The Columbian fountain., 1846-09-15

delphia Aims House, and as felt by TAX pay
lers, and deplored by every sober person ac-
quainied with the facts, are but as drop IN
the ocean Of evils, compared with the aggre-
gate in the City and its precincts-in the peni-
tentary and the prison for vagrants.
1.-THE amount of Poor TAX assessed for the
year 1922 was
City of Philadelphia I. u ;. $l2O,97l Al
Incorporated Dist. N. Liberties. 20,4l2, II
Southwark .E1t.T. = ll,loI 30
Kensngton o,IE5,99
Sprisg Garden .f-.t.s. l62oo,65
Unincorporated Northern Liberties 1864 30
Penn Township ~. 3,57l ,O5
!" ab aar AZ Is sls4,oe4.l6
The expenditures were an aggregate sum
of $82, ,2l9,O8 TO support an average number
Of SAG paupers, being al the rate Of 81 OF cts
nearly per week. ~ That is to say this amount
was expended for the support of the inmates
of the Alms-Hous and Hospital. The total
amount expended for the year, (including
$45, ,4O5 interest on Aims House Loans, 900
sinking fund, and Out door relief ST. 5 ,5S0,) was
$l8I Tag, ,38. Eight-tenths Of this annual ex
penditure is directly caused by intemperance !;
no matter how or by whom expended. 10 test
I this assertion, lei any one be at the trouble to
find $40 persons among ,546 in the inslitu-
ton, who were not incorporate. Can this
number OF temperate men andwomen be found!
If so, 1856 incorporate persons remain. THIS
statement may be easily proved to be true, or
not We believe 1t to be true, proporonally,
| or all the Aims Houses in the whole country.
The new Aims House and Hospital OF the
Civ Of Philadelphia has been occupied twelve
wears. The grounds and buildings cost, say
81 900 900.
Multiply $l8l ,749 by r.. $2,lS0,9s8
Add cost Of grounds and buildings 100000
ast sottsf lua Eaiais $3.50 1888
expended in l2 years, eighttenths OF which is
S2,544 ,79O-,his amount has been paid as a
tribute during l2t years, to the Demon who
presides over the manufacture, sale and intem-
perate use of ardent Spirils--paid by one city
and SOME (not all) of lis precincts How shall
the true estimate Tor the whole country be ac-
curately ascertained2 No account of the ex
pense Of crimes against the civil laws is in
Guided. Make out, and add this account. Add
also the million of human beings who have
perished in the country in the blackness Of
darkness by which the manufacture and sale
and use of alcoholic po!isons has encompassed
them Consider what annoyances and inhic-
tons in families, what poverty, what degrada-
tians, what long continued privations, what
bittor disappointments and pains, what compli-
Gated agonies of bodies and minds, what va
ried and dishonorable deaths, have resulted
from the infinite evil of INTEMPERANcE! O.,
how dispassionately are these daily occurren-
ces contemplated by those persons who are
honestly and perseveringly g building their
houses on human ruinsW 0, bowels Of mer-
cies what would become Of the makers and
yenders Of body and soul, and family destroy
ing poisons. If they had no other than SOBER
customers? How soon might some OF them,
instead Of their former and present customers,
become inmates of unatic asylums, aims hou-
ses and prisons! Better men than they are
| there!
4 In view of the enormous-the incalcuable
expense Of inemperance to the general public,
one of the most absurd and oppressive things
we know of, or can conceive Of, is this, to wit,
the legally compelling sober citizens TO support
drunken pa,pers Justice demands that those
only who receive the profits, should be COM
PEELED to support them. Therefore, let the
Government appropriate the duties on foreign
brandy, wines and all alcoholic liquors to the
support of eighttenths Of pauperism. Let the
wholesale and retail dealers paw poor tax
proportionate to their sales Tax the manufac!
turer Of poisons ten-fold. Honest men, in ODE
dience to the laws, would not hesitate TO rem
der correct accounts of their manufacture and
sales. They may easily do it.
The Government how unwise 10 reduce
the duties on foreign wines and spirits. The
consequences Of this reduction will bear heavily
upon sober citizens, wives, widows and chill
dren. Drunkenness, crime and taxes will in
crease. Surely, THIS LIBERALlTY TO foreigners
was not induced by the English revised tariff
We think that England has not reduced the
duties on Wines and Spirits2 II not the fol
lowing statistics are Of some importance as ex-
ampes. aaGt9 ..fhta Fly Er5aaAh@ 1t
WIrE-During the year ending lhe, 5th
January, 1885, 6,460,544 gallons Of Wine
were admitted, for home consumption. The
total amount d duty received was .fl ,705, ,636
at the rate fE5s cd. per gallon for all sorts
except Cape Wine, which pays 2s..9d. u
| ARDENT SpIRIs-The total amount of for
eign Spirits admitted for home consumption.
was ,43l, al gallons. Duty received,
fI. .588, 1873, a the rale Of .El 2s Cd. per gallon