Evening star., 1908-01-26
'DRYS" IN MARYLAND
Local Option Question Is In
sistentIy to the Front.
CAMPAIGN AT ANNAPOLIS
Views of Cardinal Gibbons on the
Subject of Licenses.
HOW THE COUNTIES STAND
Registration Under the New Lobby
Law-Retrenchmen in the
Appropriation Bill. :
CAMPAIGN AT ANNAPOLIS
HOW THE COUNTIES STAND
Special Correspondence Of The Star.


| ANNAPOLIS. January "a, 1908.
| The campaign of the Anti-Saloon
League to obtain a local option law
throughout Maryland began in earnest
this week with the circulation of a
pamphlet containing the draft of the pro-
posed law and arguments in favor of it,
| with the establishment of headquarters
| In Annapolis by the state superintendent
| of the league. William H. Anderson. and
personal interviews with members of the
| general assembly by Mr.. Anderson and
his assistant. Mr.. Anderson was the first
| legislative agent to enroll his name at
| the statehouse under provisions of the
| law regulating lobbying. 1t is Impossible
| to predict the outcome of this campaign,
| but it will not be as easy to pigeonhole
a local option measure this year as In the
| past Maryland has caught the mfec-
| ton of the prohibition agitation that has
swept like wildfire through the south, and
while the question did not figure much in
| the late campaign it is one that is CIV
| ing the legislators much thought and no
little worry. Many decline to express
| their opinions to what course they in
| tend to take. and it is probable that many
of them have not decided on what course
| they will take.
| Gibbons on Local Option.
| Unlike the average publication of its
| kind the Anti-Saloon League pamphlet
contains news as well as argument.
| Cardinal Gibbons whose opinion is es-
teemed very highly throughout his own
state as we'll as in all parts of the coun-
try, was recently quoted in the press as
| having doubted the feasibility of local
| option, and declared in favor of high
| license. Mr.. Anderson has obtained sup
Elementary expression of views from him
| which is as follows:
II believe that the right of the people
| to determine by the operation of local
| option law whether saloons shall or
| shall not be closed within their respective
| communities is in harmony with the
Ar .erican principle of self-government
| while 1 do not wish to be understood
| as having in any degree changed my
| opinion that it is neither feasible nor
wise, under present conditions. to attempt
| prohibition throughout the extent of a
| large city like Baltimore. yet, if the peo-
pie of ward of the city, especially in a
| residential section. or of a rural county.
| desire to vote out saloons, they should
have the opportunity of so doing. and |
| heartily approve the present movement
| in Maryland to secure a local option law
| which will give that right.
Where the people do not attempt to
close their saloons. or decide by vote to
retain them, l am, as previously stated. in
favor of high license and rigid restric-
| tions. but not as substitute for nor in
| opposition to local option as above de-
| fined"
This elaboration of the cardinals views
| bears the date of January 13.
The Antf-SaloOn League recites the fact
| that a candidate for stateN senator in
| western Maryland, who was nominated
| by a party which declined to insert a
local option plank in it's platform. was
| defeated by the candidate of the party
which did insert such a plank, and tells
| of the leagues successful efforts to de-
| feating a candidate for sheriff in another
\
saloonkeeper. who had been indicted for
violating the law. and in preventing the
| nomination for state senator in another
county of a man who had fought the pro-
hibition clause in the charter of the town
| of Brunswick 1t charged that high Ii
tense is to be used to kill local option If
deal between liquor interests and GER
| tain politicians can be carried out
Area of Drought.
| OF Maryland's twenty-three counties
nine are dry, Montgomery. Cecil, Kent.
Queen Anne. Caroline, Talbot. Dorches-
ter, Wicomico and Somerset, twelve have
some dry territory and but two are Who'll
| ly wet Baltimore city has a few resi-
Dental areas in which the sale of liquor
is prohibited. In territory which Is now
| dry the citizens may vote for sub
| mission of the question of applying the
| Anti-Saloon League bill in order to get the
!
/ such vote, If hostile to the application
of the new law. will not alter the present
status, but will leave the places dry un-
der existing law.
Democrats allowed President Seth of the
| state senate to play a lone hand in his
| attack on the former governor. Edwin
Warfield. which caused a sensation
4 throughout the state early in the week
Even those who could not repress salts
faction that some one had hit bac'- at the
former governor on account Of his belated
| charges of extravaganza against the last
| legislature showed no disposition to ap-
prove the step taken. but on the contrary
! they express the view that Gen. Seth s
course will ''hurt the party" It met
| with prompt use of the short ugly
word by the gentleman attacked. and the
| charges were resented by the friends of
| the governor unfounded Many demo-
Gratis who dislike Warfield think it will
create sympathy for him, which is what
| they desire to avoid above all things The
| proposal to investigate the sale of the
states holdings in the canal, the subject
| publican member of the house of dele
gates, and it is doubtful whether the gem
| eral assembly will authorize the investiga-
| ton, which is courted by the ex-gov-
| ernor.
Cut Down the Bill.
| Ths Seth philippe naturally overshad-
| owed the discussion which brought 1t
| forth, that of the amount of money to be
| appropriated for legislative expenses bf
| the charges of extravaganza and of meth
| DDS of restriction All methods of restric-
| tlon so far have been defeated by the
| democrats. Senator Blair Lee of Mont
gomery county led the fight in the senate
| for providing for the publication of the
names of all employees on the report of
the controller, and he was backed by the
republicans, but six democrats who agreed
| that the publicity idea is a good one also
| agreed with Senator German that its IN
| corporation in the appropriation bill
| might invalidate the bill. for the Maryland
| constitution forbids that law should deal
can be no riders in Maryland laws. The
reduction of the appropriation from $780,
600 to $110O0O was a practical result of
the economy discussion, and 1t was largely
due to the attitude of Gov. Crothers. who
conferred with the democratic leaders and
| advocated a reduction. which Senator
| German and his lieutenants were un-
willing to make last week. 1t is still
within the power of the legislature to
| pass a deficiency bill at the end of the
session, but this Is much more unlikely
| with a $4,000 bill than 1t would have
been with s15O.00O bill.
Senator Lee attributes the reduction of
| the appropri ration by his partys leaders
| as largely due to the vigorous mo" that
came to his questions concerning the pro-
priety of reward by the state of political
| activity He referred to the questions
| several times as hypothetical questions.
! framed to put expenditures in the best
| light and said that If the expenditures
under question could not be excused as
| reward for political activity there was
no excuse for them. The smile that Mr.