The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-06-27
Port Deposit and it's Speak Easies ,

Port Deposit has long been the excuse fol
the license advocate to point to and the
shame of temperance people. The moral
decent people of the county hang theil
heads in shame when they hear the whiskey
advocates speak with pride of the numerous
but half concealed illicit rum holes that
in(est Port Deposit. If this is true, and the
publicity given the charge has all the mora
bad effect of truth on the side of the liquor
trade, and initiates against the advance OF
prohibitory law.
Of what use are three churches in the
small town Of Port Deposit if they cannot
infuse enough moral and religious leaven
into that community to drive out and break
up few low principled law breakers and
their rum holes. The roofing out and dry
ing out of every whiskey vender and hidden
saloon in the town, and thus establishing
the majesty of the law before the eyes Of the
rising generation, would do more for their
future welfare than the purposeless existence
of dozen industrial schools and all the
churches of the town. What influence on
the public mind and morals has an array of
educational and religious institutions, IF the
public see crop of rotten fruit covering
the ground around them? The steadily
repeated story of Port Deposits speak
easies has beer the greatest obstacle in the
path of temperance work and the complete
yindication Of the prohibition law in Cecil,
that we have had to contend with. 1t was
the story of Ports shame that enabled the
saloon to induce the legislature to give it
another chance TO attempt TO beat back the
prohibition sentiment and establish its reign
Of legalized crime again in the county. The
crime, burning shame and disgrace which
attach to the reports that the town is a safe
rendezvouse for illicit rum sellers, disgrace
the citizens who pose as the moral, religious
and intelligent class Of Port Deposit. If
their professions in these respects were sin
cere they would uphold the majesty of the
law. They could easily root out every den
in the place if their temperance professions
were real, if their hearts were in the work.
1t would be far better to appropriate few
thousand dollars to cleaning the town of
these vicious sink holes before commencing
the grand purpose of philanthropy by Civ
ing to the poor free industrial school
Those whiskey dens will ruin and brualize
more boys and girls than the school would
ennoble and educate. The moral. religious
and temperance protesting people of Port
Deposit, if their hearts were sincere as their
professions are loud, could and would shut
up. root out every rum hole and imprison
every Illicit rumseller in Port Deposit in
three months. They and they alone stand
guilty of the shame of this thing.
When great robbery, murder or other
crime in the capital crimes catalogue is com-
mitted, detectives are employed to unearth
the guilty parties and bring them to justice.
Then why not employ the same means to
bring parties equally guilty, whose defiance
oflaw shame, as we'll as injure the property,
the good name of the people of Port De-
post? One thousand dollars and couple
of Pinkerton's detectives would lodge every
speak-easy keeper in the house ofcorrection
and break up the whole business in short
time.