Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-11-19
What Causes Heavy Taxes. .

Taxpayers, especially farmers, often com
plain land with good reason) that their taxes
are so burdensome. Now IL is asserted bv
the highest judicial authority Of this coun.
try land the assertion is founded upon their
experience on the bench) that eight-tenths
OF all the crime, criminal arrests and prose
cutions poverty and wretchedness in the
land is traceable to the liquor traffic as its
cause. This being 80, then this traffic is the
cause of eighttenths of all the costs of the
criminal arrests, incarcerations and prosecu-
tions. And iuasmuch as at least one-half of
all the state, county and municipal expenses
is caused by such arrests, incarcerations and
prosecutions, therefore the state, county and
municipal taxes are just double what they
would be but for the liquor traffic. Yes,
taxpayers, your taxes are just doubled every
year by this damnable traffic in intoxicating
liquors "a traffic that brings no good, but a
hell OF woe to the people. If a farmers
state and county taxes for the year are 500,
then $40 of that amount he is compelled TO
pay to secure the punishment of the crimes
produced by the sale of whiskey and beer
and if prohibition were enacted and en-
forced his taxes would soon be cut down
one-half. If the owner of town property
pays annually in state, county and munich
pal taxes $50, then S25 of that amount the
liquor traffic compels him to pay. Taxpay-
ers, think of these indisputable facts, and if
you are tired of paying heavy taxes vote
prohibition. The state, county and munich
pal taxes in Maine are not half as high now
as they were before that state enacted and
enforced prohibition There arrests for
drunkenness and assault aud battery are al
most unknown, and the jails, penitentiaries
and alms-houses are almost empty. Yes,
farmers and property-owners, if you wish
low taxes vote and help to enforce prohibit
ton, and thereby aid in destroying the ex-
pensive. detestable ruinous, besotting, i'm
poverishing, wife-beating misunderstanding,
soul-damui G liquor traffic.
During the year 1872 there were expended
in the United States for intoxicating bever.
ages 1913. 720,0iS. This is almost as much
as was spent during the same year by the
people of this country for flour, sugar mo-
lasses, cotton and wooden goods, and boots
| and shoes This drink bill equals all the
wages paid all the mechanics and skilled
labor during the same time. 1t is two mil
lion dollars more than all the money earned
during the same year by all the railroads in
the United States. 1t is eight times as
much as the cost of all our printing of news
| papers, periodicals and books. 1t is eight
| times the estimated value of all the public
Libraries in this country. 1t is twice the
value of all the church property in this coun-
try 1t is eighteen times as much as was
contributed in the same year by all the peo-
pie OF the United States for the support of
the gospel and all missionary and benevolent
enterprises. All the state, county and city
debts of the country in 1872 were 1868 &c.
75s Stop liquor-drinking one year and we
could pay Of all these debts. Let all who
deplore heavy taxes and all Christian phi
lantbropists rally for the complete prohibit
bition of the manufacture and sale of intox-
icating liquors, and thereby cut short this
terrible waste, this unmitigated curse