The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1854-03-18
I, The Citizens Of Lasalle County


t.s-ics in regard 10 intemperance.
In compliance with sail resolution, the
e,mmittee proceeded to collect the necessary
facts, in the prosecution Of which they have
had access TO TIE public records Of the coun-
~, as well rs. other reliable sources, aud they
feel an assurance that the facts herein set
forth, will not materially vary from the truth.
The Alliance has two leading objects il
view-mor.sl reform and a pecaniary saving;
AMI although the first mSy e regarded a,
the primary object, which should call forth
nearly all our energies, yet the latter is q
sufficient ,aomeut to merit cur candid .eGec-
ts5n.
The number Of places in III, county at
~a.ca Intoxicating drinks are sold, is aseer-
.A;ned to be ahoat two HUNDRED, of which
i5;iy are licen ed and one hundred and sixty
uuiieensel. The aggregate amount OF license
-loney collected in the cities of Ottawa, La
s,lle and Peru, the only places in the county
1t which licenses are granted, is two thousand
i hundred dollars. Connected with these
aouses, in many cases, are gambling AMI 9th
or vices, where time is spent, money wasted,
health destroyed, reason detLronel, the peace
Of families marcel, and where the uasuspect-
ing dupe is swindled and defrarded out Of
his last dollar, aud finally resulting in rot
bloodshcd and murder. This picture is
not orerdrawn; the people of this county
have for the last year had ample and painful
dem ,astralion of It's truth; and for all this
misery, woe and deSolation, what advantage
70 set Oft or palia;e them in the lea,tl No
substantial reason can be. offered. Why,
then, permit tratHc which produces no
earthly advantage, and which admits Of 10
justiicati,nl
We are wei advised when we say there
GO annually sold in the three cities and con-
flmcd in the county, three thousand and six
l:anared barrels Of whisky OF iorty-two gal
l9as each, costing twenty-five cents per gal
loa--equai to the sum Of thiriy-thrce thou
sand, two hundred pnl sixty four dol
lars, @33.2Gs 60
Other liquors Of various kinds
ere sold, during the same time,
Costing an equal amount, 53,o64 90
Making sixty-six thousand, five
hundred and twen;y-eight dollars, C0,52s co
A5dto tbs, a'ty-per cent profit
TO tho seller, equal to 33,oGt 90
Total amount Of liquors sold all
Consumed annually in the county.
Ilipcty-nine thousand seven hun
dred and ninetytwo dollars, 9a,-o2 90
This enormous amount-more than salli-
Glen, t. pay al your taxes. both State and
County, and erect all your public build
iugs--:s irre,letmably lost 10 the county, 1t
ii worse than anuihi.attl. This s,sut!iug re-
su't Astonishing as it i, bears but a small
proportion to tho flood of evils aud misery
which follow closely in it, train. As might
have been reasonably anticipated, under such
q state OF things, there have been 70 les,
than SIX notorious riots in the county The
past year carrying terror AMI CONSERVATION
to the sober AMI a7ceable inhabitants, rem
dering It necessary on various occasions b
call out the military strength OF the county
for their protection, The Coroner has held
inquests upon the bodies Of seventeen persons
who eart'c 90 Their dcalh rs violent means:
most, il not all, resulting from intoxicating
drinks. The number Of arrests for riots and
assaults and battery, made by the sheriff, is
sixty and the number Of those cLarrel
with murder foriy.thrce and nearly all
growing out Of the same cause In allition 10
these, numerous arrests have been made bv
peace officers, for fights ard petty flows, The
natural result of which hes been an indefinite
humber Of bruised heals, Jlackened ewes,
mulistel and manned limbs. and murder.
The expenses to the county for the arrest,
maintenance and prosecution Of the offend
G., besides the great annoyance to honest
rlen in being compelled to spend their time
"a iuIo's and witnesses, Is seven thousand
INK number Of raupors relieved in and
Gu. Of the Poor House tho last year, il five
hundred and tl,y, at an expense of five
thousand dollars. From examinations made
u: The poor house, and from inform .on de-
'.,ed from the members Of the board Of 81.
loryisos, they have no hesitation in saving
tlat nine-tenths of the cost of their support
las accrued either directly or indirectly from
Tie rss Of Intoxicating diinks--equal to fols
THOUSAND five hundyel dollars. Add to these
amounts the time spent and capital employed,
aai YOU have faint Illustration of the evil
and expense Of tho liquor traffic.
Five hnnlred and fifty human beings are
reduced to abiect poverty and Indebtedness,
most of them innocent Of the cause which
has produced it--women AMI children sui.
fcring both mental and bodily pain, hunger,
without necessary clnthing or comfortable
shelter, degraded, disheartcned. losing that
pride and self-rspect which they once pos
sessed. Nor does the evil stop here The
brightest intelltcts are destroyed, the rising
generation are corrupted and ruined, the
public morals are ,cbase,l, and the reputation
OF the county Injured; for who can doubt
that ilie constant reports Of riots, robberies
and murders committed in this county, to.
gether with consequent high tlxation, will
deter very many sober persons from settling
among usl
Moral suasion has done much to correct
incorporates and other nnnoralities, but it
has nevertheless failed to effect am entire ref
ormation. A portion Of community will not
heed admonition; therefore the weiLbeing of
society reQuiresa more stringent and effective
application. BY tho enactment of a prohib-
itory law, we do not deprive any individual