Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-04

| - s-S AAIuOi tiaiAS, biat JcuIhaL
Directly and indirectly, this country
spends in the liquor traffic every year
"sum exceeding half the national debt.
'' The cost of that traffic to the country,
"direct and indirect, is greater than the
"proft of all its capital not invested in
"real estate. 1t costs every year more
than our whole civil service, our army.
"our navy, our Congress, including the
River and Harbor and Pension bills, our
wasteful local governments, and all ma.
tIonal, state, county and local debts, be-
"sides all the schools in the country. In
:" fact this nation pays more for liquor
" than for every function OF every kind of
government. How ia a question of that
" size to be put aside with sneer?"
The proofs of this are not far to seek.
The consumption of ale aud beer last wear
was about $1,000, 600 barrels, the cost of
which to the consumers was not less than
$3.50, OG0. 900. The consumption CT whisky
last year was about 20, 600 900 gallons, the
cost OF which to the consumers was not
less than S3O3, 900, 900. Add a moderate
estimate for wines, and it will be seen that
the American people must have spent for
drinks in that one yesr to exceed $500 600.
| OOO; and the entire sum raised by taxes of
all UNCONSTITUTIONAL, State, county, city.
town and school districts stated On the
authority of the Census Bureau to be not
more than 100000, 600. Thus it appears
that at very moderate estimate the coun.
try spends upon drink at least 500, OOO.-
900 more than the whole system of govern.
ment costs, including education, police,
! and everything else. Astonishing as these
| figures are, however, We have only reached
the Threshold of tie subject when we
have ascertainei the direct cost of the
liquor traffic. The indirect cost is an i'm.
post SO tremendous that it may be seriously
doubted whether the vitality of our institu.
tons is sufficient to make head against it
for any considerable period.
The first and most obvious of the indi-
rect evils accruipg from this cause is the
production of crime and immortality.
There are no full statistics for the whole
country obtainabls on this head, but it is
possible to form an approximate estimate
from the data obtained in certain localities.
A very thorough inquiry has been made in
Massachusetts by the Bureau Of Statistics.
under authority from the Legislature, and
the conclusion reached is that 81 per cent.
of all the crime and criminal expenditure
in that State is attributable directly to the
use of liquor. It is further calculated that
5 per cent of all the able.bodied men in
the country are incapacitated for continu-
GUS work, or made paupers of, by the same
evil, and that by this means a sum of
$500, 0C0, 000is lost annually to production.
Here, then, we have definite loss of
81, 900 600, 600 annually caused by the
liquor traffic, ana yet we have only so far
dealt with considerations which are capa-
BILE of being represented by statistics.
Above and beyond all such mere money
losses must be reckoned the appalling ag-
gregate Of misery which the abuse of H.
toxicants produces. This cannot be meas.
ured by dollars and cents, bat it represents
most insidious, far-reaching and dreadful
evil.
1t seems indeed, when we 50 much as
glance at the salient facts of the temperance
question, mere stupid beating of the air
for any people to expend their energies and
intelligence in political reform agitation, in
attempting to improve the general condi-
ton of society, in efforts to diminish crime
and to raise the standard OF morals, with
out taking into account these startling and
pregnant facts. OF what use, it may well be
| asked, is all the modern rage for the organ
ization of Labor OF what use are Trades
Unions and Associations so long as in all
their calculations and epdeavors to elevate
the working classes, they ignore the almost
Incredible waste which those classes are
yearly and monthly committing in the pur-
chase and consumption OF intoxicants
With what show of consistency can a na-
| ton which spends a thousand million dol
lars year in drink, attempt to discover the
causes of pauperism and Indulgence in the
inequalities of social conditions? What
can be clearer thaa the fact that the
real cause and explanation of nine-tenths
of all the poverty that exists in the country
is the blind and incorrigible self-indulgence
of the masses? For what does the enor-
nous capital annually wasted upon drink
represent? Il asaursdly represents the
earnings of labor more than anything else.
1t is the working classes who every year
pay this vast tax for the qualification of an
appetite which leads to ruin. This 81, 0O0,-
600, 900 is so much withdrawn from the
Savings Banks, from investment in home
steads, from the purchase of those luxuries
and reGnements which elevate their pos.
SCISSORS, from the education of children,
from the Rainy Day fund, from the surplus
earnings of those who never can afford to
be extrsvagsnt.
Aud when thinking men and women re-
feet upon these facts when they realize
that, as the Tribune says, "the entire
earnings Of the people and all additions
to their wealth are not twice as much as
"the sum expended for liquor and because
"of the abuse of liquor !" it is certain
that they will feel more and more the need
of remedial action. No man can fail to
perceive that if by any means this fright
full waste can be stopped, and the fund
now worse than thrown away be reclaimed
for sane and useful purposes, the problem of
the extinction of pauperism may be solved.
1t is clear that the nation produces an
nually wealth enough to furnish all with a
competence. 1t is clear that even If half the
amount now squandered could be saved
the most unprecedented strides in civiliza-
ton would become possible. 1t is also to
be noted that the political features of this
question are scarcely less serious than the
social features, for tina. the liquor traffic is
! net only debauching and impoverishing