The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-11-11
Friday, Nov. IL, 1898.
The New License Law.

The whiskey vote of the county
had 346 majority, so unsteady and
unreliable is popular opinion and
reasoning by the masses. There is
no intelligent or rational reason
why the people of this county
should alternate their vote every
fourth year for and against the sale
of liquor. If this tickle practice
was by the rabble who are inhu
enced apparently without any de-
Unable reason for their varying
moods, no surprise would be felt,
but when the substantial citizens,
the men who are looked upon to
give tone to society and direction
to business affairs, this veering and
shifting of opinion becomes matter
of profound concern. Many who
cast this very foolish vote for
license will mourn it in sack cloth
and ashes before a twelve month of
the saloon evil has passed, under
the name of "tavern."
This class seem to have com
pletely lost their wits by hearing
the deliberately planned, by the
liquor party, cry of speakeasy.
These people who led the speakeasy
lamentation were the men who run
thespeakeasies, and want the States
sanction and moral weight on the
side of the disreputable business,
and a cloak of licensed houses be-
hind which to drive more profit
able speakeasy trade and with less
precaution. These speakeasy
claquers induced men, who have
credit for more common sense, to
believe there were dozens of these
secret dens where one existed, and
that they sold more liquor than
licensed saloons added to the speak
easies would sell. They also made
some otherwise sensible people be-
lieve that the speakeasy keepers
were all going to vote in a body
against license, implying that there
were multitudes of these illicit
liquor traders in existence.
The liquor associations, there is
no question, paid some skillful
lawyer well for getting up this re-
markable liquor license law. The
provisions of the law show plainly
it was intended to be violated.
And three men are framed into the
law are to hold their Office for life.
These life tenure officers are grant
ed pension yearly of $3.50. And
if they can be tempted to take
brides they will have plenty of
tempting offers from rival candi-
dates who are anxious for a license
to serve the public. Instead of
placing the law in the hands of the
people to say by direct vote what
men should or should not be sold a
license privilege, the power has
been placed as far away from them
as it was possible. Three men are
invested for life, or as long as the
law stands, with this most import
uhC plClOSdtlbC VI ldl lHluS IlluOI
licenses.
Fortunately three men of unques-
toned upright character are invest
ed with this important prerogative,
but suppose that three professional
politicians had this power con-
ferred upon them, the ringsters
would consider them mighty poor
sticks if they didn't make $1,000 a
year and divert a good sum into
the campaign treasury.
When the law which thoughtless
citizens have fastened on them
selves and neighbors is carefully
scanned it is found to be one of the
most infamous that ever disgraced
statute book. But as a novel.
though poisoned doll, attracts and
delights children, this new law has
beguiled children of larger growth.