The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1881-04-14
its financial aspect.

j
tion of tobacco throughout the world
was estimated at four billions Of
pounds. Allowing the cost of the
manufactured material to be ten
cents a pound, the yearly expense of
,, this poisonous growth amounts to four
hundred millions of dollars. Put into
marketable shape, the annual cost
reaches one thousand millions of dol
lars. This sum, according to careful
computation, would construct two
railroads round the earth, at twen-
ty thousand dollars mile. 1t would
build a hundred thousand church.
es, each costing ten thousand dollars;
or half a million school-houses, each
costing two thousand; or it would en-
ploy million of preachers and mill
ion of teachers, at salary Of five
hundred dollars.
What more effective, pathetic ap-
peal to the head and the heart can be
made than by these figures? Two
millions of tons Of tobacco annually
consumed by smokers and snuffers and
chewers, while from every part of the
habitable globe are hands stretched
out imploringly for the bread Of life,
which must be denied, for lack of
means to send it.
In Great Britain alone there are not
far from three hundred thousand to-
bacco-shops. England has obtained a
larger revenue from this source than
from all the gold mines of Australia.
In Germany, Holland, Great Britain,
and the United States official figures
show that it costs more than bread.
In our own country we find, from the
Internal Revenue Report, that above
ninety-fve million pounds Of manu-
factured tobacco and one billion three
hundred million Of cigars are used in
one year, at an expense of two hun
dred and fifty millions Of dollars,
while the taxes amount to one hum
dred and fifty millions.
In the City Of New York alone
above seventy-fve millions of cigars
are annually consumed, and at cost
of more than nine millions of dollars
enough cigars to build a wall from
the Empire City to Albany.
How often will man go through
life without owning a house, when
the money he spends on this narcotic,
if put on interest, would be ample for
the purchase of one! How many a
family is cramped for the necessaries
Of life because the husband and father
will not give up his cigar! And how
many man is reduced to beggary
who yet holds on to his pipe!
Wives there are not a few who are
obliged to sacrifice their artistic tastes
to this juggernaut. Books, music
pictures, excursions with the children
to the seaside OF the mountains, 6
thousand and one little refnements
and brighteners Of the dull routine OF
life-all are swallowed up by his rapa.
cious NAV.
But we have not yet done with fig
ures. In single Western town three
thousand and ninety-eight dollar:
were expended for tobacco, and fol
the support of churches and school!
only two thousand seven hundred ant
twelve.
A Methodist pastor states that
while his whole society expended in /;
year only eight hundred and forty-on
dollars for the support of the Gospe
and other church and mission work
sixty-seven of his church member
during the same time expended eigh
| hundred and forty-fve dollars for to
bacco.
At a Methodist Episcopal confer
ence held in Massachusetts,, a fev
years since, Bishop Harris is said t
have expressed the opinion that ''th
Methodist Church spends more fo
chewing and smoking than it give
toward converting the world
In a small New England towr
where the people felt too poor to sus
, tain a minister more than half th
time, the three traders in the tow
sold every year four and half tons Q
tobacco!
l Three hundred dollars year for tc
| bacco, and three dollars for Bibl,
t tract, and mission purposes! On
| hundred dollars for tobacco, and on
3 dollar for missions! Eighty dollar
+ for tobacco, and twenty-five cents fc
;, home missions! Yet these are br
7 samples of almost numberless case
: What record to appear on the hea'
: emily ledger.
The destruction of property frol
a fires oecasioned by throwing away tt
/, ends of cigars, or matches used
u llg ghting them, comes properly undo
this head. 1t is impossible, of cours
n to ascertain how many fires, large ar