National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-02-19

bread consumers, it will be seen that We
have one hundred and twenty eight mil
lions of charges against the whisky trade
But this is not all. We have already seer
that the conversion of this large amount
of breadstuffs into spirits costs the con
sumner at least two hundred and fly
millions, after it is put upon the marke at
one dollar gallon, and before he drinks Il
over the bar. Here is gross profit of two
hundred and fifty per cent. upon an article
universally admitted to be damage to the
interests of labor If such q profit were
taxed upon the staff of life the whole com
munity would rise in burst Of indignation
which nothing could Withstand. Bread
riots, such as were never known in the his
tory Of England, France or the world,
would be the immediate result This ar.
ticle might easily stand an increased tax OF
one hundred per cent. without additional
cost to the consumer. -
The best authorities agree in admitting
that seven-eighths of the crime, vagrancy
and pauperism in this country may be traced
directly to the use of spirits as beverage.
If this be true, then there must be charged
up to the debit of the account seven eighths
of the cost of building and maintaining our
prisons, criminal courts, almshouses. houses
Of correction. county jails and orphan asy-
lums. Calling these expenditures one hun
dred millions per annum, we have now a
grand total annual debit chargeable to the
whisky trade of five hundred and seventy
eight millions of dollars. If this view of
the subject be correct, it is submitted that
there should be no surprise exhibited at the
crusade Of the wives and daughters of the
laborers of the West against this traffic.
Perhaps the wonder should be that the
whole community have not utterly refused
to be so victimized by any single interest.
but this is SIMPLY the politico- economic view
of the question, and it has been confined to
the single article of spirits from grain. If
the amount expended annually of the fruits
of labor, which by rights should be carried
to the accumulated capital Of the country,
in fermented liquors and wines, brandies,
&C., were added to the gross sum named
above, the grand aggregate would be greatly
augmented. 1t would undoubtedly reach
seven hundred and fifty millions per an
mum. ..-.
1t appears that this subject presents mat
ter for the serious consideration of our po-
litical economists in the National Legisla-
ture.
This is tax in double the amount Of the
of the General Government, freely
and voluntarily paid by the people of the
United States in qualification of an acquired
appetite. Is it not little remarkable that
more attention is not given to it by our po-
litical economists? The Granger movement
has been organized to save an estimated an
nual unnecessary expenditure of one hun
bred millions in freights. This charge of
seven hundred and fifty millions passes
unnoticed. The politicians, both in and
out Of Congress, are endeavoring to give
most respectful heed to the demonstrations
of the Changers. They are afraid to in
crease taxation by q single cent.
They are devising ways and means
to increase the tax-paying. capacity
of the country and adding to the gross
revenue without augmenting the rates.
And yet, here is constant sinking of the
aggregated wealth of the nation by hun
dreds Of millions annually through one
single avenue, one line of traffic, which
does not appear to receive passing thought.
Such is the force of habit. This annual
expenditure has become sort of second
nature. Prudence and wisdom dictate that
the net profits of the year should be carried
to the account of accumulated capital. If
this large sum were annually added to the
wealth of the nation. instead
of being worse than thrown away, its in
fluence would be of the most vivifying and
enlivening character. We should then hear
Of no grumbling about a proposal to put a
slight tax upon tea and coffee. If this
economy could be once realized, all classes
Of our people would be comparatively rich
and happy. Is not the object worthy an
effort of the assembled wisdom of the ia
ton . The discussion of moral and social
views of this question hasbeen purposciy
avoided in thisssrticle. They arc all but
too familiar. =