Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1891-08-28
Communicated

last iss1e OF your paper over the Egha-
ture Of ore Samuel X Neave, a commu-
nitsti5n In which the writer, In hls blind
coneeit and prejudiced zeal endeayoriDg
to pose as moral censor for this commu-
nity-has so far transgresset the rules Of
that good breeding Of which, in bis AFRO
giant presumption. he assumes the typical
e&empliication, that we deem it wise
through the same channel Of communism
tion. to correct the impression upon the
public that such misstate nents may have
made. AT the same time, we also wish
to apprise all such self-constitute moral
mentors that we have attained to that
STANDARD" Of self-respect by "educa-
ton" and partial surroundings, that we
are not" satisfied with things as they are, -
when the foul tongue Of a slanderer has
characterized our people as not elevated
to that degree of religious attainment
whereby they can discern right from
wrong" and 1.-THE church." of which we
are humble and perhaps unworthy mem
bers, as appealing almost entirely to the
lower passions of hcrpeople to raise finds
needfd for her support.
The above quotation IS taken from the
communics ton in question. which furth-
err on therein, is made to refer to IL sale
Of beer on the grounds of tournament
whichwas held near the village Of Hughes
vile on August II, for the benefit Of St.
Mary's Catholic Church, and to the dance
usually given for she enjoyment of the
young folks the night of such affairs. As
has been the custom on similar occasions,
we obtained permission from the proper
church authorities to sell beer, provided
such sale be so conducted as not to be con-
ducive TO the baneful resultswhich too FREE
quently follow The congregation of'large
crowds at places where intoxicating IL
quors are sold at all After weighing the
matter in all lis details, we concluded that
the procuring of special license would
augment the sale Of liquor upon the occa-
sion. and in consequence, decided if pos
sible, to use the license of Mr.. Fred Far
rail-, who keeps a saloon in the village.
This we did, and which lecessitated the
closing of his bar during the whole time
the tournament was in progress. where,
otherwise, all kinds of liquors would have
been sold-in lieu of which only beer was
sold on the grounds. That there must
have been less intoxicants sold, where the
kinds were decreased and the number Of
saloons lessened, is the conclusion that all
ftir minded men pW arrive at and all To-
cal optIOnists must concede. The mere
transfer of lceDse--"the church turn
ing bartender" as our moral crit terms
t, is matter Of no import in itSelf:-upon
results alone must unbiased judgment be
passed If therefore by the committee i
handling beer dlone, in its tent on
that day, more evil results followed than
would have, had the Letr been opened for
the sale of I'LL kinds of liquors, with. ac-
cess to the parephinalia therein, with none
for sale by the committee, then, aud only
then, could we be censurcd for promoting
intemperauce and thereby abetting its con
.sequent vices With that keen sense of the
responsibilities We were assuming. every
precautioh was taken to preventdlsorders
Of every kind; and so successful were our
efforts that not one singh, case Of drunk
cuness was Witnessed upon the grounds
or i'll the building during the whole pro-
gross of the entertainment for which We
could reasonably be held responsible
The little trouble that originated in the
bar-room betwec two or three men who
had imaihed too freely at some place not
connected with the entertainment. and in
Which the fertile imagination Of our mora
critic had fifty orr more participating
might be attributable by him to the tour
nameut, upon the same ground that The
drunkenness of one of his cannery hands
might be attributable to the promoters o.
that industry We can readily see thai
the motives Ihatpr)mpted the publ 'atiior
of his little sermon were not engendered
by results that followed "tlre church .urh
iuy bartender else he would have C n
tined himselfto ficts ncontrovcrtable. bn
were the oufgrowth Of self-conceiteC
mnd-a seIf-con>tiuied propaganda
when an opportunity presented, wherein
he could give publication to his views a
the avengcr (?) Of wrong. In reference t.
the questionable expediency of holdin!
an all night dance" we would simply sa,
that the '.'moral" training Of our youn,
people to know right from wrong" ha
elevated them } that 'stan lard that doe
net require incessant parental supervis
ion to make them keep the path of moral
itv and virtue The holding Of tourna
+ ,srs,ss,--isa ssss-ssssss.~asy.sNey" Q
which he also doubts, we trust may con
vey to the outside world, that courtesy Q
manners still robes our social life, tina
: liberality of sentiment distinguishes tn
: gentleman Of to-day as was its won't to dis
tinguish the knight of chivalty In tn
days of yore, In conclusion, Mr.. Edi
tor, we must insist that if tina. ''highe
standard" ofmorality can only be attain
r ed through means devised by this woul
be moral beacon. his light must have bee
hidden under bushel. for although hav
: ing lived among our people for the las
Is years. it has never shone forth to tina
) extent that it has illumined their path
way to the attainment of that ''highe
standard" or for him, lit up with the
brilliancy the tablet of Mt, Sinai that h
could discern written ereon"Thou shal
not ber false witness against thy neigh
Dor. -.
j. NJ. Bowling. J. Deb. Walbach,
C. G.. .Edelen, j.. G. Carrico,
b. H. Carrico. f. d. Mudd.
Committee.
W. F. Bowling J. H. Langley,
b. NJ. Edeleu, w. L. Boarman,
fWm. Queen. G. A. Bowling,
B. r. Bowling
And others members ofSt Mary's con
gregation.