The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-12-06
Cecil 10 Against License.

cecil IS Against License.
1t is manifest to those who read intelli-
gently on the liquor question, that the pow
erful liquor monopoly which is at present
cowiEg professional politicians Of the old
parties has on the program the purpose of
more firmly strengthening Its hold on Mary
land through the legislature this winter.
With this end in view to fortify itself in
the metropolis of the State, the city of Bal
timore, the preliminary work has been
done. A meeting 'of the most prominent
citizens' Of the place was called in the sum
mer. and the traffic roundly denounced.
! When the denunciation by several speakers
was concluded, the suggestion for the rem
edy was put forward, which was high license,
the favorite remedy prescribed by every dis
tilling and brewing association throughout
the country. These Associations would
naturally favor the best method for restrict.
ing and reducing the amount of their
sales and pro6s! The city papers were
brought into line with this policy at once.
Tax payere were reminded of the heavy
taxes which they had to pay, and the saloon
interest were ready and willing to help
literally to pay them if given virtual
monopoly of the trade through the medium
Of high license. This bride and plausible
reasoning of the men put forward in the
interest of the saloon-wEether consciously
or unconscously- captured superficial
thinkers on the subject.
This movement having been worked for
all the capital that was in it, an imposing
convention of the Roman Catholic clergy
was engineered, who watch closely and are
always ready to take advantage of any re
spectacle appearing popular breeze that
springs up. AT this clerical gathering in
Baltimore high sounding ornate speeches
were made by learned priests and bishops
denounclng the evils of the saloon, closing
up every time, like meetings Of the ere
spectacle business men" which had preced-
ed them, by the contradictory-to their
speeches-recommendation of high license
as the advance step to final prohibition.
There are two noticeable points in all of
these high license movements and high Ii
cense arguments. They strongly recon-
mend making the liquor traffic more ere
spectable' through this medium of a higher
rate of tax, never for a moment seeming to
consider that the very best way that can be
divised to strengthen any business is first to
make il respectable and become under obi
CATION to it by accepting heavy brides in the
sale of privileges TO it. In order TO disguise
so illogical policy, the well established
fact that high license is an utter failure as
prohibatory and temperance measure where
ever tried, is totally ignored and denied,
and many remedial qualities are attributed
to it, not one of which it possesses, and the
uniformed are thus deceived by those they
look to for information. These false teach
ers profess to be giving the multitude bread
when they know they are giving stone.
High license wherever tried has proved,
with not single exception, to be one of the
most dire calamities that the saloon interest
has ever managed to artfully insinuate into
the temperance movement. The craze runs
like small pox through the soft hearted and
soft headed moral suasionsts of everv COM
mnnity where it gets foot-hold, and when
LOO late these people wake up in despair to
find the saloon rloting in all its shocking
debauchery and crime, while it has para
LIKED the epginery of law and justice by the
high license brides it has been aging into
the public treasures.
When our members meet in Annapolis
next month they will be confronted face to
face with heavy delegations from Baltimore
city and the license counties backed BY both
the old parties through their Safe and
National organizations, asking to haye the
chains of the saloon fixed upon the metrop-
oils of the State, and the counties, whose
delegates have been sent TO the legislature
through the undetermined management of
the saloon. Remember that your constitu-
ents are opposed TO the saloon under any
and every form of license; that they have
tried total prohibition, and hayin tested
Its grand results, are more strongly in favor
of prohibiting the traffic than ever before.
Vote and speak against every movement to
strengthen the saloon by accepting its bride
of high license to DO evil any where, no
matter who asks for 1t, if you wish to face
this responsibility with clean hands in the
future, for that you will have to do as sure
as you live. The drunken craze ofhigh
license will run its course in short time
aud every one who aspres to public honors
will be sorry for it if he has been lured by
the SIRENS voice. Vote NO! and aroint the
witch when ever she appears.
The Silver Question.