William Daniel proposes the Local Option for Prohibition (1857)

In 1857, Maryland politician William Daniel promoted a law permitting the local option, allowing individual counties to choose whether to enact prohibition of alcohol within their borders. Although the measure did not pass at the time, Daniel remained a noted prohibitionist, and the local option law he favored later became law, with thirteen counties adopting prohibition under the statute.

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Background and detail

Background. William Daniel was an American politician from Maryland who served in both houses of the state legislature. A lawyer, he was a noted prohibitionist and abolitionist. He was reelected in 1855 as a member of the American Party, also known as the Know Nothings, after the Whig Party fell apart over sectional issues. Daniel was born on Deal Island in Somerset County, Maryland, in 1826.

Local Option Proposal. In 1857, Daniel promoted a law permitting the local option, which would let individual counties in Maryland choose whether to enact prohibition of alcohol within their borders. The measure did not pass. Local option is defined as the ability of local political jurisdictions, typically counties or municipalities, to allow decisions on controversial issues within their borders, usually referring to a popular vote.

Later Implementation. The local option law Daniel favored while in the Maryland legislature became law. Thirteen of the state's twenty-three counties, including Somerset, adopted prohibition under the statute. Daniel remained a member of the Republican Party throughout his leadership of the Maryland Temperance Alliance, though he later joined the Prohibition Party in 1884.

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