The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-10-20
Sense VS.. Nonsense.

. MIR. EDITOR:
/ The Cecil County News of the 18th inst,
contains the first column article that has been
called to my notice in defence of the license
/ system. as applied to the business of the re-
failing of Intoxicating liquors in Cecil county.
that is only worthy of notice as being of the
same evident authorship as the majority of
similar anonymous articles published four
years ago in the same paper.
/ There is no better proof needed of the de-
grading and demoraizing nature of the whole
liquor business, and of its effects upon those
who are willing to become special pleaders for
it, than is furnished by the article in question.
There Is no man to be found in Cecil county
to stand forth over his own signature, in his
own paper or upon the rostrum and plead
for licensed retail trade in intoxicating
liquors, for the benefits they will confer upon
the community, in its collective capacity or
upon any persons composing that body in
either their physical. mental or moral natures.
But with this writer, 1t is useless to speak of
any moral questions, as he has been so long
stranger to them, that with him they are mere
sentiment" and not to be considered when
political considerations are at ISSUE This
anonymous writer knows that there is not a
| single authority to sustain him in an assertion
that alcohol, or any decoction of it. ever did.
or ever can add anything to mans strength of
body or mind. This being the case he freely
admits it to be an evil, only an evil and that
continually, and no amount of ink can dis
/ plliSp alter tbn In 10 ba
any law at ALL that the regulation of the sale
OF any article involves and embraces the right
to prohibit it altogether. This talk about
personal liberty" he knows to be the most
arrant nonsense when coupled with Il talk
about II well enforced EcenSe Tar. A license
law. high or low. is an absolute and most posi-
tive prohibitory liquor law, to more than
hinety-nne onc-hunircdtIs of our citizens,
and it is also strictly prohibitory to the one in
inc posS.h ic 100, who are restricted az to whom
when and how, they shall sell drink after hay
ing compiled with the most arbitrary condi-
tons imposed upon these favored few, who
are compelled TO give Il certificate of good
moral character" to carry on u business that
needs mo defense from The sentimental
(moraD standpoint
The Supreme Court OF the United States
says on the subject OF Liquor Licenses Just
what? (see Miss. 10l L. s. Sl6D mo Legisla-
ture can bargain away the public health or
the public morals The people themselves
cannot do it, much less their servants. Gov
eminent is organized with view to their pre-
servation and cannot divest itself of the power
to provide for them" Thus the health and
morals OF the community are proper subjects
OF legislation, The News to the contrary not
withstanding. 1t is useless to refer to the false
hoods of this writer in detail, they are too
many. but notice a few
The sale of liquor for medical, mechanical
and scientific purposes has never been pro-
hibited in any of the so-called prohibition
States. All their statutes have made provis-
ion for necessary uses of alcohol The private
drinking of it cannot be regulated by law; is
not proper subject of legislation, and even
the State control experiment is opposed
strongly because it makes iron clad provis-
ions in Sonth Carolina as to where and how
men are to buy il, but after they have bought
it, under the seal of the State, they can take
it away from the premises under State juris-
diction and drink to intoxication or absolute
DEATH and no State law can prevent it any
more than any other form Of suicide.
The State Dispensary Law above alluded to
is only made conspicuous because of the
determined purpose of the State Executive
to use the whole power in his command to
enforce it, in spite of the opposition of city
authorities in his State, who are the creatures
of, and therefore the snbservient tools of, the
law defying element.
Let MS havc a man OF Iillmans nerve and
energy for Il district attorney in Cecil county
and we would not have an empty Jail and IA
blank criminal docket.
"Prohibiton WIS II failure" sis a failure
etc. By the writer's logic every law Of the