The Portland daily press., 1866-02-17
The Liquor Shops.
To the Editor Of the Press:


There are many persons who approve of the
Temperance Cause and disapprove Of the rum
traffic, who are nevertheless disposed to acqul-
esce in the existence of the rum shops, be-
cause they suppose the traffic in intoxicating
liquor increases trade. They see that 1t is a
part of the general system OF trade, and er-
roneously suppose that trade is increased IN
he city and state, by at least the amount OF cap
ital that is invested in it,and that changes hands
IN the prosecution of it. This would be true
of Almost every other branch Of trade but this,
but here, the converse of the proposition is
true.
Not only does the rum traffic not increase
trade, or benefit it in any way, but it destroys
trade to the amount to which it is carried on,
and to a very great extent beyond that. The
rum traffic in the community of trade is like
the bee moth in the community of the hive.
He not only feeds upon the produce of the in
dustry of the bee, but he destroys large
amount besides, and prevents the accumula-
ton of further stores. The hive infested by
the moth is in appearance, not unlike the
homes of the unfortunates who fall under Ihe
influence of the rum traffic.
The various manufacturers in this city ADD
largely IN our business and to the prosperity
of our community in many ways. Ihey give
emn,oymept to great numbers of our people,
and these again spend their wages for house
rents, provisions, clothes, books, and all man
nor If necessaries for their families. These
,vor,,men give a valuable equivalent-viz.,
their labor-for the money they receive, and
the various trades that they encourage by
their purchases, give to them again valua-
bile equivalent in provisions, clothes, books and
the many other things that 60 to the comfort
of well extraordinarily. Every branch OF trade
gives to the workman valuable, useful, in
dispensible equivalent for his money, except
the rum shop.
Here, the workman obtains not only no
equivalent for his money, but the more he gets
of it the worse he is of. He is not only not
benefited by anything he gets there, but he
is positively injured, often to the extent of the
deprivation of health, limbs, and even life
ITSELF 1t may be safely affirmed, that all the
money that goes into the rumshop, if that
trade were suppressed, would go into the va
rious other shops that conduct legitimate
and useful trade, or would be saved and added
to the accumulated capital of the city.
The rumseller may be said to be an Arab,
whose hand is against every man; his trade is
hostile to every interest of every other man,
and to the peace, prosperity and happiness Of
society. His trade is hostile to every other
trade He stands at the door of every other
shop, and tempts thousands to give to him
the money which ought to be, and but for him,
would be spent for necessaries and comforts
for the home circle.
The rum shop not only abstracts the wages
of honest industry, but by its subtle and ire
sistible influence, undermines industry itself,
SO as to render it unwilling and unable to earn
more. Shut up. tomorrow, the Portland Com
pany's Works, the Shovel Factory, Glass
House, the Machine Shops, Shoe Factories
and Clothing Factories, and deep gloom
would be spread over the whole community.
Every one would see and feel it.
Shut up, tomorrow, every rum shop in the
city, and in week every branch of legitimate
business would feel fresh impulse, from the
additional trade, which before went into the
rumseller's till, andl glorious sunshine would
Danish the deep gloom which now hangs over
and darkens hundreds Of households in this
CITY. anD u.