The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1883-05-17
THE DRINK CURSE.

taken from the Safeguard" depart
ment of the Boston Christian. Such
startling statistics should be continually
sounded in the ears and placed before
the eyes of the people:
1.-The drink curse in its magnitude ex-
ceeds our powers of comprehension, and
many seem to suppose that the state
ments made concerning it are simply
rhetorical exaggerations. They forget
that the statistics of production, license
and taxation are easily accessible, and
often afford basis for very careful and
reasonable estimates of the extent of the
drink curse.
''For the year ending June, 1877, the
1858 retail liquor-dealers in the Uni
ted States paid S25 tax each, aggregat-
ing $3,S40,45 DR.. Hargreaves esti-
mates that these dealers will average
among their patrons four confirmed in
ebriates apiece; this would give total
of 614,472 drunkards. Suppose the av-
erage life of these drunkards to be ten
years, which is large allowance, this
would give us 81 ,447 persons killed an
nually by strong drink. Suppose that
we allow that for each of these 614,472
drunkards in the land there were nine
moderate and habitual drinkers, this
would make total of 6,144, ,720 drink
ers, or about one-eighth of the popu-
lation of the entire United States. Sup
pose those each expended 800 per year
for strong drink which would only al
low each saloOn-keeper business of
about S20 per week, with which to buy
his liquors, pay his rent and support his
family, we should then have an ex-
penditure for strong drink amount
ing to S614,472. Surely this is very
moderate estimate.
According to the careful computa-
tions of Dr. Hargreaves, from the best
available sources of information, the
drink bill of the United States
for single year costs, to con-
sumers alone, the immense aggre-
gate of S735, 720, ,04S! According to the
United States census of 1870 the total
amount of wages paid by all the manu-
featuring establishments for the year
preceding was but $775, ,584, ,343, not
quite $40,00O,000 more than the sum
paid alone for strong drink. The year.
" cost of all our schools, public and
private, of all grades, is less than one
sirth our drink bill! Add to the direct
money outlay for strong drink its indi-
rect cost to the Nation in taxation for
the pauperism, disease and crime of
which it is so prolific cause, and which
the property of the Nation is taxed to
pay, and the immense aggregate is un-
doubtedly doubled-or nearly $780,
100000 year.
Recent statistics show that there
are in the United States ~, 2,459 churches
or assemblies of worshiperS; but there
are 143, ,115 saloons and dram-shops; the
dram-shops being nearly twice as nu-
merous as the churches, and being in
operation daily and nightly, while the
churches are closed most of the time.
There are S3,627 preachers of the Cos
pei, to teach men the ways of truth and
righteousness, but there are $685.
liquor dealers to beguile them and lead
them astray in paths of sin and intem-
perance! There are 1886 Sunday
schools and 141, 629 day-schools, con-
tanning 7,2O9,9Ss pupils and .221, ,O42
teachers. Against the 304, 1863 preach
ers and teachers who are endeavoring
to enlighten and instruct the people, we
have sos, 900 liquor sellers who are en-
deavoring night and day to undo their
good work. Weaverage one dram-shop
to every fifty scholars in the public
schools.
"In 1877 the United States used
9,123, 756 barrels of beer. In 1878 the
amount was increased to 9,437, 1861 bar
rels, an average of about "a glasses of
beer for each man, woman and child in
the United States. The consumption of
malt liquor in this country has in
creased over 100 per cent. in ten years.
During $780, says the Retailer, the
organ of the brewers, taxes were paid
on 13,374,OOO barrels, or 414,000,000
gallons. This is equivalent to about
$50 mugs for every man, woman and
child in the country. Leaving out the
females and children, this vast quantity
represents 600 glasses year for each
male over twenty-one years old in the
United States. At five cents a glass,
this beer manufacture of 1880 brought
1915, ,000, 900, or about $3.50 per capita
for every man, woman and child. This
is quarter more than the total ex-
penses of running the United States
Government
lin the year 1870, there were 400. 900
more persons engaged in the liquor
business in the United States than in
preaching the Gospel and teaching
school. As result of the dram sell
ing. probably 10000 persons were sent
to drunkard's graves and more than
100000 children reduced to want. 1t
has been estimated that the ministers
of the United States cost annually $12,-
600, 900; the lawyers, criminals and
prisoners. $90.000,OO0, for which ex-
pense strong drink is chiefly response
BILE. In Pennsylvania, in the year 1870,
there was spent for liquors 152,66S,-
495; for schools and teaching, $685.
729. There were 78,800 persons en-
gagged in the liquor business; and Pa
900 criminals, four-fifths of whom were
made so by strong drink.
"There are in the United States 5000
distilleries, $500 breweries and 1880
Wholesale liquor stores, which gives us
an average of one preacher to every six
rumsellers, and ten churches to every
nineteen rum shops. The entire annu-
al contributions and expenditures for