Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1891-08-07
Communicated

Mr., Elitcr.-In your issue OF jdly
, tth. /. after commenting upon the Ell
tect which our habit Of curl-pIayius and
NIiskcy drinking must hare upon th6s,.
strangers wLu would ike 70 settle among
us said thai | would give a few samples
of the impressions which others have
formed OF US
\ physician Of 30 or 40, af.er reading
in the Baltimore SIN Of the death Of DR.
Williams of this county, aud the state
ncnt that said Dr's, death had made
good opening for physician. inquired
Of me about the truth Of the statement
gave him as truthful an account of our
people and county as could lie then
asked me whether Wbiskey is sold here,
and on receiving an affirmative answer,
replied. That settles the matter" His
O lection to MISUNDERSTANDING county
was financial rather than moral. Tie
sid, You can't collect money where
whiskey is sold When Somerset coun
ty sold whskey, men. from whom you
could nor collect anything aoo pay their
debts and nave money besides" Som
etset at the time nc was speaking was,
aud is yet, a local option county
\ captain of an oyster boat, referring
to this county, said, 1T is hard place,
indeed. The people play cards and hunt
all day on Sundays Another captain
said, Il had negro on my boat, and he
came to me one day and said, Ca 2'n
deed | wants to get way from here. |
doan Dieve desc people hab any law. "
Several young men from Southern
Maryland have gone to other sections OF
this State and exercised their bbulous
habits contracted in the county Of their
birth, to find out that they would have
to abandon their former habits, or be So
cially ostracised They may be culur-
ed and refined, but they will not be
recognized by the cultured and refined
in the home of their adoption | have
visited every section of this State, and
nowhere except in Southern Maryland
have | ever seen public gambling In
deed | have never seen any kind of
gambling but t,oice, aud then the gamb
lers secreted themselves as securely as if
they had been chicken thieves.
Turning from the opinion strangers
have Of us, let US see what few of u,
think of the rest of us. An in elligent,
strong party man said few weeks ago.
Il would like to go to the House of Del
egatcs, bai l know oaunot ge: Ihe
nomination" He being asked why he
cou d not be nominated, he replied, Il
don't know, unless it is because don't
drink whiskey and play cards enough
Here again is where we are unlike other
sections of this State A man cannot
run for an Office unle,s he is pecuniarily
able and willing to "set 'em up" He
knows he will have no chance for an
election unless he conforms to custom
Which dates back to time whereof
the memory Of man rulneth not to the
contrary" What effect Will ar election
eering custom have upon the stranger?
Will he go to a county where he and his
sons are excluded from political prefer
ment, unless they conform to custom
which they consider immoral ard debas-
ing? The question need not Be answered
Let no one think that | ain tradacing
our county. These views are gwen for
the benefit of ourselves The stranger
knows more about US than we think he
does. He visits our shores every year,
and he carries away with him certain inn
pressions, and be gives them to others.
The publication of these facts can do us
no harm. Sambo.