Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1851-03-21
THE cosr or INTEMPERANcE.

THE COST OF INTEMPERANCE.
There is nothing better calculated to call
public attention to the enormities of intemper-
anee, than an array of facts and figures from
authority, going to demonstrate its
injurious effects, morally, socially and pecuni-
arily. We have often desired to receive such
testimony from different parts of North Caro-
lima, upon these points, as would furnish us
with some sort of data upon which to found a
calculation Gifts ravages in our own State, but
SO far, have not been able to arrive at enough
to justify any conclusions. We would be un-
der many obligations to any persons who have
access to the Dockets of the Courts in their
respective Counties, for information as to the
amount of crimes perpetrated under the infu-
ence of Intoxicating drinks, the costs of pros
e~cution, the pauperisn occasioned, and all the
litigation arising therefrom that we might be
able to bring the matter Immediately home to
our readers, without having to resort to the
statistics of other States. We think, could but
one 1.-THE ofthe truth in these matters be brought
palpably before the understanding of our citi-
zens, many who are now unconcerned as re-
CARDS this evil, would be brought to see the
importance of their taking hold of the subject,
and do what they can for the suppression Of
the enormity in the community.
In the absence, however, of North Carolina
statistics, we avail ourself of the following
facts, embodied in an address recently deliv
cred by Rev. R T. Foster, at a meeting o
the National Temperance Society in New
: York, promising that similar results, though il
a reduced ratio, owing to the difference in ou
population, would be developed in our owl
State, were an analysis entered into.
Mr.. Foster says that his statistics are form
ed upon such data as " cannot lie" and that il
the year ls49 there we're 10000 persons com
mitted in the State of New York for crime
perpetrated under the influence of ~intoxics
ton. If every one of these only cost til
State $40; and that is a minimum estimate
e the loss would be 100000 for the prosecu
'e ton of crime, the result of drunkenness. Th
tax for paupers in one year, in New York,
$40, OOO-this, too, i the fruit of intemper
y ance. The police of the city of New Yor
costs annually the round sum of 100000
the pelice, two thirds Of whom are employee
from no other cause than the licensing of gro
shops. If all the other States and cities su
fered in the same way, and we would be so
nv to think the State and city of New Yoi
Ell were less moral and respectable than any OF
a er city or State, what would be the amount
" loss? In the city of New York there is 10
he by drink more than S2,60o,O00, or thir
times the cost of the President of the Unit,
States and all his Cabinet There are %
rum shops in the city of New York. Suppo
they paid 800 cash for their license, th
'ut would amount to 100000. There would
No thus lost 100000 to the city. There are /
ms churches in that city. The sum expended
'e- strong drink would build every church in t
hg city and pay every clergyman a salary of $50
as a year. On the same calculation, there are s
ra- teen millions of dollars lost to the Unit
nat States every year; to say nothing of the J
lch OF time and life. This sum would be mi
rms than sufficient to build every church and sch
III house in the country, and to pay the salar
40 of the twenty thousand clergymen and tweI
,75 thousand teachers in the United States. /
re- admitted that there are FIVE thousand liceni
TED rum shops in the city of New York say IL
his make ten dollars per day each; this would
mount to $4,000 per day. Multiply tina
a mount, in round numbers, by three humid
the days, (thus emitting Sundays and holida,
its and we have the enormous sum of fit
80 millions of dollars consumed in a single y,
the all worse than lost, to say nothing of the
of 10000 souls"
for