Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-02-09
The Liquor Traffic.

The latest statistics concerning the increas-
ing production Of alcoholic drinks in the Unit ID
States are positively frightful In 1850, the
total value Of the spirtuous and malt liquor
manufactured in this country, was twenty.one
and half millions Of dollars. Ten years Ia.
ter, in 1860, the production had Increased to
iorty.one aud half millions. The increase
since 1850 IS terrible About two hundred
and forty millions of gallons of intoxicating
liquors were produced in 1867, or more than
sixty gallons for every man, woman and child
in the United States. And as the consumr
ton of alcohol for illuminating. industrial al,,
medicinal purposes, has largely decreased
since the imposition of heavy taxes upon it,
the demand for drinking purposes must cx.
ceed anything ever known before
Distileries have increased from 1913. in
1860, 10 5000 in 1867 About one hunGr d
aud thirty thousand liquor dealing establish.
ments pay Government license-9, $50 being
in the wholesale, and 10000 in the retail
trade.
If each establishment occupied a separate
house, they would require every building in
the city and county of Philadelphia. and
twenty thousand houses besides-or enough
for another city Of one hundred thousand peo.
p.e' gN'ng one liquor snoP TO every my
'a.eo 'ar"''ies :e III 'nis Goun'ry. ihese liquor
1"OPs' - i'on."So VI twenty leet were al
W " oaon ol 'ne'n, "ouiu iorln solld row
nlnety-two miles long, distance greater than
the railroad route from Boston to Washing.
ton, by way Of New York and Philadelphia.
-A''1"lne 'nrec at'enuah'S 70 each ilquor shop
'., we nave an army oi 'hree hundred and ninety
.hoa'aeu .ho. persons a population greater than
MAJ m ol ei'ner OIL 'ne states OF Vermont or
Dew na"ps1,fe, or tue cit'es OF Boston
nrSoN'yn'o or Dait''nore' engaged IN the liquor
"ar,0' r,
Inc teceiPts Tor liquors sold at retail in
'ne on',eu states ana territories during the
year ennlng June oo'n' 1921 as calculated
s,O'u VuI0'"' ie'urns' oy non H. a. wells,
.Pe0la' SVtn'iissioner oi tne hevenue' amount
" que piIlion' lou. nunurea ana elghty'three
'ulii'O"s' iou' uunI'cu auu hinety-one thou
s sano' 1lgn' hundred n ana slxty-hve dollars or
iO',y y'vnree i'S uola'S ior every man. woman
s. aua oui'a, IN tne country or nearly one
elgnt OF the entire annual sales Of merchan-
| Vi o'e'y ANU, oy ueaiers' aucuoneers,
a. anu brokers uurips the same time or more
,aAn ~ al tne golu produced west OF the Rocky
uouu'aius' ,lnn 10 'ne twenty years from lS4S to
1898 or more than ten times the value of
sI sn ,he church property IN the country in
iooo or more than the total value of all
Tue railroads In the United States in 1867,
excepting pennsylvania or more than the
en',re national ueot oil the United States.
ana these statistics BY no means express
'oe pecun'ary damage done by this over-run-
ning curse. Inese tell what is paid for
tne intoxicating draugh,' SO lar as honest re-
turns are maae but who shall estimate the
loss OF heaith' time' property, life, peace,
comior, ana salvation' which results from
'nis iniernsl tnihg
surrey, such facts as have been stated
sDuhuautly ,Dc1 JUSTIFY the words OF Senator
"l'son VINO says " In TINS country, and in
tnis age OF lght, we have an army of five