Milford chronicle., 1907-08-30
II Contrast to New Castle County,
Delaware.
The FaIlacieS Published Broadcast Made to Face
the FactS---Opinions of Leading Citizens Show
ing the Real Effect Of Prohibition in Our
Neighboring County.

number OF Delaware weekly newspapers
about the excellent effects of prohibition
in some of the Maryland counties Of the
Eastern Shore.
1t was mainly, however, the reproduc-
ton of an enthusiastic compilation made
at Denton in Car oline county. 1t may be
tated in passing that this county lies
along Kent county in Delaware, contains
324 square miles to Kent's 6l2, and has
16,24S in population $500, to Kent's
1892. Kent county has an assessed value
of Sl7, 939, 029 so and Caroline of SIS. 49,
lO2 Kent paid tax per capita in 1902 Of
$500, and Caroline of 1927 Kent county
is licensed to sell liquor and among others
contains the finest hotel on the Peninsula.
Iftime permits therewill be other COMPARE
sons between these two aspiring neigh bOrs
For the time it is enough to look at
Cecil county, the close Maryland neighbor
of New Castle county, and also reported
to be a prohibition community. How far
this is true will be left to the unquestiOn-
able testimony of dozen of the foremost
and most reliable men in that county.
Cecil county has an area of $50 square
miles as against $50 for New Castle. 1t
contains a population in round numbers
VI @p3OOu VI a AClbL ACWGA hlldh ~ NAAA IL
1880. New Castle contains SO, 900 persons
as against "a, 900 in 1880, but several hun
bred families and much area have been
added to Wilmington in that period, taken
from the county, while none have been
subtracted from Cecil county. The assess
ment values are practically the same in
the two counties. These counties are near
enough alike, and its people sufficiently
homogeneous to make out of them fair
and intelligent comparison. A subjOined
table will give the unprejudiced reader
some conception of the differences that
exist between these two beautiful and at
tractive civic communities.
1t is notorious fact, supported by the
history and statistics of every county and
territory in the United States, that there
is no such thing as prohibition in the sale,
let alone in the use, of intoxicating or
stimulating drinks. Prohibition Is not
fact. 1t is a mere assertion and pretense.
Honest men and women who uncOn-
sciously recognize that two and two make
four Just as readily admit that there is no
prohibition. 1t is not always possible to
know to what extent or proportion stlmu-
lants are employed in the so-called pro-
hibition areas, because it is an illicit, hid
den and secret traffic but no one at Elk
Aoug AOl CAaAlAB lNs GCCAAAo " NAphDA NAAetN
Cecil county, man for man, drinks as
much liquor, but usually more and worse
liquor, as New Castle county. In New
Castle it may be readily determined how
much is consumed, but never in Cecil for
there it is a secret, hidden, invidious and |
by statute an illegal traffic In Cecil lying
goes with drinking in fact it goes also
without drinking but in New Castle the /
facts can be reached, the traffic regulated |
and the wOuld-be liars made to tell the |
truth, In licensed counties decent liquor |
is sold by responsible men. In prohibited |
counties, the traffic falls into the hands of
the irresponsibles, as the testimony below !
we'll shows, and that means the sale of
the worst and the most injurious.
Such is the testimony of the best men |
on the Eastern Shore. Such is the statis-
tical and business contention of all rail-
road, steamboat, express and postal agents. !
The practical men all agree that there is
no such thing as prohibition on the East
ern Shore, that it is merely found in the
books and in the fervid rhetoric of the
prohibition stumpers.
There is Mr.. Benjamin Wells, the over.
worked express agent at Elkton, in Cecil
county. In answer to question as to the
conditions in his town, he replied like a
HAL MIO5G hlluu was AuuAG up " OIL
abundance of time and fact "Prohibi-
ton does not prohibit. Our Jail is full now
with violators of the liquor laws, when
six or seven years ago or under our license
system, Sheriff Price talked of closing up
for want of prisoners. There were sum-
moned to the last term of court in March
last, $50 witnesses who were supposed to
have seen liquor sold, and have no doubt
they had seen it, but not a single convic-
ton resulted. But the county paid them
81 500 for their attendance here. There
were ten days wasted and not conviction.
The folks don't want to convict. Why
should they? Every man who can raise
the railroad fare or the express charge
can get his liquor from Havre de Grace,
Baltimore, Wilmington or Newark, Della
ware. Why should not the rest of the
community get it through the speakeasy
or the club
SIN the license days, five years ago, the
workingman might waste dollar on Sat
urday night, or he might indulge himself
to three or four drinks day ; but now he
goes to Newark or Wilmington and spends
his railroad fare, money for drinks and
nine times out of ten brings bottle home
with him. Or one man will be deputized
to bring home ten or a dozen packages for
his neighbors. I know it, for they come S
to this office to meet the II. Is a. m. train s
from the north to receive their packages.
To the others who do not choose to come {
here, 1 must deliver I have worked all ]
night here on Saturday nights to get the !
stuff out If I accepted ali the invitations {
I get-Well, l wouldn't get very far on ]
my Sunday morning rounds Last Satur- t
day delivered key of beer to man on c
q boat for Sunday sailing He had six
bows with him. Tomorrow night l shall /
deliver six kegs to a man who runs Sun g
day club along the creek. Picnics along i
the Big Elk are common, and the men
and boys get drunk. They drink until a
the stuff is gone. No, no, prohibition does
not prohibit On the contrary it creates
weekly drunkenness and makes drunk i