The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1872-05-03
AN APPALLING ARRAY OF FIGURES.

| In a discourse of uncommon pow
er and brilliancy recently delivered
in Brooklyn, New York, by the
Rev. E. P. IDgersoll, occur the fol-
lowing passages relating to the
fearful evils of intemperance, and
the almost incredible amount of
money spent for Intoxicating bev-
erages. AS the figures here intro
duced have evidently been collated
with great care, and the illustrations
made with so telling and astound-
ing lesson, they are placed before
the readers of the EArPoRlA NEWS
in the hope that if any supineness
rcpresses the exertions of those who
profess to desire the suppression of
the liquor traffic, sense of the
enormity of this wickedness may
arouse them TO action: ,as .-.,1
Look at some facts and figures in
one branch of wickedness alone, and
in our city: Within the precincts
of this city there are 1851 licensed
liquor saloons, besides 100 drug
gists, who are licensed to sell liquor
total licenses, 2,651.
The average cost of licenses is
| $50 each, making an annual license
income of S132,550, all of which
comes out of the consumers pocket.
The average amount of money
taken in each saloon per day is $50.
This will foot up to $19, 352, 800 an
a. fhsa An- IL
stealthily by those who defy or
evade the law by distilleries and
wholesale houses; the quantities
purchased in New York and con-
sumed in homes and places of busi-
ness by men who consider them
selves too respectable to frequent
saloons; in patent medicine offices
as panaceas for disease, but really
drunkard makers-add these and
we have at least $25, 000, 600 expend-
ed annually for drink! twenty times
the money paid annually for the
support of ministers of Christ in all !
our churches. eHI
Enough money is spent annually
70 Z liquor to rebuild every Brooklyn
chu rcb, il every one should burn
down.
Enou Oh money is annually spent
for liquoi- in this city alone, to build
twenty such magnificent churches
as tie Holy Trinity !
An examina ton of the report of
the Revenue A gent for the fiscal
year ending July, 1S67-fearfuf in
its records of CORFU i0tion in eyading
the revenue tax, and therefore a fair
year to found the fignI-es upon-re-
yeals the following facts:s The re-
tail liquor sales in the United States
for that year were S1,4s23J 49LS65i
This would be an average of S43 for
every man, woman and child in the
Nearly one-eighthz of the entire |
sales of all kinds. of mer- |
chandise by wholesale and retail |
dealers during the same period. S1
More than the entire production
OF precious metals from all the
States and Territories west of the
Rocky Mountains for the twenty |
years ending in 1853.
Ten times the value of all the /
church property in Ihea United
States. sf,Ie5fs ssszt.lsz
More than one-half our National
debt, and IL men would pour into
the National treasury the wealth
they pour down their throats, in
two years they could pay the MAJ
tionai Debit And yet, how we
groan under that burden 90 Iz.t
Our nation is webbeds ail over
with railroads, aud yet the cost of
building and running every railroad
in the United States from the first
only exceeds the mount OF money
annually expended in strong drink
by the value of railroads in the State
The total value of
Of railways in New York State, lsf
from Sl75y000 coo to 500, 0o0OOO,
while the annual value of the retail
liquor sales isi SAG CO.., $50, at leasttl
$4,000. 600 more, annually in strong
rink, than the yalue of our rail- ,
Heys, rolling stock, equipments and
ssgsyIzs- u g5sgieasz rs
Now, what does this fearful array {
of facts and figures lead us TOP Isf11
here nothing more than lust these
'aets and ngures7 Withered man.