Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1892-02-18
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communication. / did not intehd 70 say
anything on this subject, but 20 agitate il
10 educate, and do think the agitation Of
this liquor question win do our county
more good than anything that has happen
ed for several years. For instance, ours Is
the poorest county in the State except one
Calvert and we pay in the State Treasu-
~ more money for liquor license than sny
county but one In the State. Frederick Co
pays to the State on her taxable property
al .071S0. ST, Mary's county pays Ia the
State on her taxable praperty $5.026.66,
Frederick county Faying TO the State on her
taxable property eight (s) times more than
our county, and We pay more money to the
State for liquor license than tie great cCun-
ty of Frederick, Should not our people
be educated TO see the great waste that this
liquor traffic costs them.
There are very few people in our county
that has any idea Of the vast amount spent
in this traffic. IL does appear that there
are 100000 or more spent iE our csunty
every year, and it ought 81 be one Of the
richest counties Of the State Nearly sur
rounded by oyster beds more productive
than the gold mines Of the far West. Our
oystermeD, most Of them poor and hard
working men, work in rain, snow aud ice
They take out for toneing alone T57 oys
| ter licenses. Each boat will average 50
or more, making 1927 900 solid money in
our county every year, not ALLOW ing scrap
! ing and dredging. which would pay $50
| 600 to S6O'OO0 more. Our tOngmen, most Of
them poor, pay 90 the county schools 81
| 300; and some Cf our people that take out
| liquor license ard stay behind the counter
! in a warm room and take in a good por-
ton Of this oyster money are opposed - a
higher license that would bring q the
county some revenue. And they handle
not less than 500 900 Of it every year, and
what does the county get for this $2O0, 900.
Does II enhance the value 0f our lands
Does II lower our taxesy Does il make as
better men z or does il make rs any richer:
| will answer no! Wen, ~tdt does /. 10
IL Increases the expenses oi oar courts.
jails, pensions, ainshouse, hospitals, &c, o.
quite $4,000. II depreciates the value OF
our lands. II demoralizcs our labor. II
sows seeds Of poverty, crime and distress
all over our county, aid weayes cor IS Of
bad habits a5out our young men Ithreaks
the hearts of fond mothers, takes bread
from hungry children and clothes them in
rags IL beiogs the mind, paraliZes reason
and benumbs the conscience If our ielilw
men. IL generally ruins the men that sell
il and great many of us that drink IL. IL
destroys some of the best talent in our land
Think Of il 100000 wasted by this traf.
% g
the manufacturers and wholesale dealer
TO make them richer while il makes ms
poorer-if il does enrich the 101 that are
now selling il in our cOunty-(hu do
claim chat IL does mott. II is making
IA, 100 people in our county poorer, and
l will venture TO say that liquor traffic cost
the people more than all the meat and
bread used in the county. Our Represen.
tstives at Annapolis should try and do
something by higher liquor license-Aay
800 or $500 to relieve them in part--and
| do believe a license, will say of 800
was the amount asked by the tax conven-
ton, would do the people generally more
good and reduce taxati IN more than any,
thing We could recommend to our Repre-
sentatives at the State House Thsy each
and every one of them very well know the
immense expense il costs the people ofthis
county. 1t treats all alike-the rich and
the poor. We should agitate and educate
against rich tariff or impost, also against
high direct taxation. But will say here
that the liquor traffic of this county costs
US nearly three times as much as all the
tariff duties and direct taxes put together.
these are near facts by a man that has
studied If Tor the last 20 years. our tariff
duties and direct taxes cost Us from $780,
ABB -. III
lost time and labor. Well. We will see
what high license has done for Baltimore
city.
In 1891 Baltimore city received
from liquor license 1904 500. Il
The State received one 4 urth, 1876 ,2OO.O4
Lcav ng Baltimore city, S378, 600 OlS
The taxes Of Baltimore city in 1890 were
81 50 ON the Si00 la 1891 il was $l.55,
rcduciicn~of :he city tax in one year so
cents on the 500, and If we had 800
liquor license, rs will say probably seventy
places would take out license, il would bring
IN revenue Ia the county of $3.50; and
with small reduction ofcounty expenses,
also taxing mortgages, would bring our
taxes down To about go cents on the SlOO |
MeSsrs. Editors, the farming interest has
so much deprecated in our county il is (
aiuiust alarming ihere are great many
farmers today that do not make enough
after expenses are paid to pay their ..eavy
taxes, county and State, amounting 70
81 0I4 cents ON the 800, aud / can assn re-
you and The people I 4 the count. !, the
Legislature passes the the ASSESSMENT / , 'll
under the former system Z, viii cost r,,r
county quite 5000, and our taxes must
go up TO 100 cents on tho 800. Bur even
with The assessment law as IL was. 4 sln0
liquor license law would leave Us about IS
We stand now ON the tax question f5t the
first year, and then the reduction would
Come later.
In conclusion, / will say mere that il we
continue tO 60 ON as We have the last
10 or 20 years tina, the most Of our farmers
and lab0ring people will become mer,. serls
To The monopolisis aad . few moneySd
people IN less than twenty wears