The Portland daily press., 1879-02-12
Mr.. TILDEN's denial will 60 into history
as the most able-bodied denial on record.
"CiHcinnati as It Is"


The Cincinnati Gazette has an article of
column end half under the above heading,
which is well worth the consideration of all
thoughtful men. The purpose of it is to show
the enormous waste and loss in m any ways re-
sulting to the community from the liquor traf-
ic, in which term is included all sorts of In
toxicating liquors. Though the article is IN
tended to apply only to Cincinnati, il is full Of
interest and significance for every other COM
munity.
The constitution of Ohio expressly forbids
the enactment of any Law to license the liquor
traffic, and the constitution Of Michigan is the
same in that respect; but in neither state has
there been any legislation except local option,
intended to put the traffic out of the pale of the
law; consequently in both states, the traffic is
carried on in many counties upon an enormous
scale, and is constantly increasing in volume.
But in Ohio and Michigan there is going on
now on active agitation in favor of absolute
prohibition. In more than two thirds of the
counties in Ohio, the traffic is forbidden BY the
local option laws
By the way, wish TO add here in a paren.
thesis that the Argus is mistaken in supposng
that the prohibition "dam' which Wa have
built in Maine across the stream of the liquor
traffic has only checked the food for time,
which is now ''pouring over the top. This is
quite mistake; the dam leaks. that's all; the
stream does net overflow it and will not do so.
We shall stop the leaks by and by.
The Cincinnati Gazette is great commercial
paper, aud in no sense, what we call temper
ance paper, and with no special leaning in that
direction. The article to which allude, es-
pecialiy disclaims any "purpose to moralize, or
even write what might be called a temperance
esasy; but simply to present the facts, leaving
other to draw conclusions aud make appli-
cations" The article is headed in small caps;
"The liquors we consume and the saloons we
support. Six miles of drinking houses in the
city and vicinity. 81 ,67S. 46O a year paid for
malt liquors; S20O00OO for other kinds-The
Regime of King Beer in politics"
The article of which speak is a leading edi-
torial Of the Gazatte, and is intended solely to
induce sober minded people to consider what
the end must be, unless some remedy shall be
devised and thoroughly applied. The Gazette
says: "The retail liquor business Is great DOW.
er in the city in shaping its morals and in con-
trolling government" "It being fact that
most of the crimes committed in every large
city are traceable to intemperance, and that
very large proportion Of the time of the police
and criminal courts is occupied in suppressing
or trying to suppress the evils resulting from
the excessive use Of intoxicating liquors, the
points alluded to deserve grave consideration"
''Itis safe to put the whole number of public
saloons or bars in the city proper at $500.
These are open every day 10 the wesk, and the
most Of them the greater part of every night"
Allowing ten feet front to each saloon in the
county, (fifteen feet would be nearer the fact)
"they would, if placed In a Tow, extend dis
tance Of 80. .480 (4S,720l or over six miles,"
(nine miles)
Estimating that three adults are employed,
on an average, 10 each saloon, it gives an ag-
grsgats of 800 persons in the city, and over
5000 in the county. They prob ably represent
$4,000 persons who depend upon the profits Of
saloons for living the total voting popu-
lstion of the county is $4,000. OF these one
eighth are engaged in the retail liquor business
directly. Estimating the value of property
used for saloons at $50 per foot 'front.' including
improvements, and we have a valuation for the
county of 81, 100000. The actual valuation is
probably greatly in excess Of that"
"The value of the beer consumed can be as
certained with great accuracy" Here fol-
lows long table of returns from the Internal
Revenue department, showing the quantity in
barrels, and then the article goes on
"Reduc 0g the whole to glasses, we have, as
result, 153, ,569, 200 consumed annually in this
county. These at five cents each, which is the
retail price, amount to 81 678 460. That is
IN oau ..,l
ly, by the beer drinkers within this county.
Making allowance for beer carried out in
wagons, of which no account Is kept, and of
the free beer served to employees in breweres,
it Is safe 20 say the annual expenditure for beer
in this county is 81. 200 000"
quitting the population of Cincinnati at 3O0,-
600, aud estimating six persons to family, wa
have 90, 200, and the expenditure for beer will
be $140 for each family, or $23.20 for each per-
son of the entire population. This may seem
az extravagant calculation, bat there arc the
figures. 1t is not uncommon for working men
10 pay thirty cents per day for beer" (Nor is
1t uncommon for them to pay twice that sum,
that is twelve glasses per day. In England
the expenditure in drink is R5. 10 for each
man. woman, and child in the Kingdom-thst
is S27 80. And this includes Scotland aud Ire
land. where the amount per head Is much less
than in England.
"oTHER LIQUORS"
"a gallon Of whiskey averages sixty drinks.
Those at ten cents drink, which is an average
amounts TO Sc per gallon, or $24O per barrel.
1t IS not extravsgant to say that the annual re-
tail sales average two barrels to each ssloop,
and this will amount to 81 536 1000 Add to this
$500 600 for wine, brandy, rum &c. and it will
be S2,036 900. We think 1t VIII be conceded
that this IS below rather than above the aver
age. Persons of experience think the cost of
wine aud distilled liquors equal half that of
malt liquors. That would be over $500, ,OOO
There Is large consumption Of wine and lie
quors it private houses and at hotel table that
we have not included"
Accepting the figures already given wa
come to q
RECAPITULATIoN.
Sgst TsN ol oeeI consumed 900, 900.
Wine and distilled spirits. 2O56 600.
S90S6,O0O.
"This gives for the entire population, mep,
WnmAn and child ran the nnnlfiknha WIN do nns