New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-12-17
THE DJSTILLERg CONTENTION

THE DINIlILEkO tON fNJip''
When our friends the whisky distllerS, met
in convention, the other day, they strangely
neglected 10 present the details and statistics
of their business. On the contrary, when the
dentists. irOn-workers, manufacturers and mas
ter artisans and workers meet in convention,
they always give us accounts OF the progress
made in their several departments, and they
point with pride TO the increased demand Tor
their productions. and the advantages which
the human race derives from their endeavors.
Now. the distilcr, gave US no other fact than
that their working capital is Sl0OOOO,OO. How
ever, rs il is our duty 10 keep the great pubic
informed on all matters of current interest, we
will do something to supply the deficiency;
aud the reader will imagine well-dresscd,
rosy-faced Secretary reading To an intelligent
and equally rosy faced audience "A summary OF
what the liquor business has been able to
accomplish on the basis OF the aOoNe-nahlcu
capital.
The whole cost of liquors annually made and
sold in the United States, that II. whisky either
in pure or deriyatiye state, Is about
SJo0.O0O,OO0 I'm the consumption OF this liquor
60 900 lives are yearly destroyed, 100000 men aud
women are sent To prison, and 100000 children
are bc0ueathed TO pOor-houses aud charitable
institutions In addition, 300 murders and 400
suicides are committed, and the expense con
ncctc1 with these events is S2OO,0OO. I'm our
noble State of New-loik. Of enur-s including
the city one person in Is is substantially made
a pepper. Meanwhile, large sums are disbursed
In erecting and supervising those imposing cs-
Establishments, the common jails, and the pcni-
tentmuies. FOR so faI-Ieaching are the effects of
the drinking Of spirtuous liquors that our citi-
zcns are enabled 10 violate every law of the
Land. IL will not be- necessary to 20 into the
details of the manufacture OF whisky as now
conducted and it will be- sufficient TO say that
since strychnine, red pepper, sulphuric acid, and
some other ingredients have become common,
the cure of dclirum tremenS is impossible OF
course. the same effects, though i'll q modified
degree, Characterize the various beverages
which are derived from whisky. In tho mild
drinks it is gratifying to state that the progress
recently made ia the sciences. and, in par
ticular, in chemical affinity enables
the expert manufacturer to produce
remarkable results. For instance, We furnish
100000 more baskets of champagne than are
produced in all the champagne districts OF
Europe By passing the oil of whisky through
carbon. Madeira is made at a profit OF 500
per cent, which few can tell from the genuine,
and with good reason. With neutral spirits, or
even with whisky, vinegar, suphunc acid,
bcct-root and copperas, which Is to produce
the proper astIingency, we are enabled To turn
out more port wine than all the rest OF the
world beside and Of these and other wines,
Now-York City annually manufactures to the
value of Ss,0OO0OO, all of which are admirably
adapted 10 Tmothys weak stomach. 1t Is
scarcely possible 10 overrate the importance OF
this branch of manufacture, since, by enlisting
the wealthy and the fashionable, tho lower
classes are led with less difficulty to the use
of the more common beverage. To show the
fruit of wine-drinking on the upper crust OF
our society, the following statement is Slgnlli-
cant BY last accounts of the State lnebriate
Asylum at Binghamton, there had been appli-
cations for admission from 80 clefgymeh' 81
Judges, $40 merchants, 22G physicians, @iO gentle
men, and, what is more cheering than all the !
rest, 300 rich mems daughters.
Aside from these little exploits, the distIl- |
lery business receives great support from gen
tecl billiard tables, which are always seen III
connection with bars. IL is not too nuch 10
say that these tables, by enllstlng our most |
promising young men. enable us to pour our
from our distillcrics an amount OF whisky II |
collected in one stream, sufficient TO i"n
a grist mill Of ten pair OF burrs the year round
Sundays included IL ia to be hoped that these
tables may continue to receive the patronage
Of our young men, and IL is also to he hopeu
that the supplies of black walnut and maDOS
any may he undiminished, since whatever may
not he needed for the manufacture OF tapes
will be sure to be in demand for collins AS
TO the gambling! establishments, little need o'
said, for they win always require large sup
plies There is one branch. however, WHICH
needs encouragement and it might be wen TO
consider whether legislative faction should NJ pe
invoked TO the end that the number OF houses
of prostitution may be increased Tor 1t Is wen
understood that there Is a vital relation De-
tween them and our dlsillerics. On the contrary
we mar reflect that the prevailing fashions
and the habit of living beyond our means
will sufficiently make marriage unpopular, "n"
in the end tho houses of ill-iame VIII oo
crowded On tho whole. then. the dstlHefy |