Smyrna times., 1907-10-02
LETTER FROM REV. DR.. WATT.

Editor Smyrna Times-Dear Sir:--I
received from the Editor of the Cecil
Star, Mr.. George d. Carey, personal
friend, the following subioined which
appeared as an editorial in the Star of
September 81, 1907. This shows not
how Local Option operates in Name
or Kansas, but in North East, Md,
town of which l have personal knowl-
edge, Believing the matter would be
of interest to the public send it to
you for publication. Robert Watt.
LOCAL OPTION BRINGS PROSPERITY
Anti-license advocates in Delaware are
putting up fine fight to Danish the bar
rooms from that State. Cecil County in
creased its vote against license last Fall be-
cause the people here had learned how de-
ightful it is to live where no intoxicating
liquors are sold
Aside from the plainly seen advantage to
good morals, Prohibition has proved to be
conducive to prosperity. In this town of
1900 population, these proofs of getting
along IN the world have been made manifest
since its partnership with the liquor traffic
was dissolved five years ago: A new $17,-
600 church built and paid for; S12, 900 high
school building erected; a national bank or
ganize and an $4,000 banking building
erected, the deposits in which show steady
increase; by an overwhelming gote of the
people the tax rate has been raised per-
manently, that public improvements might
keep pace with private prosperity; new in
dustries have sprung up giving employment
to both men and women; the interior of the
town lookup" has been remodelled and
30
as an emergency hospital for the SOLDERING
up of disorderly ''drunks:" there is no lack
of hotel and boarding-house accOmmOda-
tiOn for that fitting feIlow-about whom so
much concern was erstwhile evlnced; we'll
tO-dO city folks are buying property here
and spending thousands. of dollars in inn
provemenis to make for themselves delight
full summer homes; business men are doing
more business than ever; employers are not
vexed in spirit by their workmen being ''Off
on SPREE; we know of no homes where
there are scantily clad children, who e
hungry at times they ought not to be; nor
have we any reputable citizens going to ruin
over the rum road, boys and young men are
| giving their parents no concern about their
contracting the drink habit, and the GLORY
song" long since displaced the sadly sug-
| gestIve strains and wOful wall of Where is
my Wandering Boy Tonight" The rising
generation is being educated into the habits
of sobriety by the absence of influences in
the opposite direction In fact, the banish-
ment of the barTooms is the best piece of
work ever done for this community.
1t has not brought about the millennium,
however. The women folks still have to
cook three meals a day. wash dishes, patch
the boys pantalOOns, darn stockings and
| spank the children when they need spank
ing. Men have to work for their living Just
as hard as ever, and pay increasing prices
to the big trusts for the necessaries of life.
Potato bugs, cabbage worms, mosquitoes,
flies and political liars are as bold and as
bad as ever; but all these together don't dc
as much downright devilment in a whole
month as one licensed bar-room has beer
known to do in single day. There is one
thing tine people of this community will
never again tolerate, and that is the sale ofin
. toxicating liquors, s,-licensed or unlicensed