Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1853-09-16
ScfVSt RSH t1s
The Rum Blu.

A plain farmer arose in a temperance
meeting and said, that as be was one day
going to bis work AN ofkcious sort of man
overhaulcd him, exclaiming, "Mr. -,
Mr.. tive bill against you"
"Againa. me" was,tle reply, "I guess
you are mistaken, this tme owe you
nothing" y
go, it is not my bill,' said the man,
al am only the Collector. 1t is tax
bill"
"Ah! tax bill-a Ram bill.
"Yes," said the Collector, "if you've a
mind to understand it 8 and about halt
! call on are Of this opinion; they mutter
terribly about the rumtaxes-the number
of lazy, drunken fellow, and the crimi-
mails making an enormals cost to the coun-
ty; and l believe if it vasn't for the rum
shops, the taxes would not be one quarter
as heavy as they are"
On saying this he sat down; but it
proved most effectivespeech, for others
took up the thought, aad the rum bill, as
sessed upon temperance men, was not lost
sight of.
Would that we could traverse the State,
and show to every hard working man the
amount of his rum bill-that we could sit
down by the shoemaker, working dav and
night to pay his rent, aud support il lit
tie family, and ask him, "Ilow much
was his rum bill - and meet the reply,
"Rum bill. never drink rum"
"Very well, sir, but you pay rum bill.
What were your taxes last year,"
"Sixtcen dollars, twenty-five cents"
Every well, sir, ten dollars aud eighty
four cents Of that was your rum bill"
BY the blacksmith. Pray, sir, how
much is your rum bill'"
"Rum bill don't insult me; never a
drop comes in to my shop"
"That may be, sir, but you pay heavy
rum bill I; and it won't be any less when
these drunken fellows, who l see hang
around your furnace, get, with their fami-
lies into the poor-house."
BY the hard-worling, thrifty farmer.
apart lot for the Missionary or Bible
cause?"
al would if I could, sir, but it requires
all can raise to support my family"
"Sir, you are now devoting the pro-
duce of your best lot to worse purpose. ="
81 am, sir what do you mean?"
" mean! to pay your rum. bill"
"Sir, you're mistaken in your man
Rum used to cost me twenty dollars in
haying and harvesting, but have not paid
a rum bill these six years"
"Havc not? what where your taxes the
last year ?"
cover forty dollars
DWELL twc-thirds Of hat was rum bill.
Now 60 for Maine Law, md you may
have nearly the whole # the produce of
your farm for yourself and children"
Passing on we might meet sagacious
lawyer, who would say to US as one said to
Rev. 7. p. Hunt, "Sir, intemperance
never hurts me, and l 10 not know that
it increases my taxes but who, the
same day, was upset in a stage by a drum
ken driver, had leg bioken, and was laid
aside three months fromhis business, with
a heavy rum bill to pay in the bargain.
The people of Maine are learning useful
lessons on this subject In a farming town
Of , 400 inhabitants, there were Is dram
shops. All were stopped by the new law,
and their pauper-tax, which, the year pre-
vious was sl,l00, was reduced to $500.
The inhabitants met; they had by their
operation cleared $500, and they resolved
to add 5000 to their school fund and keep
5000 to empty any other barrels that might
come in. Property there is valued every
year, and the tax in some measures regu-
lates the valuation. The value therefore
had nearly doubled since the destruction
of the dram shops, and the people will be
slow to return to the old system of tax
paying. The amount of money expended
by the Portland people for rum, annually,
before the Maine liquor law, in three hun
dred grog shops, was s32s,5oo! That
was the rum tax of the city. At the same
time, the school tax is only s20,0OO; the
tax for streets and sidewalks, $40, 600 !;
and the whole tax for all corporate ex-
penses, only about slOO, ,OO0-but the rum
tax was $685. 800.
A friend of ours has taken the trouble