The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1890-09-06

Notices will be found IN the several news
papers published in Cecil this week. of a
meeting of the Anti-License League in
Elkton on Wednesday Sept. 105h, and |
wish to say a few words III reference to this
league and its work. The citizens of Cecil
county, who are opposed to licensing the
liquor traffic, have formed an associst;On
for the purpose ofdefending the present pro-
hibitory law. This, therefore, is il defensive
association. 1t is not organized to repeal
law, to alter a law, or, in any manner, to in
terfere with any mans rights or privileges
under law. 1t simply defends the law as
it is to-day, by virtue of the claim that the
more the people of Cecil suffered from the
evils flowing from the licensed sale of intoxi-
eating drinks. These evils were not matters
of controversy; they were acknowledged.
Again and again our law makers " ere called
upon to minimize the evils. The laws were
altered, re altered, and still the evils con
tinued without the slightest abatement.
The records of our courts prove this beyond
questioning. Then it was confessed that
license law, drawn rs stringent as human
language could make it, was not IL remedy
for the evils growing oat of the open legll
zed sale of whiskey and its kin. The law,
that licensed an evil and gave it legal
status, never yet retained sufficient power
to control its abuse. y hundred years of
| trial having demonstrated this fact, the bet
| ter thought of Cecil county demanded the
suppression of the liquor traffic and gave us
| the present prohibitory law. The license
| laws had a hundred years trial and failed
| in every year of that trial to do the Sigh
test good for the well being of the people.
The prohibitory law has had less than four
| years OF trial and has done vast amount
| of good. Ii has removed the legallZed tenn
| ptation of open bar rooms from our county
| and driven the liquor dealers into cellars
and other secret places to deal out, in def
| anee of law, the poor drunkard's cup of
liquid fire. And now the question of abid-
| ing by the present law or returning to the
| old is before the people of Cecil county for
settlement. The purpose ofthe An i-License
| League is then purely defensive. The license
men and their friends are responsible for
this contest. They have made the issue
and we are forced to defend what we know
is for the best interests of the people We
know, for we have eyes to see and ears to
hear. We therefore invite the earnest co.
operation of the friends OF law good morals
in defense of the law it now stands We
| are not asking for new law. We are not
the aggressive party in this contest. We
are simply asking the people of Cecil county
| to consider what is best for themselves
their families and the future welfare OF
their children. If grog shops are blessing
| 30 us and to our children you will vote to re.
peal the prohibition law and you can invoke
| Gods blessing upon the act. If they are a
curse, you may indeed vote for them, but
you will hardly ask God to bless the deed.
| appeal most earnestly to the friends of
| temperance and good order, of good morals
and christian civilization to join hands with
the League III defense of the only law that
has proved of the least value in saving men
from the liquor habit. No man can suggest
| a better law. If it is violated, punish the
violators and uphold by every means in
your power what you know 10 be essential
to the well being of society. To re-cstablisll
the license system is to cast upon our child
rem the burden we Were compelled to cast
off. Sheet itself would rejoice in such a
contamination of human folly.
IL. G. MAcKALL.
Vice President for :irl district.