250 JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS [Feb. 19,

We have dwelt entirely on the State's revenue, the loss to
the City of Baltimore by reducing her taxable basis $50,000,-
000, will raise her taxes from $1.75 to $2.25 on the $100,
and the counties will be affected in the same proportion.

Is the desire to kill the goose that lays the golden egg ?

We have asserted that it would affect the farming interest,
and will prove that such would be the case.

The capacitj of our distilleries are 4,000 bushels of grain
per day, and their average consumption 2,000 bushels per

day, equal to 600^000 bushels annually.

Our breweries mash 500,000 bushels of malt and barley
during the year, and 5,000 bales of hops are used each year.

What will be the result of driving from our State these
great consumers of her agricultural products ? Either a glut
of grain here, and consequent depression of prices, or the ne-

cessity of sending it to other points at a loss in the outlay of
additional freights. Can our already overburdened tillers of
the soil, whose sweat-drops now water the ground to enable
an ekeing out of a bare living, stand this certain loss and ad-
ditional burden ?

It is conceded on all hands that a Prohibitory Law will
drive trade from the Metropolis of our State, and then all
branches of trade and our growing industries will be very
seriously affected ; warehouses will be idle, and that class of
property will not rent for the amount of their taxes.

The Baltimore Warehouse Company to-day derive one-
half of their receipts from the storage of liquors. Shall we
retrograde after having made such strenuous efforts to cope
with the trade of New York and Philadelphia.

Taken from its moral standpoint, history shows us from
time immemorial people would use stimulants in some shape,
either in the shape of alcoholic or malt liquors, or as opium
or laudanum, Coffee and teas are narcotics, and it is an ad-
mitted fact that the use of either in large quantities is just
as injurious as the too liberal use of spirituous or malt liquors.

Wherever Local Option has prevailed there has been a dis-
regard of the law, and it is well known and established that
Local Option does not prohibit. Men buy liquor and sell
and drink it surreptitiously, thus making violators of the law
out of otherwise good and faithful citizens. Men then drink
it without restraint and thus do themselves more harm than
if purchased free and above board, as at present. Stolen
fruits are always the sweetest. Every vessel coming to our
wharves to-day from Local Option Counties are la'len with
from 50 to 100 jags or demijohns each.