National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-07

inquiry proposed can meet with any reasonable
opposition. So far as they know, there Is no
antt-tempersnce party IN The country; no party
that Is ayowedly in favor of the misery and
degradation and economic waste Of intemper-
ance. The only issue made in the discussion
OF the question is as to the best method Of pro-
noting temperance reform. ,-rr-
This commission Is also to investigate the
facts as to the actual working of these differ
ent forms Of Legislation, and ascertain, so far
as possible, what remedies have, by experience,
proved most efficient.
Your committee think IL is important to as
certain the amount of money invested in this
treasures, State and national; and especially
from what classes of society and in what man
ner this revenue is derived.
1t is important for the people to know the
influence of this traffic upon morals; its rela-
ton to crime and criminals; its relation to pau
pers and pauperism; its relation to industry
and political economy, and its relation to
health and length of life.
If such q commission should find, as a result
OF their labors, as your committee apprehend
they may find, that the sixty millions Of reve-
nue. collected from the liquor traffic and put
into the United States Treasury actually cost
the people of the nation, in industry, in health,
IN length of life, in taxes, in the maintenance
OF the law, In provision for penitentiaries and
| PAooSOo ouu uOsInLdl5, many Times LQaB
amount, 1t may well be asked whether this is q
wise economy, and whether there may not be q
better way to supply the public purse. --
Ii such commission should find, as your
committee apprehend they may find, that the
traffic In intoxicating liquors Is destructive of
morals, makes men bad citizens, unreliable and
unproductive members of society, and demon
ahIng IN their influence, makes bad husbands,
bad fathers and bad sons, breaks up families,
pr9yokes quarrels, and generates crime, is it
not important that these facts should be known
to the peoplea
II these facts should be established, no indi-
yidual or class could complain If local leeisla-
ton should cut of gains derived from q traffic
which saps the foundations of the state; which
undermines the moral character of the people;
which makes needful expensive safeguards
against crime and expensive appliances for its
punishment. If these facts should not be es-
tablished, no mans occupation Is threatened
or put in jeopardy by the inquiry.
[ 1t has been suggested against the authorizing
of this commission that the evil complained Of
is already well known and well understood, and
that report Of such commission could add
nothing. I'm
1t is true that every person knows Individual
instances, but very few know anything of the
vast aggregate of the cost, crime, and suffering
occasioned by 1t, and would be appalled, by its
presentation. 1t has been said, too, that the
information can be collected by State agencies
and by associations of private individuals who
are interested in the reform. To certain e1-
tent this is true; but the State agency is too
narrow in its scope, and the reports and Stats
tics gathered by Individual associations have no
authoritative voice, and are always open to the
| charge that they are the partial Judgment of
over-zealous and fanatical reformers. The evil
is national in extent and magnitude, and the
whole truth of the subject ought to be shown
with the guarantees of official responsibility
and authority, so that, to whatever remedy il
may point, no doubt shall exist as to the grounds
upon which action was taken.
II, as your committee believe, the question
of ordering this investigation is not ono of iuris
diction, but of propriety and expediency merely,
we may well compare its importance and ne
cessity with the numerous Investigations which
have been made within o few years, under the
sanction of Congress, and at an expense many
| times that proposed to be authorized for
this one. Extensive and expensive inYesti-
cations have been made to enhance the
safety OF passengers on steamboats,; to ascer-
tain whether freights on merchandise and the
products OF the country cannot be cheapened;
to ascertain the causes of political disturbances
and violations oflaw and order in certain local.
tiles; and numberless ones, almost, into the
conduct of official persons and departments OF
the Government.
Your committee do not intend to dsparage
any of these, or to cay they were not necessary;
but how trivial were the evils for which RENE
dy was sought In all those when compared with
the one against which this is aimedI
| The bill reported by the committee will, as
they believe, insure not only thoroughness but
entire fairness In the examination and conclu-
sions of this commission. The bill limits the
expense of the commission to very trifing
sum; and If the results of the commission shall
be as beneacent as your committee believe, il
will be returned MANIFOLD