The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1902-11-01
PROHIBITION CAN BE MADE EFFECTIVE
UNDER PRESENT LAW.


4 on the Liquor traffic. that the
sentiment of any community of
Cecil county. will sustain and render cf
fcctive.
If the Prohibition sentiment be equally
strong in all the districts of the county,
it is plain. that the aggregate majority
vote of the entire county. does no viol-
cncc to existing opposite sentiment in any
one district. and therefore no injustice is
wrought upon any element of its citi
ZenS.
But, when such unanmity of sentiment
does not exist throughout the entire
county. why should the Districts opposed
to License have the sale of liquors
forced upon them, by the majority vote
of Districts that favor License?
Out of the nine Districts of this county,
the vote of two or at most three Dis
tricts. in which the registered vote is
heaviest, will probably settle the question
Of License for the other six Districts.
Why. because Il majority of voters in
the Third CIlkton district. in the Fifth.
(North East district. and the Seventh,
I'ort Deposit and Perryvillc) District
should favor License. shall Licenses per-
force be put upon the First (Ceclton).
the Sixth CRising Sun and Colora). the
Ninth (CalverU, and the Eighth Dis
trict, in each of which strong local
Prohibition sentiment exists:
We call public attention to this phase
of the question, to have the voters Of
Law now III force contains ample pro-
hibitive provision, if the sentiment in the
Anti-LicenSe Districts chooses to make
itself felt.
The language of Paragraph Ill, of
the Act makes the Prohibitivc authority
contained in it unmistakable.
Its provisions are as follows:-"Li-
censcs to the hotel keepers. not more than
three in the Third Election District, and
not more than two in any other District
of Cecil county, MAY BE ISSUED,
and in incorporated towns of not less
than fifteen hundred population not more
than one wholesale dealers license MAY
BE ISSUED"
The law in its preceding sections
creates a Board of Liquor License Com
missioners, whose limited power to grant
licenses is conferred in the paragraph
cited.
The language of the law is not manda-
tory. 1t does not say. these licenses
must or ''shall' be issued. but simply
may be issued"
What does this mean?
1t means. that THE people of Cecil
county. through the judicial authority
expressed by IL majority of their quail
fled voters. have conferred DISCRE-
TIONARY POWER ONLY, upon three
men as License Commissioners, to issue
limited and specified number of Ii
censes to sell liquor in the county.
1t vests in these Commissioners. the
authority to consider any and all ques-
tons pertinent to the exercise of this
specially conferred and limited power.
Not merely questions touching the char
acter of an applicant for License, or the
sufficiency or insuficiency of his bond,
but the weight and character of "any OBJ
jectons' which may he made to its is
Suance.
The hearing of these objections by the
Board, is not merely discretionary under
the Law, but its language makes their
hearing mandatory.
Paragraph All A, Provides, that the
Board shall give public notice by adver-
tisement in at least two newspapers, Of
the substance of the petition of an appli-
cant for license, it shall specify the place
where said applicant proposes to sell,
and notifying the public of the time and