Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1892-02-11

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Joux f. DRxT.
Chairman Of Taxpayers' Convention.
Feb 2, 1892.
Communicated
Messrs. Ediiors.-The writer "a Balti-
morean.l interested 10 some extent in your
county. is glad 70 note that the questions Of
better roads. taxation and Of liquor licenses
are claiming the attention Of your better
class Of people. 4 Is time for them 10 A.
waken 70 the facts that are serioas draw
backs to any immigration Of the desirable
class Of farmers. who have means. The
most important Of the two Is the sloth, idle.
ness and worthlcssnass Of good portion of
your laboring class. lthe negroes) The
cheapness and facility Of obtaining liquor
is curse TO them, and the county, not
alone in the waste Of their money, but In
the loss Of time, and general idleness, which
Is ten times the yalse Of the money spent
in liquors. Norris - decentralization caused
by liquors confins 1Alone 30 the negroes.
1t pervadcs to more or less extent all class
es. II but half Of the money spent in
your county. 10 the past ten years for
liquor. had been devoted TO improving
your farms, and lettering your roads, an
absentee of ten years would not recognize
the county
The farmers Of Maryland forget that the
world is going ahead The push and in-
dustry of the great West, where it is scork
or stdTCe, is forging It's way ahead, under
many adverse circumstance. How are
they laying down, At the great cities of the
East, their produce, after paying heavy
freights, at prices that scarcely cover the
cost Of production la the Easts And how
can they do so? Not certainly from their
richer soils, but by hard and continual
labor. The same amount of push and
energy in Maryland, would result in great.
er profits here than West. Instead of our
farming interests going behind the West,
it would go ahead.
No better illustration of the energy dis
played or work performed by western
farmers is wanted than recent letter from
Missouri in your paper, giving the daily
life of two young ST. Mary's men, there.
Hoe many young men in ST. Mary's
county do half as much work. If the
young men would take hold at home, and
work half as hard. they would be better off
at home than in the West, and would create
an industry and thrill of those under and
around them, that would work wonders
in few years. No influence is so great
in these matters, as a good county paper.
Just such letters as the one from Missouri
are needed TO waken the energies, and
interest of your young men at home. How
at stores, drinking whiskey, playing cards,
etcg They know, If they wish to get
ahead, it is by soorking. II is either work
or perish. No time to complain, and dis
cuss day by day hard times. moro money
from some where), and all the evils of
idleness, that are b be remedied by the
government; when we have the finest eli
mate and soil in the whole great country
The writer spent several years in differ
ent' parts of the country, west of the Mis-
sissippi river, and knows what struggles
the farmers of that section have had against
drouths. cyclones, intense cold in winter,
and burning heat in summer. Il have
seen the thermometer 1867 in the shade,
many days ON the plains,) with the rail-
roads taking half the gross price of their
products in Chicago and st. Louis for
delivering them there.
But 10 go back home again. If Mr..
Palmer's statement is correct about the
amount of liquor sold in ST. Mary's county,
it is startling. One hundred places, aver
aging two thousand dollars each. Two
hundred thousand dollars year, or two
million dollars for the past ten years. How
this would have improved your farm lands,
your buildings, roads and fences. Were
Is d n0sc!
am no prohibitionist. Good liquor does
no harm in moderation. But am strong
believer in controlling thu sale of liquors
by high license. Certainly one hundred
dollars, county license, is moderate one.
Two hundred would be better. The work
ing Of the high license system in Baltimore
has been most beneficial. If il had been
five hundred, II would have done more
good. Ii has closed many low groceries,
where the vilest stuff was sold for liquor.
Where the lowest class in the city congre-
gated, murders and thefts continually re-
sulting, making worthless citizens OF many
men, and adding to the cost of our Jail,
aims house and other public institutions,
provided for by taxation.
The taxpayers convention promises Z,
result in much good to the whole cou
Il should be the effort of ever
citizen, white or colored, to SUI
in their efforts.