Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1880-08-19
Tho Liquor Traffic.

Auo Liquor 1iaHlC.
At tho meeting of the Grand Division of
Sons of Temperance, recently held in Co
lumbin, it was stated there were one hundred
and fifty thousand retail liquor dealers in the
United States. This estimate is doubtless
short the truth, rs yory many who Wholesale
or retail liquors connect with it q wholesale
or retail business in groceries or general
merchandise, and return their business us
grocers or merchants. However this be, is
it not cad commentary on the moral status
OF tho country that proportion of our ropu
lation, equal to the voting strength Of South
Carolina, is engaged in business, which
not only adds nothing to The wealth of tho
country, but OH tho contrary, liminishos it
directly and indirectly, demoralizcs society.
creates panpcrsm, encouraged crime, cor
rupts popular government and breeds domes-
tic misery all over the lanl2 Is i. not
equally sad aud inoryfyius to realize that
this gorcrnment, in the ligh! Of the nineteenth
century, both protects and lcgalizos traffic,
SO fruitful of sin and crime. ignorance aud
vco, aud OF moral, social. political aud
physical ruin and degradation? Can tho
traffic DO justified in any point Of viow7 Is
it u dead capital, wherever found2 1t is go
far rs it's capnblity is concerned, Of produ-
cling anything rromotivo Of good aud econo-
uical government, ~of peace and order, Of
wealth aud prosperity, Of moral elevation and
civilization, of domeslic happiness and social
purity. Is it living carita2 fearfnlIy
living one in producing a,rifo aud disorder,
oil nd nriu, 4 ,,,k.-
lance and idleness, heavy taxation aud
corruption in government. 1t is the nctiso
and unsparing enemy Of Whatever cleva,es
humauaes and puriics individnale aud
society. This army Of men, mostly young
men. producing nothing Beneficial, but
yielding only tho bitter fruit Of temporal aud
oternal death, has, for half century, been
warred against unsuccessluly Ly The pulpit.
the p,ess and great number or associations
Of individuals. They aro powerless to stem
it's desolating march, and not seldom it has
assailed the very ranks cf these refurmers
ard dragged down from thfir worthy position
tho leaders and brightest jn teleeta of heir
orders Is its bishting inluencs irromedia.
ble2 Shall il go on, increasing in strength
as it goes, until it brutaiiaes ali Lumonity,
0vcrthrows government and blots out Chris.
tianity7 These are questions suggested by
those engaged in efforts to ch eek its progress,
nod Thus far tho answer has been found 10
statistios showing m increase Of crimo and
40 increasing army of man annually march
ing to dishonorel graces aud growing army
Of souls annually 6lling the dismal caserns
ofhcl!
Simply i'll a recuuiary sense can it
be justified By gooatnmen,? Suppose
ws put the yalue Of each person engaged
in this business at $50 per year ard
tho consumption in food and clothing Of such
person az 500 per Jear. ,nen as .hoy produce
nothing teaeacial a. ,neir cusiness the
government loses $3.50 each year on eacn
person 50 employed and on l50 0cO men the
direct loss of wealth 10 $37 500 900 each year.
In tho State Of Georgia wc SEQ it reported
thero are 1872 whiskcy deaIers. This is
less than its proportion of tho whole number
reported in tho United States, aud yet tho
direct loss to tho State Ly this humbcr of its
citizens SO employed, counting their labor at
$3.50 per year, is $50 1900, or an amount
nearly equal to the expenses of our State
Government All must admit tho value of
their labor il not placed too high. IF !iia
direct lo5a was tho only consequence Of tho
liquor traffic it would bo a snail matter but
apart from its social aud moral cyiis it costs
tho government in money millone Of dollars
indirectly. II renders Annually an equal
number Of men idle, Ignorant aud worthless.
1t sends moro than that number annually to
the grave, prisons, poor houses ard syums,
generally at the expense Of tho taSpayers
and further, the .milions Of money annually
swallowed up in this traffic by it's sale to
men, who are producers Of wealth, if tho
traffic did not exist, would bo expended in
tho promotion Of education and religion, the
building Of railroads, the erection of manu-.
factories, the Development Of our mineral
resources. tho enrichment Of our lands, the
identifying Of our homes and in evory CON
ceivable channel rromotiye Of our social,
iodustrial and reljgious progtess to direct
and indirect injury to the country is ipoalou-
Iabe Can il be checked2
To show that men car do without it and that
F4sIinaana 3rasa. its asa. ia bensfciaL .Gs aesd
tty AZ, q,