The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-11-03
Finally.

Mr.. EDITOR:
The last days Of the argument before the
case is submitted to the jury at the ballot box
have now come. and the people who are the
jury in this ease will give their verdict accord
ing to the weight of the evidence, for or
against license. | have listened in vain so
far for any new witnesses for the defense in
this case. The same story is told by all, but
the secret influences that are being used are
more manifest to pack the jury in their favor.
In one of the articles that has been PUBLISH
ed by the special pleadrr for license, | am
named personally with VIM. T. Hammond as
being responsible for the defects Of the license
law under which we are now living. that
would have been made more lust and eq,iit-
able in some of its features had ire not OIL
j"cted. Now do not presume TO speak for
my friend Hammond who may hay" more in
llucnce with our Senatorial representative
than | have. hut | have no fear that the gen
eral public will accord either Of us the honor
that is thus thrust mt us, but will set it down
rs campaign story not expected to he be-
lieved. We may say that no law that can be
made, that provides for the continuance of
this fostering sore upon the body polite, can
meet our approval, and it is not at all probable
that we will exert our energies to prevent a
change Of treatment. and us far us | am con
ccrned ! never dreamed that it was my duty
TO have anything to do with any license law.
to suggest any Improvement III one or prevent
it. After the law had been finally passed upon
under which we now vote, | as any other
might have done, desired to know Just what its
provisions really We're and did make an effort
to discover why it was withheld from our
County Commissioners for some two months
after other local laws of less interest had been
published No explanation of this phenomenon
has ever been given, and the law was never
Jet out until after the official bound copies of
the Acts OF the Legislature had been publish
ed, and our County Clerk did not receive these
as soon as has been the usual custom. That
there was any design in thus Withholding the
law is not asserted, but it did seem strange
that no request or inquiry as to its detention
brought any response, until the Governor of
the State was personally appealed to. Our rep
resentative gives It as his belief that the law
was identical with the law of 1890 and did not
know who was responsible for the omission of
word, that renders the last clause ambiguous
and uncertain in its application or sufficiently
so to leave plenty Of opportunity for lawyers
to draw large fees out of it, This was prob
ably convenient accident of so ne engrossing
clerk. There can certainly be nothing out OF
the way in the public wishing to know some
thing about the laws that affect them and
keeping an eye on the public acts of their
representatives.
There is one feature of all the laws on this
subject of liquor licenses in Cecil county, that
have been in operation during the past 80
years, Of we except the Grand Jury law), that
has not been mentioned, and is specially noti-
ceable in this one last enacted. The sole
power to grant these special permits is vested
in clerical officer, the servant of the court
and the people, and no provision is made for
any appeal or remonstrance to be heard. He
is made to be both judge and jury and COM
PEELED to act, nolens oolens, and give the ap-
plicant for liquor license the benefit of every