New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-10-26
DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY.

The Liquor.dealers dwell with emphasis on the
destruction of property and sacrifice of pecunlary
interests that must result from the maintenance
and enforcement of our ProhibitOry Law In one
OF their official publications, they say
The disastrous effect of legislative interference 10
the Industrial pursuits Of the Community and in the
DISPOSITION Of capital so evident ~ not TO escape tho
notice IF even tue most casual obs ryers.
The b aRch 81 industry primarily affected 1y snc4
leeis0tsOn Is mt tie only one Uhch SUFFERS Inere 10
so Intimate connection between toem AL, and they
srs 20 clos IL inter woven With each other, tha one
csnuo be affected sithout subjecHng almOs. all the
rest TO similar coreequeIces
1t is not often that we can heartily agree with
the Lquor.men, but the latter half Of the above
quotation is not merely true, but pertinent. II is
truth not at all overstated Let us illu rate it in
its application to the Liquor Traffic:
We will suppose that Ten Millions Of Dollars is
the amount of capital directly employed in the
Liquor Traffic of our City-an estimate con
sderably within the mark. The enforcement Of
the ProhibitOry law would destroy outright the
value Of One Million Of this, aud cOnstrain the
diversion Of most Of the residue into other en-
pl0y ments wherein it could hardly be used so adj
yantageously to its owners as it nov ia. We viii
assume that here would be a dead lOss Of another
Million. But even this by no means measures
the pecuniary loss involved in Prohibition. AS
the above extract forcibly urges, The branch OF
Industry primarily affected, is not the only one
81 that suffers There is so intimate a connection"
&c, that one cannot be affected without sub
"iectiDe" others " to ruinous consequences Fer
instance:
L The Gambling interest Of our city is very ex
tensye and important, and st this time remarkably
houlisbbg Not less than two thousand persons
get their living by IT, tnd they generally take care
TO live sumptUously if not well They dress gor
geousy, dine or veDisoD, turtle and partrdges aud
drink sou ethinsas Ike Champagne and burgundy
as can be found in this country. They probably
make sn aggregate Of four or five millions per
snnum and spend it freely end widely, giviog Gus
tom and profit to hotelkeepers, tailors, batters,
boot blacks, wash women, &c. Ii the Prohibit
ory Law should be thoroughly enforced this large
and louIsbing branch Of industry would be al most
entirely destroyed, and its chevallers obliged TO
plow and dig or resort 10 some such vulgar avoca-
tions for q living We don't believe dupes enough
could be roped in TO keep fifty gamblers from the
Poor-house in all this great city if there we're no
liquor wberewith 10 fire their passions drown
their reason, and drive them like sheep 70 the
butcher What fearful arrangement and loss
would thus be produced By Prohibition.
H. Brothsi.L,yiEg is another extensive aud
lucrative pursuit among us. From toe reports
which reach us. we estimate that not less than
Tea thousand persons are fally supported By it,
without considering the thousands who practice
"FreeL Love" without depending on It tor iyeL-