Catoctin clarion., 1892-01-21
High License.

High License.
We shall In this article, a. outlined In our
last issue, consider No License unGer the
Election District Local Option law:
First, as Temperance measure, pro and
con.
As Temperance measure, 1t must Ike
weighed both for the good and the evil that
it sccomplishes.
Local option has in many respects excrted
q benedcent influence here and to It may be
accredited condition of things unknown
under License and return to which would
be deplored by every citizen who is for law
and order.
Under License VIC had besides the hotel,
the saloon: while the former had reason to
desire good order for the comfort Of its
guests, the saloon keeper had no interest IN
any save those who stood before his bar.
The result of this was unbridled license in
the sale OF drink at the saloon. and disorder
in the houses and on tho streets.
The hotel keeper could not control 1t, how.
eyer much he might desire it, tor the saloon
would make them drunk aud the hotel keep
er have them on his hands, q noisy, uurcason.
able set. This under No License we see not
at all, for saloon cannot live even under
the "wine and cider" exception Of the law.
A further benefit that flows from Local Op
ton is the presumed high moral standing of
our people as adjudged by strangers. We
have on more than one occasion been com.
plimented by earnest and good men, on the
circumstance that we were Temperance
people and the fact that we have shown that
we desire 10 control intcmperance stands to
our credit In other communities. The main
and most marked good that has come to US
under Local Option lies IN the conspicious
absence of those residing at some distance
from us, who get drunk ON every occasion
that offers and who lacking the offer, provide
the occasion thelnselv Those residing
without the district, together with those re-
siding within, no longer arc found here on
holiday occasions. but infllct themselves up.
on other communities, unfortunately 80 nesr'
that the echoes Of the ''times" they have,
come to our cara with painful regularity and
distinctlveness. We are safe in asserting
further, that the inability to 60 to bar for
drink of whiskey or beer, whenever there
may be desire for 1t, saves great amount
OF tipplng by certain class; we refer spec.
tally to those who do not drink TO excess On
any occasion and there are those, truly not
great in number, for their number IS con-
stan,ly being lesscned by breaking the aboye
exception and getting drunk.
We shall endcavor to coyer this branch Of
the discussion more cffectualIy by gcneralz
ing and will announce rs the result Of our
careful analysis of the condition Of affairs ex-
listing under Local Option as compared with
License MS We knew II ten years ago, that,
on the surface it gives unmistakable proof OF
bcttermcnt and that same analysis torbids,
even thought Of a return to the old system.
Whatever of harm has been done land this
we shall now conslder) would probably be
expanded upder the mo liability" license sys
ten to frightfu dimensions, ~ will. we trust
be clearly understood by those who carefully
consider what we may have TO say IN the fol.
lowing paragraphs.
Having viewed ms justly MS "weak and err
ing human nature. prone to evil permits
the mer,oriOus claims of No License under
the Election District provision of law, we
come now to consider its weakness as Tenn
perancc measure and the evils that are grow.
ing and multiplying under it.
We desire to lay down first the general
principal that it is not the money that drink
costs, the waste of which may hc considered,
AS m nppreciablc measure Of the evil Of
drunkenness
We shall also endeaver to cOnfnc our
selves TO q statement Of facts and shall give
utterance to few opinions, as they may he
adjuhged rs biased.
We desire first to call attention to the fact
that the town and district is full of jugs,
demijohns, pint and quart bottles: do you
know it do you know that they are to be
found in the closet, the desk, the buffet. on
the shelf, in the counting room and ware.
house, Ill the pocket, in the stable every
where?
Let every reader of this paragraph ask the
first man he meets what he knows or what
he has heard on credible authority concern
ing jugs and bottles and let those who are in
formed, cnlighten those who are not.
This is All abrupt entr.nae upon the theme
hut there is no better. The evil is proper
tlonate 70 its Indulgence and indulgence is
proportioned to opportunity. Have you Il
just appreciation of the opportunity that this
ubiquitous, automatic and c0nscienccless bar
room affords, OF the extent to which the OD.
portunity is acccptede
We assert and court investigation of the
truth OF the following proposition; there is
not a day that passes over the head of any
citizen OF this town, at all given to drink,
that does not witness the offer Of drink by
some one if he fails to record it one or two
days, he has two or three offers the next.
1t is SIMPLY everywhere and at everybody S
disposal. One will not offer 1t to A. or b.
but he calls in G., while A. and B. have 1t
offered to them by ID. and f.
Thus far We haye referred only to the give
and take. social SIDE: the circles narrow or
extended, within which drink is accepted
as the right thing, rs mark of fellowship
and social equality.
We will now pay our respects to the Gus