Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1901-07-05

Cnes WhlCn mas MADE more rapid progress
than the temperance movement has made
during the latter half Of the nineteenth cen.
fury. Forty years ago the best men--those,
at least, who passed for the best-took their
morning drink and their evening drink and
their noon drink and as many between times
as they chose, as long as they did not get
drunk ~ with all impunity and propriety.
Is this possible to dayp Where could you
find church that would call dram drink
ing preacher for its pastor Where can you
find school board-if you can, be 1t said
to their shame-that would employ drink
ing teacherH Where can you find a firm or
corporation that wants drinking man to
manage its businessH Who of US would call
into our homes drinking physicianp How
many men do you know openly engaged in
the retail liquor business, whom you would
trust implicitly In a business transaction
Where can you find such man whose
family is received into the best society,"
Yea, where can you find decent man who
would belwilling to have bar room near his
homer If the temperance sentiment con-
tinues to grow at the present rate, the time
is not lar distant when the line will be most
clearly drawn against all who are known TO
indulge 10 any kind Of intoxicating drink.
And, may we not entertain the hope that
the day is not far distant when the good
people OF all lands will rise up together In
their might and in their righteous indigna-
ton and drive out the saloon from amongst
themi May God and the angels hasten the
day.
Let us ask, has local option been failure
10 this community | almost feel that
ought to apologize to you for even asking
such a question. A thousand voices answer
no. 1t is impossible for me to see how any
To tha Ia
think il has failed. | have been told by men
who are recognized to be amongst the best
men of the community that when this town
had the open saloon the very streets were
polluted with sin and shame and seeihing
degradation. A decent man could not pass
certain points without great danger of being
insulted. Such o thing as lady's being on
the street alone during any public gather
ing or at night in ordinary times, was an
unheard of thing. To day no one thinks of
being afraid. True, there is still some drunk
enness, but comparatively speaking there is
almost none. Only few days since one OF
the best citizens of the county, living in the
country, voluntarily described to me how
certain men used to bring wood into this
town and sell 1t and never leave until they
would spend the last cent for drink. They
would often lie out all night on the ground
while their families were suffering at home.
These same men have built new homes, i'm
proved their farms and are living sober, in
dustrious lives. Many of that class of young
men who used to spend their time loadng
about the barroom and their money for
drink have their horses and buggles and are
in comfortable circumstances. Look at the
improvements that have been made through
out the county. The farms have been
brought up into higher state of cultiva
tIon New and better houses and barns have
been built. The advancement OF Montgom
cry county, said this citizen, has scarcely
been paraleled. Should this county ever
again at any time open her gates and invite
the saloon into her borders, she will without
doubt take step many degrees back ward.
God in heaven forbid that we should ever
be 80 blind to our best interests
But" says the opposition, "it cannot be
denied that there is great deal OF Illicit
business carried on throughout the county"
One OF the favorite topics of the would be
re;ormers is the disreputableness OF the club
house and the speakeasy. They are pictured
to us as the very gateway OF perdition. But,
strangest of all, these very men who dwell
most upon the evil of those places seem yer.
lily to loathe every effort TO bring the law
breakers TO justice. have never heard of
the first effert having been made n that di.
rection by one OF these men. "Oh, consist
encY thou art jewelW Their one panacea
Is, Let us license certain number of men
at moderate sum and they will break up
all such places. Fellow countrymen, such
proposition Is a reflection upon our intel
ligence and an insult 10 our manhood. Is II
not an indsputable fact that the very men
who now conduct these Illicit place s are the
same who would run the licensed places
II they violate the law under the present
system, why would they not violate 1t under
any other system which does not give them
every privilege they desirep Will they not
add to their iniamy many other evils under
the protection of lawp Do you know sin
gle one of these men who has high, nay
any, regard for law and orderS Do not
such men go into the business for the money
they can get out OF il How then, il as some
say, there is not sentiment enough behind
the present system TO enforce II, could we
get sentiment enough behind the license sys-
tenn to enforce itP The very asking OF such
a question sweeps away every semblance OF
a foundation for such a change When we
compromise with the speakeasy men there
Is no lust reason why we should not com
promise with all other wilful lawbreakers.
Why not make concessions to the entire
class and say, "Inasmuch as we have been
unable TO control you absolutely, we will
give monopoly TO favored few who will
divide with usY"
| take the still higher ground that the
licensed saloon is much more a menace To
community than the lowest OF the illegal
establishments. In other words, the greater
show of respectability that Is given to such
place the greater will be the evil there
of. Because no young man or old man
10 Nhsr ~ ia nAin Nh ~ N
afford TO frequent these dsreputable places.
But il a place has been legalized and sur
rounded by all the attrctlons of what they
call decency and art, many men would feel
that these restrictions have been taken away.
The liquor man has not failed 10 observe
with other business men that the best rec
ommendatiOn which can he given to any
thing il u have IL endorsed by the people.
II you have given your vote 10 license these
places Ia your town or community, how
can you consistently say TO your son or to
your neighbours son You must not go In
them Further, how could you dare permit
your son to enter behind those CHASTITY
screens, the very presence of which Ia the
suggestion of evil, and where, without doubt,
he will be subjected 10 great and frequent
temptations. Have these men a reputation
worthy OF your conadence9 Can you risk
tnb WolhTb VI your wy III Sho Hnuuo VI hiOu
who have persistenty violated the laws and
whose aVowed business II ls 70 make AZ much
a. they CAM Some Of these men have adj
mitted that IL is their purpose 10 create APP
petite.
One of the great inducements held out In
favor OF the license system Ia the revenue
which would be realized. We must not for.
get that figures viii! lie as well as words
when they are falsely combined. How can
any system which makes demons OF men
lessen the cost of crime How can any sys
TEN which DESTROYS mems reason make them
any less criminalS How can we call any
place a public benefaction which fills the
public highway with madmen, sets the brain
of the affectionate husband and father on
fire of hell, sends him home 10 murder an
innocent wife and helpless children How
can any system which is directly or indi-
rectly the source Of one hall or three-fOurths
Of the crime compensate in revenue for the
increased cost of courts which must inevi
tably iollowr