The Republican journal., 1876-01-13
Think of 1t.

There lies book before us written by
DIR. William Ilargreaves entitled "Our
Wasted Resources" We wish that the
politicians and political economists of this
country could read this book, and ponder
well its shocking revelations. They are
revelations of criminal Waste-the eXpcn-
diture Of almost incalculable resources for
that which brings nothing, worse than
nothing, in return. There are multitudes
of people who regard the temperance
question as one of morals alone The
men who drink say simply, 1--WE will
drink what we please, and its nobody
business. You temperance men are pes
tilent fellows, who obtrude your tuppenny
standard of morality upon us, and we do
not want it, and will not accept it. Be
cause you are virtuous, shall there be no
more cakes and ale?' Very well, let us
drop it as :; question of morality. You
will surely look at it with us as a question
of national economy and prosperity; else,
you can hardly regard yourselves as pa
triots. We have common interest in the
national prosperity, and we can discuss
amicably any subject on this common
ground,
During the year 1870 in the State OF
New York, there were expended by con-
sumers for liquor more than one hundred
and six millions OF dollars, sum which
amounted to nearly two-thirds of all the
wages paid to laborers 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 90? What is
the return for it.? Diseased stomachs,
aching heads, discouraged and slatternly
homes, idleness, gout, crime degradation,
death. These, in various measures. are
exactly what we get for it. We gain of
that which is good nothng-no uplift in
morality, no increase of industry, no ac-
cession to health, no growth of prosperity
Our State is full OF tramps, and every one
is drunkard. There is decentralization
everywhere, in consequence of this waste
full 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-five millions of dollars, a sum
equal to one-third of the entire agriculture
al product of the State. Illinois paid more
than forty-two millions, and Ohio more
than titty-eight millions. Massachusetts
paid more than twenty five millions, a
| sum equal to tive-siXths OF her agriculture
al products, while the liquor bill of Maine
was only about four millions and quarter
Mr.. Hargreaves takes the figures OF Mas
sachusetts and Maine to show how pro-
hibtory law does. after all, reduce the
drinking; but it is not our purpose to
argue this question,
What we desire to show is, that. with
an annual expenditure of 5000, 900 900 fol
| 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 people poor. Not
| only this vast sum is wasted; not only the
capital invested is diverted from good
uses, and all the industry involved in pro-
duction taken from beneticent pursuits,
but health, morality, responsibility. in
dustry, and lite are destroyed. 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 pro
cesses Of disease, degradation, crime anC
despair through which they inevitably
pass.
With six hundred millions cf dollars
saved to the country annually, how long
would it take to make these United States
rich, not only, but able to meet, without
disturbance and distress. the revulsions in
business to which all nations are liable
Here is question for the statesman and
the politician Twenty-Five years of alb
solute abstinence from the consumption
of useless, and worse than useless liquors
would save to the country fifteen billions
of dollars, and make US the richest natior
on the face of the globe. Not only this
sum-beyond the imagination to compre
hend-would be saved, but all the abom
Unable consequences of misery, disease
disgrace, crime, and death, that woul(
flow from the consumption of such al
enormous amount of poisonous fluids
would be saved. And yet temperance
men are looked upon as disturbers ant
fanatics And we are abjured not t6
bring temperance into politics! And thi
great transcendent question of economy
gets the go-by, while we hug our littl,
issues for the sake Of party and of office
Do we not deserve adversity? TBy DR.
j. G. Holland in Scribner's for December