National Republican., 1883-06-01

The amount of money expended for alco-
holic drinks during the same year in round
numbers is $S00,000000. 1t is evident, there.
fore, that IN about six and one-fourth years
we would consume in drink tho value Of all
the railways; in twelve years the entire
value of all our farms; in two and one-half
years the entire value of all our cattle; in
eight and one-fourth years the entire value
of all our manufactures in six and one-half
years the entire value Of all the furniture; in
three and one-half years the entire value of
all our forests, mines, and canals in less than
one year the entire value of all our bullion
in less than nine months tho entire value of
all our shipping in six and one-half years
the entire value of all our public works, &C.;
and in sixteen and one-fourth years the entire
value of all our homes. The same authority
places the value of all property in the United
States in round numbers at $50, 100000. If
then we spend $500, 200, 900 a year-and we do
for alcoholic drinks, in sixty-two and one
half years we would drink up the entire
value of everything at the present time in
the United States; so that If nothing were
produced during these sixty two and one-haf
years, everything of value would have gone
into drink.
In 1882 the average number Of men each
month employed in this state by the Central
Pacific railway and its leased lines was 1890,
and the amount of money paid to them, ex-
elusive of the presidents and directors sala-
S64o each. During the same year there was
about an equal number of men keeping the
lirensed and unlicensed gin mills in the state,
depending chiefly upon the laboring men of
the state for their support. Thus in ten years
thu Central Pacific railway will have paid to
labor tn, sum of $79,200,000 while the gin
mills during the same time will have con-
sumed at least $210,000,000. and turned out
upon the streets of San Francisco to be ar
rested by the police 100000 drunkards, and
God only can tell how many paupers, and
| lunatics and broken hearted women, and
starving children. These figures are true.
They cannot be denied or refuted. Almost
every state and city has similar record
If the civilization OF the age could take
hold Of such an argument as is involved in
this simple statement, and carry 1t into prac-
tlcHl politics as dollars-and- d-cents question,
great results would be obtained. The Rescue
has drawn some fanciful figures from the rum
statistics. which follow in the line of these
reflections:
|, The cost of alcoholic drink-not estimating
the cJnsequences-to the United States is, at
the least estimate, $500, ,0iO. That is the
|. estimate from the amount of whisky and beer
Which is reported to the revenue and customs
authorities 1t is quite likely that, adding
the price of what is smuggled and in various
ways defrauds the revenue, what is made of
drugs and adulterations, and also including
the money stolen from drunken men by bar
keepers and gamblers, the cash cost of our
annual liquor bill is S1,00o,000, 0,000-a sum
that, not very long ago. might have purchased d
about half the world. But, to be inside, let
us call the sum $500,000000. With this we
could have
York, at $4,000 mile ie............... sl5oOOo,OOo
Another from Chicago to New Orleans. 20,000OO0
Mexican line ..........'.,............ @ 100000
territcfy ....................... " @ 100000
in each state and scrritOry 100000
China. .................... 100000
Brazil. 1O,OOOO 900
ITALIA. 100000
| A government lina of steamers to VAL
paraiso Observation-Disclosures. lO,OOOOOO
Canal across Isthmus OF ofTehuantspec.. 1O0,O0),O00
|
| 1851, 900, 900