The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-04-14
NUN BER 7.
A Temperance Lecture from the
Bench.

The Grand Jury for the March
term at PHILADELPHIA on Saturday
made their presentment, and among
| other things of municipal concern
called the attention of the Court to
the fact that a "large proportion of
the bills acted upon by them had
been caused by intoxicating liquors
and to the increase af bar rooms, sam
pie rooms and grog shops, and the
easy manner in which licenses can
be obtained" Judge Pierce in re-
ceiving the presentment, made some
remarks which were not only peril
nent, but in their condensation of
fact and strong presentation of the
growth of the means and evil infiu..
ences Of intemperance, justify his ex-
preston of wonder that the commu-
nifty is so supine in its efforts to re-
lieve itself of the great evil. Per-
haps some of his statements may be
slightly exaggerated, but in the main
they are frightfully true. He said:
"The number of licensed taverns
in Philadelphia are 5000; unlicensed
taverns, abut 1000. This gives one
tavern to every one hundred inhabi-
tants or one tavern to every fifty of
the adult inhabitants of the city.
AS these taverns are principally re-
sorted to by men this gives one tav-
ern to every twenty-five male inhabi.
tanst of Philadelphia. Let us look
at the fruits of this tarffic. The ar
rests reported by the Mayor for 1876
were for intOXicatiOn, 1908; for in
toXication and disorderly conduct,
5,i4S; selling liquor without a license
q selling liquor on sunday, 8; tctal,
14,511, or more than ne.half of the
whole number OfarrestS for all causes,
which were 44,9l9, or 4 ,40S more than
the arrests for all other causes what
ever. The number of arrests for the
sale of liquor without license, as re-
ported by the Mayor, does not exhib-
it the whole number ofarrests for this
cause, as by law, it is made the duty
of the cOnstableo to return to court
the number OF lilicensed and unlicen-
sed houses, and bills ofindictment are
then sent in by the District Attorney
against the keepers of the unlicensed
houses, who are required to come in
and give bail. The Mayor, therefore
is not specially charged with this
duty. About three hundred bills
have been tried against the keepers
of unlicensed houses during the pres
ent year.
"TO look at the fruits of the traffic
at least one-half Of the police force of
the city are employed day and night
say 600 patrolmen, at cost af $780,
600; half Of the expenses of the County
Prison, $50, 900; the House of Correc-
ton, $500, 900, half of the expenses of
the Almshouse, $250,000; other incl
! dental expenses, such as proportion
of pay of the police magistrates,
jurors, Court officers, District Attor-
ney's Office, &C., 1000. Total ST.
800, 800. This is a moderate estimate
of what this traffic in liquor costs the
city OF Philadelphia in cash. Besides
the direct expense to the city as a
municipality, the cost to those who
frequent and patr0niZe these taverns
is simply enormous. 1t is a moderate
estimate that these seven thousand
do an average business of three thous.
and dollars year each, which gives
US the enormous sum of twenty-one
millions of dollars: and this worse
than useless outlay of money is large
ly borne by the working classes. Is
it a wonder that when hard times
come there is SO much suffering
among that class of our citizens
whose hard earnings are thus diver
ted from the savings institutions to
indulgences which are destructive to
both health and happiness? But this
deplOrable traffic comes freighted to
us with greater burdens than those
which affect material wealth. 1t
brings in its train the broken health
and squandered fortunes of thousands
the sighs and broken hearts of moth
ers, wives, sisters and children; ru-
ined characters and desolated homes
widows and orphans, whose bitter
tears are doubtly bitter when they
remember the cause of their desola-
ton. Is it not wonder, then, that
as citizens having regard to our ma
terial interests, as men having SYM
pathy with our fellow-men, and as
Christians having regard to the high
est moral interests of our fellow
beings we are so Supine in our efforts
to relieve us of this great evil"