Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1901-02-01

the saloon evil withhold his or her name
and encouragement From this time on lei
US nave these aids. That we are getting the
co operation OF good citizens is more appar.
ent every year. Public sentiment is with
Us more strongly now than ever tefore, and
when this makes concerted demand upon
officials and legislators the demand is usual
ly complied with. 1t is proper that all per
sons 10 authority should know the senti
ment OF their constituents. Every official,
with rare exceptions, is DESTROYS of comply
ing with the wishes Of the mass of his fel
low citizens. Sometime we meet with one
whe detes the public and outrages the ex.
pressed wish OF the people, but this is hap
PLY rare and has never failed to be corrected
oy the people. We are happy to be able to
praise the present officials OF Montgomery
county without hesitation. Our Judges,
States Attorney, Sheriff, Court and county
officials are, we believe, faithful to the trust
committed TO them as far as human limita
tons common to us all permit. We have
not hesltated In the past TO condemn laxity
OF administration, We shall not be any less
hesitant to praise the faithful performance
OF duty.
We point TO the successful prosecution OF
persons Indicted at the criminal term OF our
Circuit Court with satisfaction. The States
Attorney, working at times under disadvan-
tageous circumstances. has faithfully anu
intelligently presented hls cases to the jurles
and the latter have without lear or favor rem
dered their verdicts accordingly. The day
has me by when IL can be said, "juries 10
Montgomery county will not convict IN local
option cases" While We do not and should
not ask for any verdict contrary to the law
and evidence, We do rejoice that the day has
come when We can be reasonably sure that
every case shall have an impartial trial and
q true verdict, the innocent being acquitted
and the guilty being convicted. We call on
the saloon men to be satisfied with the same
results. II Is still rumored that there are
men getting on juries who declare they
would never convict In q local option case
Ii such be TACT we hope the name OF any
such man will be reported to the presiding
judge, that 1t may be publicly stricken from
the jury list In disgrace.
II ia not improper that the words spoken
by the presiding judge at the close of the
last criminal term in December may be Civ.
en- wider publicity. These words were taken
for correction or denial, 80 that we may pub
lIsh them as correct. The judge said "An
ATTEMPT has been made To smirch the char
acter of the prosecuting Witness" In Ger
tain local option case)"l gave iull liberty TO
the counsel for the defence, but they had
overstepped the bounds. The Anti-Saloon
League needs no defence, its purposes are
well known. and all good citizens are inter
ested in its success. The work undertaken
by il really belongs TO the county officers.
Ii thief made several attempts at stealing
an effort would be put forth to hunt him
down and bring him TO justice, but We have
men here who are continually violating our
local option law, and no apparent effort has
been made to stop them. Work OF this
character really belongs To the constabulary.
II has been = common sight to see men stag
gering into the Court room, and seemingly
no effort being made TO ascertain where they
procured their drink. The work done In
this county by the Anti Saloon League
should be commended by all aW.abiding
citizens, aud shall have the full protection
of this Court
These are words of import and Significance
aud will greatly aid in reassuring all law
abiding citizens.
Now let us look al what has been accom-
plshed elsewhere in the county. We can
m AXE one item more clear by comparison. -
l. ct us compare the number of saloons In the
county when this League work began and the
number now When we began four years
ago the number was Variously estimated at
over one hundred, some said at one hundred
and fifty Seventy seven OF these paid the
internal revenue tax, on the payment OF
which the party swears that 1t Is his purpose
TO engage in the sale of liquor, malt or dis
titled, or both. Besides these seventy-seven,
twenty Ave or more persons were then selling
liquor without paying the internal revenue
tar. This seems like q large number or sa-
looms TO be ia county Of 80 900 inhabitants.
But four years ago that was the number
which the citizens and the officials permit
ted to exist How many are there to-day 2
The number who pay the tax and swear they
intend 10 engage in the business has been re-
duced from II to q, and the number who do
not pay the tax we believe does not exceed 10.
The last term OF the Court has still further
reduced these numbers and we will look with
interest into the internal revenue tax books
next July TO see how many will still he bold
enough TO swear they are in the business.
Any persons 10 the county who are selling !
and not paying the tax can be reported 10
III. Collector Of Internal Revenue at Balti-
more, Md, aud II the report is reasonably
explicit and CO vincing il will be the duty Of
the Collector TO send = nii-d States officer
after the person sci ing, to be dealt with ac-
cording United States laws provided IN such
cases.
So that 1t is now within the power OF the
citizens Of any locality to secure the conVic-
ton Of every person and very nearly the
closing Of the business 10 this county OF every
rlace selling intoxicating liquors where the
evidence can be secured to prove sale.
Indeed such action has already been taken.
Public sentiment against the trAftic was 90
strong in Poolesville district that . party
who proposed engaging in it there was mott
fed by the citizens TO move on, and he moved.
10 furtherancs Of the plan for securing a
vigilant lookout for viOlators Of the law in
every part Of the county it is proposed to
thoroughly organize each district into local
leagues An agreement has been made with
Rev. s Z. Nicholson, the popular and Ell
Gent State Superintendent OF the Mary land
Anti-Saloon League, TO spend i've days OF
each month for one year 10 the county or
ganizing these local leagues, holding public
meetings and securing the cooperation Of
good men aud women who desire TO see the
saloon move out OF our county.
We have been fortunate 10 securing the
earnest help and encouragement of the WO-
mems Christian Temperance Union Of this
county. Not once have they been behind in
the good work. 10 some instances have been
ahead, leading where we At first hesitated.
VIC UhNc ueNcT yoA uhu W SOeA VI uibo thOm
10 feel an interest 10 this movement nor have
we ever had occasion TO doubt them.
This Anti-Saloon League unhesitAtingly
claims the honor Of being potent factor 10
securing to Montgomery county some degree
and perhaps a large degree Of the couuty's
prosperity and attractiveness as place Of
residence One Of the results always aimed
at In the work of the League has been TO re-
move from the county's name the stigma that
was fas, becoming attached to II that the Law
and The law officers we're impotent in secur-
log enforcement OF law, that juries would not
convict, that evidence against violations OF
the local option law could not he Obtained
and that the county was becoming an I'M
desirable place for investors because OF those
conditions. The League oinw with pride
now to The reversal Of these things, and 10
the demonstrations that have been given 10
our Courts aud by our county officers that
vioIators OF law, our local option law ia.
cuded, eau be convicted and punished
With homes protected from the demoralizing
influence Of the saloon, with officials free
IRON the dictAliOn Of rum power, and neces-
sArily NOR &c nomical government, with