Spirit of the age., 1853-05-11
Statistics.


We very much regret that we have no
adequate means of knowing exactly the con-
dition of North Carolina in reference to the
number of gallons of liquor manufactured
and consumed in the State. Ifany friend is
in possession of the knowledge from what
source we may derive these data, we would /
feel under lasting obligations for the infor- /
nation. In the absence, however, of these
of Tennessee and Kentucky, which perhaps
more nearly correspond with North Carolina
in these particulars, than any other States in
the Union
In Tennessee, in 1910, there were 1926
distilleries, manufacturing in that year |, l09,-
1O7 gallons of liquor The number of men
employed in that business was l34l the
amount ofcapital invested in these distilleries
was S21S, 1872 At the same time there were
58,531 white persons over the age of 90 years
who could not read or write. Here then Ten
nessee was prostituting $218,182 to the vile
purpose of making drunkards, widows and
orphans, whilst 58,53l of her white popula-
tion were unable even to read.
Kentucky tthe same time had $50 distille
rieq, making 1,743,685 gallons; 1902 men
employed and 1915, ,308 of capital invested in
this accursed business. She had in that year
40, $50 white persons over the age of twenty
years who could neither read nor write.
The aggregate number of distilleries liz the
United States that year was 10,306, making
Al ,402,617 gallons, employing 1928 men,
with capital invested Of 50, 147 ,368, with a
white pop pulation over the age of 90 years Of
$40 905 who could neitherread nor write.
In Kentucky the Auditors books show that
from the 18th day of October, 1850, to the 1tf
day of October, 1851, there was paid ou
Of her treasury for criminal prosecutions
$177, ,698
The judges and commonwealth attorney
all agree, and from their estimates it is clear
that two-thirds of our civil prosecutions origi
nate in intemperance.
The same book shows that there wer
9755 parents, having % ,545 children between
the ages of five and sixteen years, who liste'
not one cent for taxation, and II, ,248 parents
having 30,579 children between the sam
! ages, who listed less than 500 for taxation
! thus showing that there were in Kentucky
: in the year 1851, 54,l2 children betwee
: the ages Of five and sixteen years who had n
r means to procure any education at all.
! We fear fully as mortifying and degradin
~. / L.
, into the facts in old North Corolna and W
/ make no hazard in the assertion, that ther
i is enough money, grain and time employe
) and worse than wasted in this state, b
the manufacture, importation, sale an
> use Of Intoxicating drinks, annually, to giv
every person in it a good.common education
e build Railroad from the Blue Ridge to Beal
q fort, erect a comfortable Church in ever
e Captains District, and pay all our paupt
expenses arising outside Of the use of stron
. drink And yet, strange to say, surpas
ingly strange, men hug the sucking Vampyl
e to their hearts as though he were their be
- friend and protector Monstrous, unnatur
- infatuation.
In Virginia, one who has taken the troub
10 to examine, declares the liquor traffic O.
ar casions in that Commonwealth
u l. Fifteen hundred deaths in every year.
] 2. The direct, annual expenditure of fl
~ million dollars.
e 3. The loss ofas much more, by bad ba
m gains, mismanagement,t time wasted, and u
re numbered nameless forms of ill-thrift..
a 4. More than two thousand declared pa
" pers.
a s. The cost of above 100000 in tax
annually, to support these panpers.
6. A countless multitude Of impoverisht
men, women and children, who are not avo
rk ed paupers.
IN 7. At least four-ffths of all the murder
OF thefts, robberies, breaches Of the peace, al
lie, other crimes and misdemeanors, that cnga
re- your courts.
bo g. A heavy addition to your taxes by t
- acknowledged legalcosts Of criminal proscc
IN tions, besides far heavier expenses Ito parti,
20 witnesses and jurors attending courts, a
xi- of time lost from their proper employment.
IS 9. And twenty thousand habitual or ocC
=, sional drunkards.