Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1900-04-20

are entirely unrestricted as to the days or
hours in which they may do business or as
to the persons they may serve.
l also talked with strong temperance
worker, who gave me to understand that
their motto was "no step back ward" He
wanted to retain the present law at all
hazard, and secure amendments which
would make 1t more rigid II possible, but he
was not willing TO submit such amended
law to vote of the people for the reason,
as he alleged, that the temperance people
could not use the same low means to carry
elections as the whiskey people, (whom he
seemed to think were about the only people
Interested In a change of the law and would
therefore be at disadvantage in such a con.
test. He approved OF some OF the provisions OF
the re submission bill introduced in the last
Legislature, but one of his objections to it,
as whole, was that, although II carried at
an election, It would reduce the number of
people who could engage in the liquor bust
ness, at the same time II 1t failed to pass the
future restrictions imposed by the bill are
such as to make all the whiskey people get
together in support of the measure That
as matters now stood the people generally
were opposed to low license law, and
majority OF the people engaged 10 the whis'
Key business were opposed TO high license,
ana that the temperance workers want this
condition to remain, they do not fear the
adoption OF low license, and desire TO keep
the whiskey people divided upon the ques
ton of a high license.
That We are to be governed by Eajorites
is one of the fundamental principles OF our
institutions, irrespective OF the manner in
which 1t may effect even the church. Are
we to understand that one class OF American
citizens now declare such manner of gov.
ernment to be failure, and that the people
cannot be trusted TO voc upon measure al
tecting the general welfare, OF do the temper
ance advocates claim that their measures are
TO be excepted from the general rule and
placed above even ecclesiastical matters :
DO they rely for the success OF their under
takings in legislation upon the cooperation
and assistance of those persons now engaged
In the illegal sale Of liquors, who favor
either low license or no license at all II
so, what good do they hope TO accomplish
Gan not the liquor dealers who are able and
willing TO pay high license continue to do
business under existing conditions, as well
as the others, as they have been doing Tor
the last twenty yearsp
Another gentleman said it seemed to him
that the taxpayers were most interested Of
all classes in the great farce now being pre-
sented, at their expense, by the ultra TEN
perance people and the whiskey sellers, and
that the real issue seemed To be whether or
not the cost OF the burlesque is not exceed
ingly high when its moral effects are con
sldered
heard another highly respected temper
auce advocate say: 81 am opposed 10 any
kind OF high license law, ii one man is 10
have license let every one who wants II
have one. The worse 1t Is made the sooner
We can get back to the present law" Are
We TO always travel ia circler How would
change to an al nittelly worse system, and
then back again To the present, tend "a re
leve us OF the evils from which We are now
suffering
have prulound respect for any set of men
who are daily struggling to 90 forward, and
whose motto is mo step backward, at the
same time should not ordinary common
sense be exercised by each citizen in the
conduct OF public affairs, to see that the
compass is set squarely Ia the front, aud that
il is not from local or other cause DETECTING
its bearers along hyperbolc or some other
peculiar curve instead OF taking them on a
straight line to the front
heard another very temperate gentleman
say that he was opposed TO the present local
option law because II was undermining the
manhood OF the community by making
sneaks, liars and towards OF a large proper
ton of the present generation. Can II be
SAID that this is true and at the same time
that mo step backward" has been taken 7
Many wise man has lost his way and
CROPPED hopelessly in the lahyrlnths, dazed
by objects which should have appeared ia
milar to his eyes, only to be set ON his way
and out OF his difficulties by some fool who
CHANGED TO pass by.
To err is human. Is 1t possible that our
temperance friends present an exception to
the ruler Is II not true that Ia early times
religious Zeal led to the preparation OF the
worst crimes for religions sake, such as the
murder OF heretics, the burning at the stake
of persons for witchcralt, &c. Those who
committed these crimes thought they were
taking the cause of religion forward, were
they not really cropping In darkness, If not
actually going backwa
II careful survey Of the situation results
in showing that the present law causes wide
spread moral death 10 society, would 1t not
be crime similar TO the murder OF heretics
10 keep It upon the statute books in Its pres
ent iOrmY And could IL be regarded as q
step backward to substitute In its place an
other which would relieve or gro lily lessen
those evilsI
W. II LAMAR.