The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-02-28
What is Best is Right.

gives the editor of the Democrat q piece
of his mind last week, which is so good
piece of honest, every day sense
which great many may profit by,
that we reproduce the entire letter.
What possesses the editor in hankering
after the return of the gin mill and
drunkard factory it puzzles US to con-
ceive. The reason he assigns is no
reason at all, and is only put forth as a
sham.
"Conceding to you and to all others
the right to hold and to express their
opinions on all questions of public in
terest, beg permission to differ with
you as to the matter of re-submission of
the question of license or prohibition
to the voters of Cecil county at the
next general election, and TO give my
| reasons for so doing. I do not think
any one will charge me with fanaticism,
for ] did not vote either for prohibition
or license when the matter was sub
mitted to the people the last time, not
knowing which measure was best, the
old law having failed to accomplish the
purpose for which it was passed. But
L do know what is best, for the new law
has proved as effectual in mitigating a
great evil as any law in the Maryland
Code. 1t has, in large measure, brok-
en- up dram drinking, at least in this
community, and it has effectually
closed the doors of invitation and
temptation to y Dung men, and to many
who are not young. If this is true, and
l challenge denial, the law is good, the
best we can get. Then why change it,
or why re-submit it to the voters of the
county? You say because this is the
very spirit OF local option, the will of
the majority. But may ask how often
this principle is to be applied in the
enacting of laws? If this year why not
next? Is question of public policy,
one affecting the moral and material
Interests of every man, woman and
child in the county, to be reopened
every few years. If this is the theory
of local option then am in favor of
prohibition by the Legislature, without
submission TO the voters of the county;
for the women and children can not
vote and they are the greatest sufferers
by licensed bar-rooms. The General
Assembly of Maryland is the represen-
tative of these as we'll as of the men
who do the voting. They are helpless
as politicians, but God help the State
that denies them the utmost protection
that law can give to the helpless. L
will not argue the question of the COM
parative merits of prohibition or IL.
cense, for license has no single merit TO COM
men3 1t IN a community in which prohibit
ton can be enforced. 1t is contended
that prohibition is iniuring the trade
of towns Tnere is no proof of this.
The trade bar rooms bring to any
place, is of but little value to any out
side the bar room. The man who
spends his money for strong drink US
ually gets his dry goods and groceries
on credit, if he can and pays for them
if he can. Elkton has unquestlonably
lost some of its trade since the opening
of the B. & o. r. H., and this was to be
expected, but the town las grown
more in the last three years than it
ever grew before in any twenty years
of its history. Scores of men own
houses who formerly were renters
How is it that the mechanic and labor
ing man, can save now, something out
of his weekly wages, invest it in a
building society and in few years be-
come the owner of his homestead,
when formerly he never dreamed of
such ownership? May we not credit
at least portion of this thrift to the
closed bar.room door? think so! I
admit and regret that hotel property
has greatly decreased in value, signal
proof of the value of the barroom
traffic. But every advance that CIV
ilization has made, in the entire history
of the human race, has been made at
the expense of old things. Gunpowder
ruined the trades of the sword and
spear makers. The percussion cap de-
stroyed the business of the flint cutters.
The steamship has driven from the
ocean thousands of sailing craft. The
locomotive, on its iron rails, has re-
moved the toilgates from the old pixies
and closed the doors of the way side
tavern. The scythe drove the sickle
from the harvest field, the binder the
cradle and the mower the scythe. The
recent war set free in day, six mil
lions of slaves and took from their
owners three billions of dollars worth
of property. The law of progress is,
necessarily, a law of sacrifice. Its
march is ever over the few for the ben
eft of the many. OF this, the world
wide symbol Is the Cross of Calvary,
on which one suffered for the worlds |
redemption. Let those who would re-
open the liquor saloons justify their
traffic by this symbol and convince me
that this crucitied one would, if here
to-day, sign one of the petitions to
widen the way to perdition, and 1 will
sign with pleasure. But haying sign
al n lie ooc1 ,oonA fhNSa nthor nati