Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-06-16
TEMPERANCE COLUMN.
CONTRIBUTED BY THE WoMEy's TEMPERANCE USIo,
IyrEupERAycE AND PAUPERIsA

INTENPERANCE AND PAUPERISA.
We can never fully know the cost Of in.
toxicating drinks to our nation. The loss
appears in so many different forms 50 much
of it is out of sight and our information
with regard to that which is more apparent
is so imperfect. that We shall scarcely Do
more than measure part OF II and guess AZ
the rest
Large sums of money are every year ex-
pended in each State for the support OF the
paupers. According to the United State
census for 1870. the sum expended annually
for this class was ten millions, nine hun
dred and thirty thousand four hundred
and twenty-nine dollars. The cost to the
State of Vermont alone was one hundred
and seventy-eight thousand six hundred and
twenty-eIght dollars And vet only slna
portion OF those who suffer the real hard
ships of poverty are 90 be found in the poor
houses. The question arises. To what l. this
vast expense. this untold amount OF suffer
ing chiefly due?
Al association chartered by the Lsgi,a-
ture of Pennsylvania ito report on the de-
pendent and criminal population Of tt..
State. after giving their report according
". Feb. LIST. 1865. add these words "lt
will not be doubted that two-Ihird- OF tla
pauperism and crime of the safe are jg-.lg
attributed to intemperance. and % Is
stated by authorities that cne-thirt Of The
dependent classes. As insane, ieeble-mini
etc. are to be traced to the same cause
live apply this rule to the figure blf BE
Us, We have the aggregate cost Of maintain
ing paupers and criminals whose cauilt.lr
is due to intemperance. two millions ~,
hundred and four thousand, two hlni-, !
and forty-fOur dollars per year. and t4t
aggregate cost Of maintaining insane, IDIOT
ic and other dependent persons from the
same cause ftty-hve thousand, TX huu1-e
and sixty-six dollars sixtY-Six cents. f.
total cost Of two million. two uirei
and fifty-niDe thousand, nine hundred ami
ten dollars, sixty-six cents.
Statistics taken in Pennsylvania. 10 tie
year 1871, have q tendency To confirm the
statement above made a. 10 the prop0Tt o.
Of paupers made By the use of int0xicat.u.
drinks The records kept il the almshog-a-
are said to be exceedingly imperfect. AMI TIE
Board Of State Charities found much ditl POI
ty on this account in getting at the tac--
Some of the almshOuses, however. repor, %
large proportion Of incorporate person
among their inmates. In one. l93 Oui u.
2j6 are set down as Incorporate IN anutte-
fl out Of 1873 in another $50 out ct GI-
and IN another 81 out OF 8. 10 other ct-.-
the proportion Is as large, or nearly a. large
in Others, still. It Is smaller. but In ma.
cases there seems u be no recJri ou th.-
point
No one needs TO think long in order 70 ZEE
how costly drinking habits may result IN pow
erty; no one needs 70 observe long = SCI
that they DO. When we consider the guam
tiry Of drink that soon becomes necessary g.
b. fr.s lob LOT b ma..
awakened when We think how expense
these drinks almost all Of them are WHOM
We remember that the habitof Treating
almost inseparable from that Of drinking.
for 1t j. emInent.Y a social vice, We must -r.
that it would be strange indeed if an intsu-
perate man had much money 70 spend Or
anything else, at least where bis rc-llr---
are limited and indeed We DO not exr ect .t
\ day laborer belonging to this c..-- Keep
sober long enough to earn few dollar.
supported by the thought Of the spree tla;
i t. be the reward OF MS 6xerti1n-. NAY.
let Us hope and believe that ne doe som
times think with kindly >OiicituI3 10 Die
wife and family. and really plans some ll-
dItI0n 10 their comfort, Or eLeviatl-n
their misery out Of the fruits Of his
But be becomes more and more aw4re Hf
that secret craving, growing stronger aa-
stronger till he can no longer resist lt lie
next DAY. perhaps. he doe not return o. bis
work. Should you follow him. You wl-.l
find him in some sal0cn o. gr0g shop. -ar
rounded by his boon companions. VIII
whom be l. sharing the liquor purcaa-ei
with his harl-earnet money I'll. bis present
resources are exhausted. II be ma vie
who l. strong ami capable, AMI OF -.o-s
habits, she viii perhap- keep herself .lI
children from starvation by her own tla-
tons. till they are old enough % 30 ~Ime-
thing for themselves Ii she j. weak 4uI
sickly. alas for her and them. NJ wonder
his heart sinks when ne returns % bis m.-
cradle household. OF turns from IL with dis
gust, if. forgetting that u him is cditiv
due the wretehedness Of his uuInvIt.n-
home, be l. not struck WIKI rem0rse anIpity
Woe 10 them all If she too shares with him
the fearful and destructive appetite. Mhere
the misery Will culminate none can tell, hlt
sometimes the end l. horrible enough
Ii l. not many years since an event 0c-
cured in this city. which ought 70 be @ ter
bic warning 70 those who think they cln-
not refrain tom the intoxicating cup. ami
allow its use in their families. The drums
en- vile. who had long been reduce1aim q
she condition of heas, 0y her degrading
habit, was murdered in bed hy her drunken
husband while he. not long after .expiated hi-
crime on the sali0ws. But l. expia10n the
word 10 use Was not the man guilty, 10
Ict, Of his own death, and was not this to
be added TO ;he long list Of wrongs done t.
himself and others in the service OF one fatal
passion?
But the relation Of drlnksnno- tl.in
furnishes a subjec. FOX tl0ushtaad inse-ti
cation more suggestive sill.