Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1906-04-13

| M. EaftoYs
Permit me the use Of little space In
your columns for the correction Of some
false Impressions and errors that seem
to be abroad regarding the results that
will accrue il the county votes for "no
license in the election on April "a.
In the s'Fimes Crescent Of last week
it is stated that In the event Of the re-
suit Of the election being against license
that there would be no licenses issued
after April 80. 1906. This no doubt is
typographical error. The fact is that
the bill provides for and directly and
distinctly reads that in the event Of the
county voting against license, there
would be none issued after April 30, 1907.
The whiskey men are trying to make
capital out Of this error by heraldng
broadcast the cry that if the result be
against license their property will be
conhseated, there being only about six
days in which to dispose of their stock.
Such is not the case. Be not deceived.
The bill gives the saloon keepers twelve
months In which to dispose of their
stock. This is not coniiscation but
magnanimous treatment on the part OF
the advocates of prohibition.
Another, the report has been sent out
that La Plata is exempted under the bill
providing for the coming election. There
is not a single exemption Of place, per
son or thing provided in the act that
authorizes the special election. This is
a trick to create antaPnuism to our
movement for the good Of all the people
by arousing the ire Of the people Of the
county against La Plata. The exemp-
tion Of La Plata has never been thought
of in connection with this fight before the
people. True it is that it was included
in the amendment attached by the Tenn
perance Committee Of the House to the
Lancaster Prohibition Bill tthe first bill
Ito accomplish the abolition of the
liquor traffic by direct legislative act in
stead of putting II to vote hut then it
came through the efforts OF the most
prominent whiskey dealer Of La Plata to
protect himself and accepted by us to
avoid putting the county TO the expense
of an election. This bill did not pass
the House but was amended and practi-
cally killed by the efforts Of the Hon. J.
C. Wilmer. The bill providing for an
election Senator Laneaster's second billl
contains no exemption clause, the full
text of which was printed in the
INDEPENDENT of last week, and a
synopsis in the Times Crescent of the
same date, which all may read and see
for themselves
One more, II is commonly reported
that this is fight against Mr.. Mudd and
the Republican party led by seheming
Democrats to accomplish the downfall
of the aforesaid, using the sincere "local
optionists'' as their tools, and vice versa.
We direct one thought and submit one
statement to refute the charge. on both
sides of this fight the leaders Of both
Democratic and Republican parties are
to be found. On one side Democrats
and Republicans working hand in hand
to carry the county against license and
on the other hand Democrats and Re-
I ~. s,l,sans working hand in hand for
licthSes This - non poIfeicaI ~,
seetarian fight; one in which all true
men regardless of party name may fight
for the moral uplift of the people Of the
county, for the conservation of the peace
and prosperity of their fellow citizens,
the betterment Of social conditions, the
freedom of an enslayed people from a
thraldom more CALLING than the Egyptian
bondage; the improvement of the eco
monte conditions of the county.
A few figures and facts-There are
eighty-four saloons (s4) in this county,
aud on an average each of them sell at
least S150o,00 worth of liquor every
year, eighty-four times fifteen hundred
equals S126,000 90 the amount annually
spent for liquor in Charles County. This
amount if applied to pay off the indebt-
edness of individuals and county, the
Improvement Of the farms and highways,
the amelioration of the sad conditions
incident to such an expenditure of the
wealth of the equity, in ten years time
will completely reyplutionize the coun-
ty--transfer it from "A wilderness state
to promised AR.
Free men Of Charles County, your
God, your family, that wife and those
children you love so dearly, your county
calls upon you to come forth on the oath
of this month and cast ballot against
license and in favor of new era of
freedom. Your fathers fought for free
dom from Lexington to orktown and
they gave to the world the greatest ma
tion of all-from '61 to '65 again the
rifle was shouldered and we have a free
people-to-day- day-illumined by
the light of noble past and presaging
more glorious future-calls for a deela-
ration-a stand for these same rights on
your part as the shades of your ances-
tors pass over you-and demands the
same obedience Of you as those days did
Of your fathers, and thus you must meet
the issues of this campaign for free,
pure, a moral citizenship. viii the
people of Charles County be found
wanting / do not believe so. Ye free
men--sons of noble fathers, rise in your
might, shake off the CALLING chains of
legalized liquor traffic in your fair
county by casting your vote against
license on April Il. Let every voter |
cast his ballot and that ballot be thun-
der clap-a lightning stroke against this
awful slavery in our midst.
HARRY P. BAKER.