The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-02-03
THINK OF IT.

have been receiving much consideration
of late, and it is to be hoped no small
amount of good will result from the agi-
tatiou. Not only is the use of strong
drink injurious to the persons who i'm
bibe, demoralizing to the communities in
which they live, and terrible in their
curse upon the inebriate's family, but it
is sn enormous and total waste. The
man who drinks whiskey. wine or beer
gets no more nourishment for his money
than he could obtain by drinking the
pure, sparkling water which is so freely
given by the Creator to all his creatures.
It may not be generally known, but is
nevertheless true, that alcohol aud malt
hare almost absolutely no nutrition.
The human system which never secretes
alcohol in any form, and cannot assim:-
late it at all, is obliged to consume a por-
tion of its energy and vitality in throw
ing this foreign substance off, and, Of
course, the more man drinks the greater
will be the tax upon his constitution to
get rid of it. Experiments made some
years ago by Leibig, the celebrated Ger
man scientist, proved that q barrel of
beer does not contain, outside of the
water, as much nourishment as the flour
that can be placed on the point of apen.
knife. When this is true, the question is
why do men drink? 1t dnes not make
them any better, nor happier, nor wiser,
nor richer. It does not make them any
better citizens nor more valuable mem.
bers of society. 1t has host of evils,
and is without anything like an approx.
mate benefit.
Men see this; they admit it; and yet
they drink. Not only do they drink, but
the terrible habit is on the increase. 1t
is difficult to conceive the full extent Of
the use of Intoxicating drinks. The Re
taller, which is the organ of the brewers,
says: During 1880 taxes were paid on
lS,S74,O0O barrels, or 414,00O, 900 gallons.
This is equivalent to about $50 mugs for
every man, woman and child in the coun.
try. Leaving out the females and chill
dren, this vast quantity represents 600
glasses year for each male over 81 years
old in the United States. When we con-
slider the very large number of adult
males who drink no beer at all, and the
other host who partake of it only in the
most moderate manner, and at more or
less protracted intervals, it is evident that
some other Americans must drink great
deal. At FIVE cents a glass this beer
manufacture of 1880 brought 1876, ,000,-
600, or about $3.50 per capita for every
man, woman and child. This is quar-.
ter more than the total expenses of run
mag the United States Government" !"
Think of it! The beer which pays taxes
in one year would retail at near four mils
lion dollars. How much is made with
out paying the tax? How much wine,
how much brandy, how much whiskey,
how much rum and how much ale is con.
sumed in the same time? The sum
would be many times as great. This ex-
bibit not only shows the wastefulness of
intemperance, but it also shows what
little things can do. Five and ten cents
drink in the United States alone raises
billions of dollars every year. This
money, if saved, could do so much good,
and make so many poor people happy,
that it is a national sin to waste it in
strong drink.