Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1877-01-17
Knoxville Journal

some StartI1ng Figures AhOu
the Liquor Traflc-What ans
Hevw RGmc1a we Drlnk In ThI
and ether Countries.
lst Louis Globe Democrat
Several publications have recent.
Iy been made In behalf of the caus,
Of temperance, which throw much
light on the liquor traffic in this and
other c0untries-its growth, present
magnitude, and effects on society
DIR. Young, Chief of the Statistical
Bureau of the United States, inclu.
ded In q recent report some valuable
statistics concerning NE
COST OF LIQUOR.
His estimate for the sale OF liquor
in 1871 was $500, 0Oo, 900, nearly one
sixth Of the entire value of all the
manufactures, and &, 057 500 more
than all food and food preparations.
The total quantity and cost OF intox-
icating liquors, from 1850 to 1872,
inclusive. Is given at s8,7sO, 1871 sos.
The total war expenses Of the United
States and loyal States, from 1861 to
1866, were $G.lG5, 237 900, being less
than the drink bill for thirteen years.
This is the direct cost. Careful es-
Inmates show sos. go persons engaged
in liquor selling, and 40, 1854 making
liquors. These latter consume 90.
600, 900 bushels OF grain annually, at
a cost of u, OO0, 900. The receipts OF
internal revenue for 1875 from liquor
manufacturers were $6l, 225, 935. SIS.
The aggregate number Of retail IL
censes throughout the various States
is 100000, from which a tax Of co.
OOO, 900, is annually collected.
Miss F. e. Willard, in an address
before the Chautauqua Temperance
Convention, isaid that America, in it's
centennial year, is spending in rum
as much as 1t would cost to put Ave
lines Of railroad from Maine to Cali
fornia, with all their equipments; as
much as 1t would take in addition
to that to endow . university with
TEN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
in every State in the Union; to build
"a q, 900 school house for every 100
people In America; as much as it
would take, In addition to all that,
TO put out at interest and pay for
some teacher for every 100 people
of the $4,000, 900 In America,
There were 66,572 ,O62 gallons of
spirits distilled in the United States
DO 1874, and 100, OO0, 900 in 1875. The
production OF beer for 1876 Is estima.
Ted at 279, TAG, O44 gallons, or Il gal
ions for each person In the United
States. The imported wines, about
10, 100 gallons for each year. This
would give for ten years, at present
prices, an aggregate estimate of
s., 1863, 947 ,G62, cost of spirituons liq-
'uors, beer and wine in this country.
This would make in 100 years sum
equal to the real and personal prop
|erty OF the nation. There are $685.
|lO5, 20l bushels of grain destroyed in
manufacturing liquor every ten
years, valued at $42s, 1874, s42. 1t is
Estimated machinery, land and labor
10 supply.
b THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.
A recent writer, in commenting
On these estimates, says: eff all
|this was turned into production, in
|pluding the grain, TO 60 to feed the
|poor, and the money spent in liquor
applied to honest and legitimate
(urposes, we should be the happiest,
lchest, noblest and greatest nation
he world ever saw. We should be
sober nation. Hard times would
Immediately cease, jails become al
cost empty, poor houses vacant, the
&bor question solved, taxes vanish
ITO almost nothing, and the niillen-
fum would be seen in the near fu-
IRE"
81 DIR. Hargreaves, i'm his book "Our
a estern Revenues" gives official
lures from revenue reports and
|Dnsus returns showing the United
1ates spent the enormous sum OF
)05, 72O, 0i8 in 1872 for intoxicating
quors. In the same year there
ere 1850 religious organizations
the United States, with member
pof1l ,452, $50 and 80, ga ministers.
n the contributions for benevolent
Sfposes amounted to SAT ,636, 495.
Nat IL, while we pay $l5 for spirit
ms and fermented liquors. The
PREMATURE DEATHS
nsed by alchohol, as estimated by
Hitchcock, President Of the
,chigan State Board Of Health,
cunt annually to 2,l27 900. The
ne authority estimates those con-
ntly sick from the use OF alcohol,
D00; number insane through alec
annually, 9,3aS- being 20 per
i OF all the insanity that occurs
his country. DIR. Hargreaves, In
freatise, says; 1.-THE drinking
)sm Is directly responsible for 20
cent of our idiots, 40 per cent Of
lunatics, IS per cent Of our GRIM
e, 80 per cent Of the shiftlcss,
or-to-do- well, broken down bro.
hearted, miserable people of the
nsnonwealtt.r
ome interesting statistics are pub
I'd concerning the liquor traffic
THE EIGHT TERRITORIES
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