Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1933-11-09
Geo. H. Lamar Wants
Local Option Retained
CONTINUED from page ID

=
passed and approved are still in
force. We favor the strict en-
! forcemeRt Of these various State
Local Ldscs." Italics supplied
In his speech in support of thi.
platform at the convention of 1880
the Governor said of this plank thai
1 it was ''the creed and gospel of thu
Democratic Party in the State; ant
he gave, on that occasion, as a par
of his party creed, that:
"The people should be free t.
work out their own problems"
Elected on such a platform from &
county where the Local Option Law
has long been a quasi rule of prop
erty, as well as an important factor
in its moral and civic background, il
is hardly to be expected that the
Senator and members of the HOUSE
of Delegates from Montgomery Coun.
ty, win vote for an abandonment Of
this status as a Countrywide local
option law, certainly not in the alb
sence of an opportunity of the people
of the entire county to vote on the
matter IN Advance of any cessation
of its effective operation.
THE SENTINE was kind enough to
publish the preamble and resolutions
heretofore prepared by me, which are
being considered and discussed in
meetings in the county, as prelim-
mary to presentation to the Governor
and members of the Legislature from
this county.
Notwithstanding the marked diff
ference of opinion on the repeal Cd
the 18th Amendment, the unanimity
with which audience after audience
adopt, and the individuals composing
the same, sign, these resolutions, fol
the preservation of countrywide Local
option law, demonstrates the exist.
ence in this county Of sentiment
which can not be ignored.
Space does not admit of a dis
cussion here of the long strug
gle against attempts, to legalize wei
spots in the county, eliminating with
the well nigh tragic defeat of the
Cabin John Bill on the third reading
in the Senate, some thirty years ago
The up county people, as a rule
understand the practical necessity
for a county wide enforcement, ant
the need for retention of the Statuts
inits full countrywide scope and OPP
Grafton.
On this point the party platform
declaration for "strict enforcement
is most important. The political
unit" for the enforcement of such
criminal laws embraces the entire
area within the jurisdiction of the
Circuit and Police Courts.
To circumscribe the territory, OIL
make distinctions in the treatment
by the States Attorney and Police
officers, of the same character Of
acts in different parts of the same
county, would strongly tend to in
crease lawlessness and to breal
down the effectiveness of the Statute
as designed and approved by direct
vote of the people.
Furthermore, any attempt to in
tersperse wet districts between dry
territories of the county would bt
tantamount to rejection Of the ben.
efits of the law designed to protec'
dry territory against shipments from
without the county, and thereby de.
prive the county of a valuable vested
right. In our opinion, District Option
would be the beginning of the END
of successful local option laws.
On the whole, it is believed that
the powers that be have decided
feeling of responsibility in connection
with solution of the new problems
where intoxicating liquors are to he
sold in the State, aid large part
of the citizenship of this county are
steadfast in their determination to
conserve their property rights and
the Distinguishing characteristics OF
this high class residential and farm
life county, by insisting upon the
retention of the Local Option Law
in its full application to the entire
county.