The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-05-12
Wilson's Mills, W. Va.
MAY 5th, 1888


ample of the adage that it is the un'
expected that happens.
You seem to possess all the attrl-
butes of first-class Pathfinder, with
scant inclination to praise, everywhere
credit is due.
1t certainly was foreign to my pur'
pose or expectation TO be drawn into
controversy on the Local option
question, especially with so stauncn
a friend of the measure as you pro-
fess to be and the astonishing part
of it is, that /, who did all in my
power to protect the law in question:
should be the recipient OF your dis
pleasure, while others. in equally
responsible positions, using their In
fluence in the opposite direction, 20
scot free.
Gratitude has, not inapt'y, been
defined as a sense of lavors expected.
Now the truth of the matter is, l
was left alone, for long time, in q
most trying and difficult situation,
without a word of council or enccur-
agement from the Local Option
champions of the county, and whef
| finally succeeded in saving the law,
you published your circular. sending
it broadcast over the county, claim.
ing for yourself and the dear ones
who labOriousIy signed the paper,
praises and honors, but for me who
stood in the breach. nothing but a
cold-blooded reDrimand.
My position on the temperance
question is too we'll understood to be
successfully misrepresented by one
so recently coming into the county.
The liquor people all know that l
am no friend to their business, aud
with this knowledge In full view
they have acted.
l believe the saloon is an unmiti.
gated, unqualified curse, that blights
and degrades, and demOralizes
wherever its influence extends and
| haye taken no pains to conceal this
opinion but there are other men,
perhaps. as worthy and as intelligent
as myself, who think differently, and
| can differ with mans honest
opinions without Safeguarding or
misrepresenting him before the
public.
When you mailed me your halle.
lujah circular, you wrote me at the
same time that you knew I could ex.
plain my position satisfactorily. |
therefore concluded that your stric.
lures, though personal to an unseen.
ly degree, was not really meant for
me, and had mind to pass it by I'm.
noticed ; but now, when you follow
it up with an open letter, with hints
and inuendoes which you know to
be dishonest, and misleading, it is
time to speak out in plain English.
In my capacity as delegate from
my county, | have never forgotten
that l was servant, and not master;
that l was to represent the will of
the people, and not my own will.
Whatever the people of the county
or majority of them desired, that
felt under obligation to advocate.
When Mr.. Friend introduced his
bill to repeal the Local Option Law
for Garrett county, there had been
number of petitions forwarded to
him containing, / believe, some 600
or 700 names.
His bill not only repealed the pres
ent law, but it went back and re.
pealed every vestige of legislation
that had ever been enacted for Gar
rett county since its organization, on
the liquor question. The provisions
requiring liquor dealers to be recon-
mended by twelve freeholders, to
bond, and making them responsible,
&C.. were all swept away. The pres.
ent law was to be repealed. and the
sale of liquor under the State law
was authorized after the first of May,
1888. The bill was to be voted on at
the general election this fall. and, If
adopted, was to 60 into effect the
first of May. 1889.
Realizing the gravity of the situa.
ton, / wrote home explaining the
character. of the bill. and saying
should need all the moral supp,Al
they could send me. The Local on
ton people had not, as yet, shown
any sign of action. One of the best
and most sensible temperance men
of the county wrote me that great
many Local Option people refused to
sign petitions, as they considered the
question settled at the special election
held for that purpose, and it looked
for time as though 1 was to be left
alone, to my own devices, entirely
unsupported by any temperance SEN
timent from the county.