Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-01-18
The Reasons.

Ii any one desires to know Why there
SHOULD be crusade against Whiskey, the
reasons are at hand-they are many,
they are plain, they are so strong that
no candid person can escape their force.
Look at the wasted resources of this
country.by reason of this curse Take
our own State first. By careful esti-
mate iE has been found that $1,000 900
are spent yearly by our people for liquor
as beverage. It is safe to say that for
every dollar spent for strong drink two
must De added for consequences, such as
loss OF time, injury to business, sickness,
pauaerism. cost of police, and criminal
proceedings. We have, therefore, the
sum Of S36 000 600 paid by the people of
Virginia yearly for whiskey aud its re-
suits. How long can we endure this?
The census of 1870 gave the value of
live stock in the State at $29 600 900, not
enough to balance our whiskey bill by
So, 900, GOO. Our wheat crop was put
down at 5000, 900 bushels, and at 81 per
bushel would, with the live stock, lust
pay our liquor bill.
In 1878, DR.. Ruffner, Superintendent
OF Public instruction, estimated the cost
of running the State government, in
Guiding $4,000 900 interest on the public
debt, aG So SOC. 900, but we paid for our
whiskey and its results $4,000, 900.
The total value of all farm products in
the State was D little over S51 ,00O, 600;
out of this and other resources we paid
ia liquor bill of S36, 100000.
This sad picture is for Virginia. Now
let US look at other States, ana the coun.
try at large.
Gov. DIX, of New York, said in an
annual message that infefnDerauce was
the cause of four fifths of ali the crime,
pauperism and domestic trouble of that
great State.
Gov. CASTOR, of Massachusetts, said
that intemperance had been the prolific
source of poverty, wretchsdness, and
crime, in that State, and that its progress
every where herald- only misfortune,
misery, and degradation.
Charles Buxton, in the British Parlia-
ment, said Add together all the mise
ries generated in our times by war, fam
inc, and pestilence, the three great
scourges of mankind, and they will not
exceed those that spring from this one
calamity.
John Bright said The love of strong
drink is the greatest obstacle to the diff
fusion of education among the masses of
the people. This is not less tyue of this
country than of England,
'SAJ ~" POASOho hoNC any JuSb lucts
of the cost to this country of liquor
drinking and its kindred vices. In 1870
the Census showed that the wages paid
in all the manufactures Of the country
amounted to $775, 900, ,000-church pro-
perty was valued at S354 900, 000-we
paid for education S95, 600, 600, and the
value of public libraries was 81 ,OOO, 900,
while we paid S6S2, 900, 900 for intoxicat-
ing drinks. When we reached 1872 this
was increased to 100000, 600, and has
been on the increase ever since. In 1877
the actual cost of liquors at the manu-
factories was S720, 100000, and with our
imported liquors the amount reached
the sum of $3.50, 200, ,000-now multiply
this by three and you will have the
enormous sum spent for liquor and its
results in this country in each year.
There are 40, 100000 bushels of grain
used yearly in the process of distillation,
making whiskey for our army of 600,0 900
drunkards and our still greater army of
moderate drinkers. This grain, if made
into bread. would make 600 600, 600 four
pound loaves and furnish each family in
the entire country seve1ty-nine loaves
but instead of this, whaG does it give?
We answer, poverty, rags, pauperism,
suffering, cold, hunger, nakedness,
prostitution, crime, nues, criminal
courts, prisons, and penitentiares, until
the sum swells to the astounding outlay
of FoU RTEEN HUNDRED, MILLIONS A
YEAR,!
This deUouring monster must die
Southern Crusader.