The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1916-11-03
Would Urge Voters to Think it Over

Mr.. Editor:
l read an article in the
Marlboro Gazette of October 18th,
something of fairy tale, under the
heading, 'Think it over Mr.. Voter. "
The writer could not have written a
ghost story more hideous than the
article he did write on the prohibition
question, and ghost story would be
given more credence by the best citi-
zens of the county than the article he
did write. He tries to picture some kind
of fearful bugaboo of increased tax
alton, lower standard of morality; ham
pered business, the consumption of
more liquor, impoverished schools, bad
roads, unrepaired streets, unllghted
towns, unpaid officials and current ex-
penses, more law breaking and infam-
GUS crime, all caused by prohibition
that will not prohibit.
If prohibition causes all this, no one
can explain what goes with all the
money from higher assessment, if it
does not go to pay the expenses and
relieve the situation described above.
The writer of Think it over" failed to
explain, and no one can believe that
such conditions can exist, under as high
tax rate as the writer propheses for
1917, and still a deficiency in the treas
ury, if you can understand it, then
vote wet.
The writer failed to enumerate the
fattened prisoners in the pens, thriving
criminal lawyers, busy courts, high
salaried sheriffs and constable in wet
territories.
Yes. am sure the voters will think
this matter over. and every voter who
is honest with himself, and is not scar
ed of the bugaboo, the liquor sympa-
thizers have tried to dress up in high
tax shoes, poor school clothes, and
poverty's hat, for the low salaried Off
GERS to wear. on the rough roads or
bad streets in a dark town, will be
brave, and vote for prohibitionon Nov,
7th,, and it will not take Billy Sundays
Boose Sermon to convince them they
will do the right thing, for every man
knows the truth already and knows the
evil of the liquor traffic. And that
there is no such thing as a necessary
evil.
The writer of, think it over Mr..
Voter" says prohibition is twin to
poverty. Does this seem reasonable,
when l can cite you man in this
county, who brought pint of coal oil
for cents and pint of whiskey for
SO cents to take home. This was his Sat
urday evening shopping, and all the
money he had. If the pint of oil was all
ablaze; it would not give any light to
his poor drunken soul if he had a pint
of whiskey in hi i'm.
If we had prohibition he might have
bought a whole gallon of oil for 13
cents and 80 cents worth of flour, and
been thankful that he was not tempted
to buy whiskey.
The writer also says, to vote for pro-
hibition eve will sacrifice our God-given
and constitutional guaranteed rights. D
Yes, it would only deprive some of their
right to do wrong. If we are law abid'
ing citizens, and love our families ano
| our neighbors, our country and our G c
| who gave US our free country and oul
| rights, then prohibition will prohibit
| and if we cannot trust ourselves to be
law abiding under prohibition, we truly
cannot trust ourselves to respect any
law when we will grant men license tt
sell US something that will place US il
such an irresponsible state of mind, tina
will cause US to violate any other Law
and to commit Infamous crimes. We arr
| not AFRAID TO trust majority OF Cnt
voters of Prince Georges County, ant
believe on November 7. prohibition will
show the largest majority of any ques
ton ever voted on in the county
and if this referendum was offered t.
the Nation, and if we were as sure o
the Nation going dry as we are o
Prince Georges County, prohibitio
would 90 down on the pages of histor
as the Ord greatest act ever accompl
shed by our Nation, 1st, declaring on
independence; End, the passage of tn
Emancipation bill, which set the negr
free; Ord, the sanction of the prohibitio
question, which would forever obliterat
from our fair land the curse of the i
uuor traffic, which would be the begir
ming Of new freedom.
Yes, think it over brother voter wha
ever your color, whatever your polit
: cal persuasion whatever your religion
belief, and vote according to your hone:
| convictions.
Z We do not believe it will take ju:
4 ore more vote to carry it wet or DIR,
r Which way will you vote? Think it owe
G. M. Scraggs,
Cheltenham, Md.