The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1910-10-28
More Testimony Concerning The
Hurting" OF Business BY
Local Option.

we nave all beard that distressing
wall of the license advocates that Local
Option !" hurts business" but never have
we heard them offer any facts to substan-
tiate their claims. Local option has been
in force in Cecil county for several years
past and it is the. unanimous testimony
of the business men of the county that in
place of the closing up of the saloons
hurting business, it has helped it, there
being steady and marked improvement
in all lines. The only business that has
been hurt" in Cecil by local option
killed. in fact, is that Of the whiskey
seller, and he is the only one who is
weeping because he cannot ply his ques-
tionable traffic in our midst.
The experience in Cecil county, that
business and-other conditions improve in
a community with the Punishment Of the
saloon. is borne out by abundant testi-
mony from other. sections of the country
where the saloons have been outlawed.
The following extracts from speech o.
Governor Hanly, of Indiana. delivered
Sept. IS, is case in point After review
ing the doleful prophecies of the liquor
men concerning the disasters which
would overtake Indiana if counties were
voted dry under county option, ex.
Governor Haniy said
These dire prophecies frightened many men.
Since they were made scarcely year has gone BY.
The saloons in the sixty.nine counties voting
s'dry'' have scarcely all been closed year But,
brief as the time has been, we are able now to
put over against the "wetv prophecies of yester-
day, the dry facts Of today, and never did facts
work greater confusion to prophecies.
Rents have not decreased. Property has not
deprecated in value. On the contrary, every
legitimate business throughout these sixty-nine
counties has felt the impulse and thrill of the
Sio0O0.oOO that have been diverted this year from
the Golfers OF saloons and breweries into useful
channels of trade.
Bank deposits have increased, store bills long
barred by the statute OF limitations have been
paid, and cash Is being received for merchandise
where credit was formerly asked. Saloon stocks
have disappeared and saloon fixtures have gone
back to the breweries that owned them. But the
tax duplicates of the dry counties have not been
depleted; they have been increased. Nor have
tax levies been raised more frequently in dry
counties, townships, towns and cities than in
"wet" counties, townships, towns aud cities.
Another wet" prophecy has been refuted by
the facts of experience. Last year we were
assured by every wet advocate that wherever
q county voted dry and the saloons we're
eliminated, drunkenness and debauchery would
increase that conditions succeeding the voting OF
the county dry would be worse than under the
old swet" regime.
And some good men believed them and,
through fear of bad conditions that might obtain
If the county became /" dry" voted wet
In the seventy dry" counties. there were Jailed
for intoxication in eight months ending May 81.
1910. only 1855 persons. as against 4OlO for the
like period in the last fiscal year. a decrease Of
], l45 -more than 2S per cent.
do not contend that the local option law is
never violated. know it is. But koow OF no
law, human or divine. with thou shalt not"
In it that is not sometimes violated There is not
a clause in the Decalogue that is not violated
every day BY some one, some where. But because
Of that thoughtful men do not petition the Throne
Of Grace fora repeal OF the Ten Commandments
and the removal Of all restraint from human
kind.