Middletown transcript., 1907-09-07
THE TESTIMONY STILL
CONTINUES TO COME
OF The Great Benefit Derived From Local
Option in Maryland

r understand it, and they vowed that til
e question should again be submitted {
:, the people. But they did not calculat
L that ten years should elapse before
o came to a vote again.
'1n 1888 or '89 the question came BIZ
/ lore the people again. The saloon peopI
j were Jnbilant. They declared that ther
: was no doubt this time about wipnino
They could see the saloon thrown wild
. open again and hear the jingle of gIasse
e once more. But, alas, again they wer
doomed to disappointment. This tim,
they were fairly stunned. The count,
went dry by more than 1909. Tba
settled the question. The people hat
spoken In no uncertain tone, and thu
rum element bowed its head, No attemp,
has been made to submit it since then
1t would be no use. As in 1878 l again
voted for license"
Both times !" l said with some sur.
prise.
es, he said, ''pureIy for reasons of
my own. But would not do so again,
don't know whether it is because ac.
cumuIated years have brought wisdom. or
because my vision has become clearer
out am now thoroughly convinced that
the absence of the saloon, the prohibiting
Oh tile public sale of liquor, is a great
benefit to community.
1T manifestly helps trade, because the
money wasted over the bar now g1es into
proper channels 1t certainly improves
the moral condition, because great pro-
moter OF crime is removed. 1t surely
helps the family of the workingman,
since the convenient purchase of drink
is stopped and the wages sqnandered
at the bar now 90 to make the hom
brighter.
Urine and disorderly conduct were
practically swept away with the sa-
looms. In the old license days, when sa.
looms Hourished in this town, it was no
unusual thing to see drunken men STAG.
gerlng along the streets, and street fights
were common occurrences. Youmay o c.
caslonaily now see an intoxicated man
here, but he belongs to the riff-raff. not
to the respectable class, and street fight
or disorderIy gathering would startle
the town"
Does local option make your taxes
higher or in any way increase your
county expenses ?' asked.
Not in the slightest" he replied.
II know that sort of argument is fire.
quehtly used, but there is absolutely |
nothing in it.
Let me tell you something else," he
said. "No man could get the support of |
the people of this county for any office |
II be should announce himself in favor
of license"
l said, They told ne the same thing
in Talbot County"
We'll, it is true" he said. 'It has
been tried here; and it met with the
worst of failure.
Another thing" said he, ito the
surprise OF the saloon people the colored
men voted for local option They were
sure Of the colored voters. They ex.
pected to corral them, but most of them
voted for no license"
l said, Perhaps the colored voters
stopped long enough to think that the
only benefit the rumseller was 10 them
was to gobble up every cent they could
earn, set them crazy with his poison, and
then kick them out, to get into trouble. i"
AS | rose to go, l said, 'Then, Mr..
Smith, your experience tells you that
local option is good thing for a CON-
?'
Yes" he replied; decidedly, yes."
F. THOMPSON, GROCER, SAID
"There can be no doubt about it. local
option must help business. The money
that was once wasted for rum now goes
tor the comforts of home Chestertown
is better off, both morally and financially,
without saloons"
MIR. VANSANT, OF yANsANT &
NEWS0ME, SAID:
"Clrestertown is in fourishing eondi-
tion. We don't want any saloons or bar
rooms here. We very rarely see a man
lnder the influence of liquor, and have
40 disorderly conduct. Business is good,
md the morals of our people are excel
ent. | consider local option a great ben
fit to a town."
WITH JOHN D. URIE.
One OF the most Interesting men talk
ID with was John D. Uric, a leading t
member OF the Chestertown bar. knew +
Hr. Uric by reputation, but had never il
net him. But in five minutes after I +
lad entered hisoffice l felt as if he were
n old acquaintance, so sffable was his 4
manner. l did not know how he felt d
bout local option, SO broached the sub i
act cautiously, said: {.
Mr. Uric, the question of license or no
license is before the people of Delaware. /"
nd have come over here to inquire as
. what the citizens of Chestertown think y
bout it, after having tried both" o.
He smiled aud said, $50 we'll satisfied
re our people with The conditions under O
70 license that it would be absolutely i'm
"ssible to force the license system back a,
pin us. =,
The closing Of the saloons has been a f.
reat benefit to Chestertown in every re-
pect. 1t gave fresh impetus to busi- nj
ess; it raised the standard Of morals, and .,
made every condition cleaner An in tc
oxicated man upon our streets is n
II extremely rare sight, whereas under il
he license system it was very common it
hing. Disorderly conduct is practically
Unknown; under license it was of more e.
han frequent occurrence. Crime has de- II
reased to such an extent that We have as