The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-05-07
MORAL NOMY-POLITICAL STA
TISTICS.
To the Editor Of the Democrat:


AS much as anybody else, know you like
good things. Fearing you may have over
looked interesting statistical information fur
nished by your amiable neighbor on Camp
street. / beg to call your attention to them.
You are aware that your learned contempo-
rary has gentleman employed In the Agrf-
cultural Bureau, generally In the rural dis
tricts, but when at home we hear from him
under such heads as this, startling Figures
Where the Money Goes" Under this head
lately he proceeds to show mathematically.
IF a mechanic takes just two drinks Of
whisky daily, no more nor less, for 365 days,
and pays Is cents a drink, he spends for 73O
drinks S1O9 25. This would pay for pork,
flour, sugar, molasses, coffee, calico, pins and
needles. If q clerk only takes two drinks
day and smokes three dime cigars, In ten
years he 10 out of pocket Ss16S 25-this with
simple interest. these examples, are sum.
further. Let US leave him, taking for grant,
ed that he has discovered where the money
goes and the cause Of tightness.
You know, sir, just now there is one OF the
periodic spasms on the subject Of temperance.
have recently been In places on the coast of
the Mississippi where they have reached such
q climax In law on the subject particularly
in regard to the seventh day-that no one ig
market people are forbidden. Even In our
own city there Ia large party favoring more
rigid ordinances and are busy now In efforts
to have the main feature in the new constitu-
tion temperance plank Or q teetotal tongue--
and-grove. respect them because they feel
they are right and really believe that
all evil comes out OF three drinks q
day Whilst on the subject, / am
sorry the statistician referred to did
not push his figures to the field beyond.
Thus in reference to the clerk Of three drinks
per diem: Suppose this clerk should live to
the ripe old age OF hundred and thirty.
mot impossible, since car mules never die)
the saving would be, say $4,000, again
hundred and ninety seven clerks formed
themselves into Young Mems Benevolent;
they could pay the interest on the public debt
and leave sinking fund TO sink the principal.
ge5t this train Of thought to be followed out.
What field is this for honorable emulatiOnE
Each one OF such society would merit q
monument, or statue in bronze, to adorn
the new park gates. In q moral point Of view,
which is higher and nobler aim than finance,
money enough would be saved by such a
band OF brothers to run all the orphan asy-
lums, II such institutions should continue to
exist; but Ii 1t were to become fashionable to
follow this good example and many such be-
nevolents should be formed, there would be no
orphans, for the statlstician referred to has
conclusively shown several times that the
prime motor In making orphans Is bad whisky.
Turn we now to the other side OF the house:
Suppose every miss In her teens were to
forego the luxury OF spring bonnet and be
satisfied with summer one. See what stroke
Of social and political economy would be made
here. There would be no more blowing. out
Of brains by elderly gentlemen because bal
ances appear on the wrong side. A few
societies formed In opposition to spring hats
would save enough simple interest again
not compound and cumulative to raise funds
to give the wOman'S rights movement re-
spectability and make the male sex ambitious
to fill all the offices OF profit. From this hasty
view 1t is not necessary to borrow glass eyes
to see where the money goes. PoINs.