The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-08-25
THE ANFI-saL0oE CAMPAIGN III
OEuIL.

to be held at Eikton on Tuesday, the
nth Of September, at which ii is
proposed to organize tae tall cam
paign.
The issue to be submitted 10 the
qualified voters of this county or the
9th of November, while involving
questions OF the highest Importance
to our people morally and materially,
is still one that admits of simple and
concise statement.
Fortunately it is not, at this time,
complicated by any interfering differ
ences of opinion among temperance
advocates, as to the best methods Of
accomplishing temperance reform.
The inetflciency Of the present
so-called high license law, its con
slant and defiant violations, and its
absolute failure to correct or to
restrict the evils Of intemperance,
constitute a common ground on
which temperance voters OF every
shade OF opinion can consistently
stand.
Besides, the present issue between
the opponents and advocates of the
license law, is not involved in, OF
complicated with any partizan or
political local issue pending before
our people.
The organized political parties in
the county will support their respec
tive candidates for Congress, that
exercise of political right being
entirely eliminated from the local
| question Of the abolition or continu-
ance of saloons in the county, and
which the words "For license" or
against liceAse" printed upon every
official ballot, will afford voters the
free opportunity to express their
desires.
The local issue succinctly stated
then is-Shall the liquors saloons go,
or shall they stay-for another term
of four years-ith the coota4nty7
Are1ney good thing to have. or
! are they bad thing to have in our
midst!
Do they contribute to the happi,
ness, the welfare and the prosperity
OF our people, or do they not7
Do they promote virtue and en-
courage good citizenship, or do they
promote vice and excite to crime
and pauperism?
Are they friends to the peace,
sobriety and good order of our com
munities, or do they jeopardize the
peace, increase drunkenness, and
violate the good order of society.
Do they contribute in any way to
the good of the community, or are
they, regardless OF the evils they
intlict upon men, conducted and
maintained solely for the dollars and
cents they earn their owners
Is there any one good and sufti-
cient reason for their existence in
Cecil county,
Briefly stated, these are the con-
siderations that enter into the simple
issue now before our people-shall
the saloons go, or shall they stay2
The record shows, that their legal
lied existence in Cecil county rests
upon the ballots Of only 2291 qualified
voters thrown four years ago. or
upon the wishes Of only one third
OF the qualified voters OF Cecil county,
the registry lists Of the county show
ing 694o voters.
Without discussing at this time,
the causes that led &c the absenteeism
at the polls in 1890, can any one
assert that the license system in Cecil
county rests upon an equitable Or
stable basis, while it has behind it
only One.Mird of ouy qualified and
registered aioterS !?
The WING certainly thinks not.
Tie liquor license policy of Cecil
county does not rest ubon tie 70iX Of
a majority Of tie qualified 1oters of
it.
| 1t exists only upon a slender
majority Of 2S3 votes, in a total OF
only 1919 votes cast in 1890, an
aggregate OF only two thirds OF the
whole vote Of the county. or 256I
less than its registered vote.
| With these figures before them,
the opponents of the saloon in Cecil,
need enter upon no hopeless cam
paign this year.
| 1t would indeed be all equivocal
compliment to their intelligence to
suggest, that because the license
system is now entrenched behind the
authority of law, they are too weak 10
strip it of It's himsy garb of respecta-
bility, since al! the responsibility it
possesses,is conferred by the sanction
of law.
This sanction of law the people of
Cecil county can, if they choose,
| withdraw.
| The judicial authority to decide
upon the life or death of the saloons
in Cecil, is conferred by the Legisla-
ture back upon them.
If they but take broad and Catho-
lie ground, avoiding intolerance Of
opinion, and illiberalty Of temper
ance doctrine, they can easily reverse
at the polls this fall, the adverse
and misleading verdict of 1890.
A RARE POLITICAL SUIT.