The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-15
THE WAY WE WASTE.

! AAH VdY WE WASTE.
One OF the facts brought prominently
before the world during the last few
years is, that France is rich. The ease
with which she has recovered from the
disastrous war with Prussia, and the
promPtness with which she has met, not
only her own. but Prussia enormous ex-
penses in that war, have surprised ali her
sister nations. Every poor man had his
hoard OF ready money, which he was
anxious to lend to the state, How did he
get 1T: How did he save it! Why is it
that in q country like ours, where wages
are high and the opportunities for making
money exceptionally good, such wealth
and prosperity do not exist? These are
important questions at this time with all
of us. Business is low, industry is par-
alyzed, and the question of bread stares
nultitudes in the face.
Well, France is an industrious nation.
it is said. But is not ours an industrious
nation! Is it not, indeed, one of the
most Woodworking and energetic nations
of the world? We believe it to be
Woodworking nation than the French,
with not only fewer holidays, but no
holidays at all, and with not only less
play, bnt almos: no play at all. 1t is
said, too, that France is frugal nation.
They probably have the advantage of US
in this, yet to feed a laboring man and
to clothe a laboring man and his family
there must be definite, Necessary expen-
diture IN both countries. The difference
In wages ought to cover the difference in
expenses, and probably does. If the
American laborer spends twice as much,
or three times as much, as the French,
he earns twice or three times as much !;
yet the American laborer lays up nothing,
while thu French laborer and small farm.
er have money to lend to their govern.
ment.
France produces its own wine, and
drinks mainly cheap wine. 1t is drink
which, while it does them no good, &C
cording to the showing of their own
physicians, does not do them harm
enough to interfere with their industry.
Their drinking wastes neither life nor
money as ours does, and they sell in
value to other countries more than they
drink themselves. During the year 1870,
in our own State Of New York, there were
expended by consumers for liquor more
than one hundred and six millions of dol
lars, a sum which amounted to nearly
two thirds Of all the wages paid to labor
er's in agriculture and manufactures, and
to nearly twice as much as the receipts
Of all the railroads in the state, the sum
of the latter being between sixty-eight
and sixty-nine millions. The money Of
our people goes across the bar all the
time faster than it is crowded into the
wickets Of all the railroad stations of the
state, and where does it go? What is
the return for it? Diseased stomachs,
aching heads, discouraged and slatterny
homes, idleness, govt, crime, degradation,
death. These in various measures, are
exactly what We get for it. We gain Of
that which is good, nothing-no uplift in
morality. no increase of industry, no &C..
cession to health, no growth of prosper
lty. Our state is full of tramps, and
every one is drunkard. There is de-
moralization everywhere, in consequence
of this wasteful stream of fiery fluid that
constantly flows down the open gullet of
the state.
But our state is not alone. The liquor
bill OF Pennsylvania during 1870 was
more than sixty-fve millions of dollars,
a sum equal to one third the entire agri-
cultural product of the state. Illinois
paid more than forty-two millions, and
4 Ohio more than fifty-eight millions.
Massachusetts, paid more than twenty.
five millions, a sum equal to five.sixths
of her agricultural products, while the
liquor bill in Maine was only about four
millions and quarter. Mr.. Hargreaves
takes the figures of Massachusetts and
Maine to show how prohibitory law
does, after all, reduce the drinking; but
it is not our purpose to argue this ques-
ton.
What we desire to show is, that, with
an annaul expenditure of 100000, 900
for liquors in the United States-and all
the figures we give are based upon official
statistics-it is not to be wondered at
that the times are hard and the people
poor. Not only this vast sum wasted :
not only the capital invested is diverted
from good uses, and all the industry in.
volved IN production taken from ben
eficent pursuits, but health, morality, re.
spectibility, industry, and life are destroy
ed. Sixty Thousand Americans annually
lie down in drunkard's grave. 1t were
better to bring into the field and shoot
down sixty thousand Of our young men
every year than to have them 60 through
all the processes Of disease, degradation,
crime, and despair through which they
inevitably pass.
With six hundred millions of dollars
saved in this country annually, how long
would it take to make these United
States rich not only, but able to meet,
without disturbances and distress, the