Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-06
F|GHT FOR LOCAL OPTION
MASS MEETING IN HYATTS-
VILE LAST EVENING.
Speakers Urge Voters to Attend
Election and to Cast Ballots
for New Law.
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

The local option movement in Prince
George county received decided impetus
It rousing meeting held in Masonic Hall
| here last evening. 1t was an auspiclous
Inauguration of campaign against the
saloon in the county which will terminate
Tuesday, May H. when a special election
will be held to decide whether Or not IN
toXicating liquors will be sold in PRINCE
George county after September l. l9s
Rev. s. Ward RICHTER, pastor OF the
Hyattsville Presbyterian Church. called
the meeting to order, and made brlef
address. i'm which he presented the gen
oral features of the movement for pro-
hibition in other states. He declared that
the people of Prince George county are
behind the times in this regard: that the
statistics relative to the agitation IN the
southern states are startling and amaz-
ing. and he wished the people in that sec
ton godSpeed in their determination to
wipe the saloon out of existence. He
then introduced Judge George c. Merrick
of Marlboro. associate justice of the sew
anth judicial circuit of Maryland, as the
presiding officer
Judge Merrick received an ovation when
he declared it to BE- his purpose to al III
whatever way he. could toward the sue
cess of prohibition. He read letter
from Cardinal Gibbons in which that
eminent divine declared he is and always
has been in favor of local option for
southern Maryland. Judge Merrick re-
garded the cardinals letter as. a fitting
inspiration for his remarks. He had
been so long used to the peaceful. quiet
life of judge. he said, that he feared he
had lost the power Of oratory, yet at
such a moment he felt he would be neg
lecting a sacred duty if he failed to meas
ure up to the responsibility which de-
voived upon him.
Judge Merrick explained the meaning
of local option, declaring it to be the
right of the people to decide the question
OF whether or not liquor shall be sold i'll
the county. The representatives In the
legislature had passed bill submitting
the question to the people, and it IS now
I'D to the people whether they will vote
to continue the curse which. he said. is
debauching the young men of the county
aud destroying the prospects of the county.
He declared the saloon does absolutely no
good in the community and only penents
the men who destroyed the homes of hum
dreds Of citizens. On the other hand II
the saloon is abolished the salvation OF
many homes is assured and the moral
and ma terial prosperity of the county Will
BE- advanced
Judge Merrick said he had no unknd
feeling toward the man who sells liquor,
but the saloonkeeperS have no right to
complain if the majority of the people de-
eide that they prefer not to have liquor
sold in the county He spoke of the ex-
istence of eight saloons in Marlboro. a
town of about 40 inhabitants. and de-
clared that the conditions prevailing there
are attributable to the liberal sale of in
tOXicants.
Improves Quality of Labor.
Take whisky out of southern Mary
land" declared Judge Merrick." and you
will have better labor. They tell you that
4 oil Of fhn would
many laborers out of the county into
places where they could get their drink.
/ saw that for one of these worthless fell
lows who leaves the county five good men
will come to the county because of the
fact that there is no liquor sold within its
borders
Rev Father j. P. Tower. pastor of ST.
Jeromes Catholic Church of Hyattsville.
referred to Judge Merrick as the big
stick of Prince George county. but "even
the powers of your chairman are linn
tied" declared Father Tower "A bigger
stick is the power of public opinion. There
is one common ground upon which all the
churches stand, and that Is the record of
the struggle of right against unholy self
ishness. This began with Adam and
came on down the ages to Christ The
coming of Christ was to inspire us to do
right 1T seems to me that We are on
one of those rising waves that make for
righteousness, and the time has come
when the people are determined TO i'm
prove the moral and material prosperity
of their county and the purity and sane
tity of their homes"
Capt. Richard w. Sylvester. president of
the Maryland Agricultural College. de-
clared he found great pleasure in enlist
ing in great movement for the doing
away with the saloon in Prince George
county. He said it is the duty of men and
women free from the influence of liquor
to do what they can to remove the temp
tation from their weaker brothers. 1t is
necessary at this time that the people of
the county should place themselves in the
vanguard of this movement.
For thirty-four years." declared Capt.
Sylvester, Il have been engaged in the in
struction of youth. and ] have seen the
baneful effects of liquor upon our young
men. Whenever it is placed near them
they almost invariably fall prey to its
insiduous influence. 1t seems to be more
attracted to the brightest minds
Supplies Statistics.
Mr.. James c. Rogers. an attorney of the
county. spoke of the commercial well
as the moral side of the proposition He
said that $1,000 is annually paid into
the treasury of the county on account Of
liquor license fees. He regretted that
broad-minded men should limit the scope
of their vision on this subject TO mere
matter of dollars and cents.
The county receives" declared Mr..
Rogers "for the privilege of having sa-
looms, in round numbers. $4,000 The
question is asked. What can you
place in the other balance to COM
pensate the taxpayers for that $1,000?
Judge Merrick has told you that at least
20 per cent of all the crime that has come
before his tribunal is traceable directly
or indirectly to the use of strong drink
The cost OF maintaining the criminal
branches of the county government is
sonnet thing like $4,000. But say that only
% per cent of the crime is attributable
to liquor. we have a balance of $3.50 to
be placed against the 5000 liquor fees
Farm land in Prince George county is
assessed at IS 100000, and with good labor
this assessment would be increased to
S16.OOO,OO. which would be an increased
revenue of $4,000 for the county Then
again. there are sixty saloons with an
average revenue of $3.50 per year which
means that $1SO,OOO is taken from the
legitimate. avenues of trade and spent in
the liquor business. Here is Il total sum
of nearly 100000 against $1,000. to say
nothing of the corrupting influences and
debauchery resulting from the existence
OF the saloon.
Rev. Ernest II. MacEwen, pastor of the
| local Baptist Church. spoke of the good
results of prohibition in states where it
has been in existence. He was followed
by Senator William r. Clagett who in
PRODUCED the local option bill in the senate
and urged its passage. Senator Clagett
aroused the audience when he declared
that he never was more interested in any