The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1888-03-16
Friday, Mar. l6, 1855.
A Temperance Pledge.


New the truth is that the temper
ance people most active in securing
the adoption of the present law fully
pledged themselves in County Conven-
ton and on various occasions that
they were not engaged in a third party
Prohibition movement but were work
ing strictly within the local option
plan. So particular were they on this
point that they habitually used the
terms Local Option" instead of Pro-
hibition." Many of the temperance
people of the county who worked ear
nestly for success in that campaign do
not believe in state or national Prohi-
bilion but believe that the question
should be left to the city, or county,
which will be charged with the en-
forcement of the law after 1t is obtain
ed.n
The above quotation is an extract
from Local Optionists" article in
last weeks MIDLAND JOURNAL
which claiming to speak for the most
active temperance people of this
county, is cause for anxiety.
Read carefully the above extract
onfitting the two words which we
have put in italics, and consider to-
moment its purport. "Local OPP
ton" and Prohibition are two dis
tinct theories it would appear from
the above. The former admits that
whiskey has rights that the commu-
nifty is bound to respect. Its status
and Local Option are the same as
two office hunters, Tom Smith and
Jerry johnson, and they electioneer
to secure majority of one or more
at the polls. Smith secures the odd
vote this year and the Office. Next
year johnson is the more active and
he gets in while Smith goes out to
renew the fight. Suppose we name
our two aspirants for political favor
Tom Local Option and Jerry License
These two aspirants forpolitical fav-
or are accorded the same privileges,
and the Logical sequence is that they
are equally worthy, if the platform
laid down by our Local :Optionist"
friend for the temperance people OF
this county means anything. and it
is only matter of a bare majority
whether we have the saloon or cold
water. If the temperance reople OF
Cecil take no higher ground than
this, the W. c. T. u. may as well
cease their prayers and disband. II
we are "not engaged in prohibition
movement and the most active
temperance people of this county
have pledged themselves that they
are not. as the platform laid down
by "Local Optionist" declares, then
there are a good many people who
have been laboring Under false be-
lief, and will not train with the party
which proposes to accord license to
sell liquor all the rights honors and
privileges Of any other branch OF
traffic.
The above declaration laid down
as the platform of Temperance PEG
pie most active in securing the adopt
ion of the present law" is an invita-
tion to the liquor party to circulate
petitions and ask for another vote to
restore license to the county and
they ask also for a reasonable" Ii
cense law, not an iron clad like
Wirt's Bill of 1856.
Local Option is good entering
wedge, where the custom oflicensine
liquor houses has grown up 70,
more than century. The first IL
cense law for Maryland Was passed
in 1880. The first assault on the
practice is best delivered by an ap.
peal to popular vote after the moral
sense Of the community has been
stirred to its inmost depths; but it
is only step, and if the temperance
people propose to stop here tie
whiskey party will renew their at.
tacks yearly till they recapture every
town, district and county in every
state in the Union not protected by
4 prohibition article in its constitu-
tfon.
Our "Local Optionist, friend who
lays down the platform Of "Many of
the temperance people ofthe county
says they are opposed to estate and