's own tale.
The Whole subject vi high license, town
license and no license bears dual charac-
ter, a mora one and political OF legal one
Aud | VIII here quote lrem constitutional
Prohlbtlon," by /. Il. Foster ut is claimed
by the opponents Ui pruhiOitory movements
that the Whole question vi the liquor traffic
is one OF morals, therefore 1t ought never to
be taken INTO politics. Personal temper
ance is u question Vi morals, Tor 1t is CHRIS
tan virtue, and is ranked by the Apostle in
the list OF other Christian virtues, rs lsVe,
ioy, &c But prohlbitory laws do not deal
with the urinker. 1t Is with the seller they
deal. The State by legal enactments does
not protect "A man from himself, but from
his neighbour Law seeks to make it hard
| for a man to DO wrong, and easy for him to
| do right; but organic law has for one oil its
| objects the welfare and protection OF the
body polite All prohibitory laws seek 10
protect society from men who, resisting the
appeals o; Philanthropy and holding in con-
tempt the warnings of Christianity, will pur-
sue their own gain and selfish pleasure to
the serious injury Of society, and also to the
detrment OF our homes.
The legal prohibition OF the liquor traffic
is political question, made such by the
action OF those engaged in 1t. This traffic,
it cannot be claimed, is maintained aud fOs
tered by moral means. 1t is the laws, both
State and National, that keep it i'll existence.
The whole question Of prohibit on versus
licenses is an important factor In the politl.
cal arena, aud there the contest will be de-
cided. The end OF government is protective
aud educational IN Its broadcast sense. To
be true To that aim, its lines OF development
must run parallel with the Golden Rule,
having M view the greatest good " the
greatest humber.
IL has been clearly shown many times
! over that this traffic Is the source and lnstl
gator If the largest proportion of crimes
committed in the United States. Thest
crimes being trespasses upon the rights o
society, which rights it is the end Of all oul
laws u maintain. IL logically follows tina
: all connected with the liquor business mus
90, land it is gpng,) even il in its departure
il carries dimnutIon ef revenue with IT, Th'
stapie OF objections is loss oil revenue as Sc
forth by showing how high license increase
A ! IL; but the lncpnle from tnat SOURCE uoe
not equa the ontgo caused by pauperisin
INSANITY and crime as the direct result o
the license system.
To d large number Of the members OF an.
community law is the measure of social AM
commercial morality. Thus law should eve
t be somewhat in advance of the popular ides
Then it becomes the educator Of the peopl
, in that righteousness which exalteth ma
ton, an II should not be partsceps cTtmatn
in that sin which is shame and disgrace
5 our native land. A SUBSCRIBER.