The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-03-03
nena,.,,mcut In a New Form.
correspondence OF the Richmond Dlspatch.J
Gar ru Va February %. 1881 :.

SALEM, VA, February 90, 1881.
Rev. L. q. NJ. Miller, pastor Of the Luthe
ran church, preached last evening an inter
cstiug sermon on The subject OF liquor
traffic and drunkenness. Tile sermon was
one az facts and figures. IL may be inter
esting 10 give brie fly some OF these facts
compiled from high authorities, official Ie'
ports, &c. The amount invested IN liquor
| Traffic in the United STATES was Estimated ~
one thousand million dollars! upwards ol
seuen hundred million dollars being spent
annually by the people for drink! rms i
an average Of sSl.74 for each family IN INC
| United States. There were shown to DC
| (s76l about $4,000 persons employed ~
the traffic, the number OF habltual drunk
ards being about 100000. The productive
loss TO the nation was estimated at about
thirteen hundred million dollars, which eX'
ceeds by about fifty million dollars tue total
amount OF wages paid In the United STATES,
not including care for The sick, insane
idio,ic. &c. As was shown. our eXpcndi'
lures for liquor in twenty-five years exceeds
| the to'al present value Of all real ana per-
sona property constituting the wealth OF
the people. Mr. Miller gave bis authority
for these estimates, and made extended
reference TO statistics and opinions given IN
bubble documents, especially the congress
sional Record fer 1876. Dr. Haygood,
PR sidcnt Of Emory College, Georgia, was
also referred 10 In connection with DIS
"Plea for Prohibition" which gives some
interesting accounts OF successful "IocaI'
option" fights.
| The inuor question has become topic OIL
discussion in Roanoke. As centre OF ecu.
cational influence the people are beng calleu
to action. In the January issue OF the hod'
nOk,e COliegidn, the organ OF Roanoke Coi'
lege, attention was called 10 the frequent
violation OF the law in the sale OF liquor 10
min0rs-cspeci lily to stud' MS OF tue cor
Iege. In the February issue OF tue C0"e
gidn, now at the press, there VIII appear i
second article on the subject OF Liquor
Drinking and Local Option" when VIII ho
doubt starte some OF our people VINO are
ignorant Of the ruin which rum l. WOrkin2
io the institutions OF our State. The sac
aud consumption Of alcoholic drink
seen 10 be a curse upon the country
not only in moral and social INJURY &c
each rising generation, but also III
1.-the manifest Impoverished OF Oui
educational enterprises. II is an interest
;ny fact Cmake out OF it what you please
that in Kansas, where prohibition law y,
now n uart OF the state Constitution and
suunortcd by The civil courts, a liberal APP
nrc niiaiion for the state University Is rati'
| fed by the senate "frcely and with Few
objections" We have estimated the tot1I
amount OF The appropriations given in de-
tail in the last issue Of the Kansas (UOlver-
,ity) ReUielc the total is lu>t the amouni
which our own Stale University called for a
,holt time since, aud which made quite a
STIR in the Rtaiiustcr ranks. Whether
there was anything besides "a stir" your
CORES pondent Is hardly able TO say. But
he schools Of Virginia to-day are in want
Of bread TO cat and clothes to put on. ana her
ldiyinely-appOinted guardians are pouring
the wealth OF thi, State down their iDsai iltc
throalS to feed consuming appetite. i II
| not time for another Reimbursement -: II
| Virginia NUT bear the name OF reputation
upon her brow. should il not be- the radical
Reputation II her crying eYi!-lnt"mper-
ance? In the name Of the youth who are
congrcgatcd at our schools ana colleges, let
the cry % up for rCadiuslment OF the
Iiquor debt. our people are being taxed to
death to pay their rum bills, ard hundreds
of our youth are not being educated, and
those at our colleges are being led daily 10
ruin.
! In Roanoke we want " lOcal-Oplion y
| law TO keep the temptation 10 drink more
elieclualIy away from the boys OF the col
| lfgc. VIII not the press and pulpit OF the
| STATE lend their aid in this movement
BUSHNELL.