The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-05-25
How Things WIN Grow

A few weeks ago Hd7pe7's Weekly,in an
article on Temperance and Prohibition con-
tanned the statement that over $4,000 peo-
pie we're annually brought to their graves
in this country by the effect OF drinking
spirituous liquors. A few days dfterward,
in support of the motion to welcome the
praying crusaders in the Capitol of Ohio, a
member on the floor of the House of Rep
resentatives increased that number to u.s.
600. Within the last two weeks Hon. ex-
Supreme Judge West, a present member
of the Constitutional Convention Of Cincin-
natl, in speech in favor of the women's
praying movement got the number Of
deaths caused by liquor up to 100000.
And now comes Rev. E. l.. Rexford in
his otherwise very sensible sermon on the
| liquor traffic, and dep'ores that 100000
men annually are destroyed byintoXicating
drink. Having read statistics compiled
from the official records of 1870 in the
United States giving the financial exhibit
of the trade, he insists that he does not
exaggerate this sorrow-that it cannot be
exaggerated. Let us seeif that is so:
| The volume of vital statistics of the Uni
ted States, census of 1870, gives the total
number of deaths in this country during
the year at 1872, 264 of these 25O,673 being
males and 23l 400 females. OF the males
| l3l ,4O5 were under the age of Is years
and Ct the females IA, ll6. This leaves a
balance Of both sexes of 246, 745 upward of
that age which died from all causes what
ever during that year The census speci-
fees over hundred different diseases which
contributed to this result. Consumption
alone took off 81 ,243 men between the
ages of fifteen and fifty pneumonia 1854
males Of the same age, and both nearly as
many females How many is alcohol
charged with? just l,l6l males and 249
females. A score of other causes of death
can be picked out which take off greater
numbers, and which could be reduced
largely by proper attention to the laws of
health by common foresight, and even
reasonable care. These figures certainly
do not sustain the exorbitant statements
Of total abstinence mathematicians
1t may be said that death does not al
ways result so directly from the use of al
cOholics, that this becomes charged with
it, but that it enters, nevertheless, largely
into other diseases, aggravating them. So
it is, and at what rate? / have before me
au article from a New York paper sum-
marizing the mortality of New York city
for the year 1872, giving the details of the
causeof the 80, CAT deaths which took place
in its population of one million. 1t shows
of the causes referred to that alcoholism is
held for 3l4 instances, and that intemper-
ance was certified as either the direct or
Completing cause in. all together, SOC
cases-not quite three times the number
Of deaths charged directly, which would
give for the United States at the same
proportion, about three thousand men in
all This may certainly be enough in it
self but it will serge no good purpose tc
obscure the Judgment of the people and to
obstruct the proper consideration of the
; subject by unwarrarted representations, civ.
ing this nation the unenviable and unsub
stantiated notoriety of dying mainly from
drunkenness, The fact is,simply, that only
with the death of one IN eUeyy hrtee,
Thousand inhabitants of the United States
. liquor has anything to do Ohio Stat
Journal.