Page 55

So we went on until 1880, when peti-
tions began to circulate for a submis-
sion of the question of license or no li-
cense, to the whole county, containing
about six hundred square miles. These
petitions, with 1,600 signatures, asked
that the vote might be taken at a special
election; but our Delegates thought
best to hold the election on the same
day with the Presidential election. The
friends of Local Option, although re-
garding this as unfavorable, did not
complain; but went to work with a will.
They disclaimed any interference with
the party questions of the day or the
rights of individuals. They simply
claimed the right to regulate the police
power of the county, district and neigh-
borhood, as the case may be—that pow-
er, of which the late lamented Horatio
Seymour said, "that every neighborhood
and district and county, however un-
learned and illiterate the inhabitants
might be, understood its own wants
much better than the President or Mem-
bers of Congress in Washington could
possibly do." Upon that issue they
won every district in the county, and
the whole county, by fifteen hundred
and thirty majority. The result is that
we have since enjoyed a peace and quiet
and thrift and prosperity heretofore un-
known in the county.

But, like Banquo's ghost, rum and
whiskey will not down; and we are now
menaced with another submission to
the ballot. Recognizing the truth and
power of the maxim, "that eternal vigi-
lance is the price of liberty," the
friends of Local Option are here again
bearing a petition with 3,850 signatures,
over double the former number of names
and showing an increase of more than
regular geometrical proportions. Under
these circumstances we come not for
legislation, but respectfully to ask, and
we think we have a right to ask, that
we be let alone—left to enjoy the fruits
of a great moral and peaceful victory,
and not again plunged into the strife
and expense of another campaign.

If there be any question more strict-
ly democratic than another, it is this
question of Local Option. It is simply
the right of the people to choose, and
when exercised by a community under
authority of law and with ample time
for discussion and deliberation, its de-
cision ought to be as final and conclu-
sive as the Constitution of the State.

License, as opposed to Option, is an in-
dividual privilege, withheld from the
community in favor of the individual.
Who ever heard of a town or a county
being licensed? The idea is absurd and
cannot be entertained. A resubmission
for license, after a county has fairly
and deliberately voted "no license,"
would not only savor of vacillation in
legislation, but also give to the individ-
ual a preference over the community—
a sanction subversive of the great prin-
ciple of Home-rule and Local self-gov-
ernment.

The committee were unanimous in
their selection of Mr. Laird for present-
ing the petition to the Legislature; and
on Friday he secured the floor and laid
before the House this petition, which is
said to have been the largest ever pre-
sented to the Maryland Legislature on
any previous issue. In presenting it,
Mr. Laird stated that he desired to place
himself on record upon the Local Op-
tion question, which he did in the fol-
lowing neat and manly address:

MR. LAIRD'S ADDRESS.

Mr. Speaker:—"In the autumn of 1890
the citizens of Montgomery county
voted upon the question of liquor li-
cense, and by a majority of 1,530 de-
cided against it; and in the intervening
period have reaped many benefits from
the operation of the local-option law.
Shortly after the last general election a
movement for the resubmission of the
question was started, and to counteract
the effect of any petitions for the resub-
mission that might be addressed to the
General Assembly, the friends of local
option have commissioned me to pre-
sent a counter petition, although that in
favor of resubmission has not yet found
its way here. It gives me pleasure, Sir,
in presenting this petition, signed by
3,850 citizens of my county, to say that
its object meets my unqualified approv-
al, and I can bear personal testimony to
the blessings that have flowed from
the law as it is."

At the conclusion of his address Mr.
Laird was heartily congratulated by a
large number of his fellow-Members
and others for having the courage of
his convictions, in openly expressing
his sentiments on the subject and bear-
ing "testimony to the blessings that
have flowed from the law as it is"