Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-05-15
ANNAPOLIS. Md, MONDAY. MAY 10. 1916.
new banks were opened, the taxable
basis increased $1,000 900 and hank

Win one nanu 10 incense something
which will rob man of his reason,
and transform him into a fieni, and
then with the other hand to take this
man and incarcerate him, or execute
him. as an enemy of society for crimes
and deeds committed while in the
grasp of the very thing which il Ii
censess Is it square? 1t can easily
be remedied, for it is in the hands of
the voter and the voter is the man that
stands responsible if the conditions
are not changed"
The Doctor then explained some of
the inner workings of the last Legis-
lature, when the prohibition bill was
up before it. In the Senate they al
ways hari majority, but in the House.
although a majority of the members
were pledged to their constituents to
support the prohibition bill, they were
weaned away by the politicians and
voted against il. He showed the great
influence the women of the town could
exert in this fight and said that in the
State of Illinois, where the ladies vo-
ted, they closed 900 saloons in sin
gle day. Although the ladies of An
napolis couM not cast direct vote
they can vote the voter. and he asked
side of right and work for the pas
sage of the dry law.
Mr.. Munroe followed DR.. Levister
and told of some of the crying needs
of the town due to the liquor traffic
He especially emphasized the condi-
tion of West street on Saturday night
and termed it as being a condition
unfit for civilized community" He
said:
Friends of mine have actually hesi-
tated to visit me for this reason, that
they were afraid to come out West
street at night" He further showed
that the greater part of our criminal
cases appearing on the dockets of the
Circuit Court came from the wet dis
tricts of the county, and that even now
there are three murder cases before
the Court, all of them from wet dis
tricts. Mr.. Munroe in addition to this,
rea,l and interpreted the law as it will
be applied in case IL is passed by the
people in November.
Mr.. Munroe consented to preside af-
ter most careful consideration of the
proposed statute. One portion of il
provides penalty for anyone who
"dispenses" intoxicants of any kind.
and Mr.. Munroe would not have been
willing to support law which might
have been the means of systematic es-
pionage and persecution against
persons who might use liquors of any
kind in their own homes. After con-
sultation with other Annapolis attorn-
eys, States Attorney Green, in par
ticular, Mr.. Munroe came to the con-
clusion that nothing of this sort was
intended, and that the pharse was
merely inserted to prevent evasion of
the law by those who are actually
making a business of selling or dis
pensing intoxicants. He, therefore,
decided definitely to support the move
ment TO to approve the law for Annap-
oils. and consented top reside yester-
day Mr. Munroe's thorough consid-
Grafton of this question, together with
the statement of States Attorney
Green, which he permitted to be an
nouncoi publicly, form complete an
swer to any argument which may be
made. based upon this phrase in the
proposed law.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Munroe's
talk, the Hon. Lloyd Wilkinson, ofBaI
timore. member of the last Legislature
and former Speaker of the House, took
| the platform and said:
II have been incorrectly represented
as concerns my attitude on this ques-
ton. | wish to say here that though
/ have been heralded as being allied
with the liquor interests, that they have
never eXerted any influence over me in
any way. shape or form. They have
| never helpo1 me in any of my political
| campaigns, or have l any reason what
ever to feel kindly to them. | have
| differed slightly from the temperance
| peopel at times because their convic-
| tions were not my convictions, and ]
could not accept them. / always try
| to take my stand courageously on any
L
| ly for what believe is right
ION the question of prohibition in
| the last Legislature. | differed slight
| ly from the temperance people, but my
stand was based upon no desire to
i favor the liquor interests, but was
| rather due to certain economic am
| governmental reasons. | have abso-
/ lutely no objection to the present Law
and i'm its form, and / helped to pass
it, have been a member of six Leg
islatures and one special session, and
from the first ] took the ground, in ref
erence TO liquor that whenever the
sentiment of a county wanted a vote
on the question and came to the Legis-
lature and asked for that privilege,
was in favor of giving them that right
and you may search the records of the
Legislature ami will see that / have
never taken a different stand.
Il wish to say that I am glad you
| peopel will have the chance to vote or
/ this question, and that IL I were cit
| izen of Annapolis. / would work fol-
the passage of the dry law and would
| consider il my duty to see that il went
| into effect In Annapolis there IRE nc
/ great questions of revenue to consider
and there is no doubt as to the people
being able 70 enforce the law; so with