Milford chronicle., 1907-08-30

are that he was a fellow who went there
from this county.
"Cutting affrays in Paradise Alley "a
negro settlement) occurred the last two
Saturday nights"
This last statement was confirmed by
the leading lawyer of the Cecil county
bar. This lawyer did not condem prohibit
ton, but said that the system did not
prohibit and had not improved the morals
of the town.
Thomas J. Murray, the leading general
merchant of Elkton, said
81 am for license, and | never took a
drink in my life. There is no prohibition
in this county. Probably a small class of
men who rarely drank now drink less,
but the old drinkers drink great deal
more. Having the drunkenness anyhow,
| think we ought to have the benefit of
the license money"
w. d. Summers, 4 well.knOwn farmer,
declared that he never took a drink, tut
believed in the license system. "Our
farm hands," he said, Ego to Delaware.
to Glasgow and even to MiddletOwn, and
bring the stuff back, and it is always the
worst they can get. With license my men
would come here (Elkton), take few
drinks and return home but they buy
by the bottle, as they always do when
they have miles to go and get it they
drink until it is all gone and until they
are drunk"
A leading professional man of Elkton
who declined to have his name used, said
that whiskey was sold openly every day
in Paradise Alley, and there is at least
one cutting affray each week. He also
knew of a dozen men who went to New
ark the day before Christmas, last year,
and left over 81 900 at Frazer's store.
He knew a fellow at Chesapeake City,
without visible means OF sup
port. who paid little bill OF $50 recently
in Elkton, taking the money from the
biggest roll of tens and 'twenties' that
we ever saw up here. He sells whiskey,
Of course"
He added: "The last prohibition vic
tory won here in 1906, was undoubtedly
won by a combination of temperance
men, speakeasy fellows, the negroes and
the hard drinkers among the whites.
They don't want any regulation, knowing
they can get what they want cheaper and
in places they prefer to our public houses.
Fred H Letter, the town treasurer OF
Elkton looks upon prohibition as a mere
cover to do illegally and indecently a
business that is bound to thrive in one
iorm or another.
Mr.. Oliver G. Giles, the leading green
grocer of Elkton and teetotaler, declared:
prohibition is the biggest humbug in
MARYLAND 1t has put business on the
)um, while the drinking men drink as
much as ever. Between 1880 and 1890
1 -
was general. We had
rood license system here between 1878
md 1902 and times were never better, nor
he people better behaved. Why know
fifty customers of mine, from the paper
Mills and the farms north of this town, |
Who came here every Saturday night and /
eft hundreds of dollars here in Elkton. |
Vow they go to Newark, or Wilmington, |
n Oxford, Pa. EktOu has lost all their
rade."
MIR. Elmore Deibert, a well-known boat |
nd barge builder on the Big Elk creek, |
Who employees about fifty men, had no /
hesitation in declaring that there was no
Prohibition in Cecil county. He added
"The system works injuriously. The /
nen drink as much as ever, but they go /
way and stay for days We pay of |
very two weeks and that means two |
prees a month for every drinking man
d our employ. have known men to be
one five days at a time. 1t is a big loss
0 me. If they could get a drink here in
roper and decent way, most of these men
rould be here the Monday after pay day. "
This sort of testimony could beextended
9defnitely. There is no doubt that nine
Mt of ten responsible citizens of Elkton
re opposed to the farce of prohibition
nd would like to have the license system
E. established.
In the column of totals in the table fol-
owing are the annual expenses for the
riminal proceedings of the Circuit Court
Cecil comfy, year by year, from 1899
D 1907. The unusual costs for 1900 and
9O4 are explained by remarks. One was
wet and the other dry " year