Milford chronicle., 1907-09-27

secumbed to fanaticism and cash, three
wears ago. After a days interview with
so or more persons OF all classes and con-
ditiOns, save those that are popularity
credited with wine cellars and sidetOards
Oftheir own, the question insistently arose
how was it possible for this intelligent ag-
eressiye community to surrender to the
folly of prohibition This question put
directly and bluntly to a merchant who
has tens of thousands of dollars invested
in dry goods, brought this astounding an
sWer, as quick as the trigger on tire'arm.
.'HoW did the prohibitionists manage
10 carry that election? Like all our cleo
tiOns are carried by money. Delaware
has bad name, but WicomicO county beats
any county in Delaware Tor corruption at
elections, Not less than $4,000 was
spent to carry this district, one out OF
dozen in the county, for prohibition.
Eighty per cent of the business men IN
this district voted for license. There
we're only four bars in the town. The
town was orderly and the hotels well Kept
As q business proposition the business
men voted for license but every pur-
chaseable voter in the district voted
against it.
zone family runs all our politics and
thew made politics out of our local option
They put up the money and they mf de
Salisbury drv. It was not moral issue
with them. but a political. They pro-
posed TO take whiskey out OF politics. II
was factor their money could not always
control. Their purpose was to reduce all
political argument in Wicomico county to
one proposition, namely, money, cash, IN
which they had no competition.
tsOf course, there are honest temper
ance men here, but they were not IN 1t.
The election was carried by corruption
and corrupt voters. The order was sent
out to the 'foatere' to get all the money
possible from the liquor men then come
TO Headquarters and we will douole all
the cash YOU can show us There IS the
building" said this gentleman, pointing
out a substantial brick building, on the
main street of the town, ION the second
floor of that house the work was done
The three men who were deepest in tins
niece of bribery are all high up in politics
One is in Office now and hopes to go higher
bv means of his millions. The other two
are both on the county ticket TINS ial
and have no expectation of being elecRc
except as the county can be bought up
Both ere shouting prohibitionists anC
church members, but they handled the
money, that bought up Salisbury for pro
hibition. Why the leaders OF this piec'
of hypocrisy, mean the men who pu
ND the money, are among the hardes
drinkers in Maryland and that ls saylni
a good deal. =,
"Several of them went so far as to hol'
meetings of colored voters and threatens
to abandon them, politically, If they oil
not vote for prohibition.
0T saw the whites and blacks go "
those stairs, in groops Of five and SIX
get their money" -, ,oo,
This story of the election of April, 1904
when the last district in WicOmico count
went cdry' was told the reporter doze
different times, the witnesses general.
agreeing except as to the amount Q
money used. One man who admitted, n
was in the fight with money lsald una
500 900 was too much. he pointed GU
that there were only about 800 voters
the district; that the prohibitionists &C
about 100 majority and that the pushes
men nearly all voted for license ana al
so without money, he thought, the ''1oa
ers" got about $40 apiece. Others 81 nov
ever. insisted that as much as S3O, OVU wa
on tap on the second floor OF that suoSlal
tial brick building. Whatever the iac
are, as to the amount OF cash eXpenue
and men on both sides admit that none
was used-there is no doubt as to the COZ
victiOn at Salisbury that the result W.
bought and that the result was Doug,
and that it has left bitter sting behihu
Salisbury is the last of the districts
the Eastern Shore, excepting the fowl
of Worcester county, to go dry. IL stoo
ont for 80 wears or longer against TINS a
leoed prohibition, with the result that
i the best business town on the REM
sula. south of Wilmington Other fehl
snla towns have better water facilities ar
equally good railroad advantages p
thew surrendered to a maudnn sentlnen
10. 20. 80 and some even 40 years az
while Salisbury stood for her rlghts al
for common sense. Inc town ehJoy'
the sale of liquor from Wlcom co cOun
and portions of the neighborlng couhtI
20 years, and this furnishes to large y
gree the explanation OF Its business gu
cess of today. H..
f,rnisber of Salisbury, if not of the Ea'
ern Shore, whose business approXlmat
100000 per year, expressed ms uis u.s..
that CITY of the size of Salisbury shou
be ''drv" and put into leading strings
lot of impracticables.
81 cannot tell you how much this toy
lost by that foolish act. lost S4,UOU
business the first year and every 9th
business man felt the blow. OF cour
we have all pulled out again and
doing a good business, you can't ke
Salisbury down. 1t is natural nusin,
centre and has been for 80 years; v
are far enough from Baltimore and W
mington to command a wholesale ira
and all the folly possible could not
this place. j.,
"Onr farmers have been unusually I
innate during the last 10 years. Hare
a moor crop in all that time. 1t is no MOI
inc surprising to hear of farmers IN WI
noice county that have sold this year tru
Tortb from SIS. 900 to S25, 900. This Il
trucking county, especially south OF
and along Wicomico River. But there
where we lost most of our trade. Thu