Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-10-03

S., $50 more, and makes over S21 900 to be
properly added to the So. 40 that we pay
for our drinks, and which would make a
total of 500, $40. That we may be sure
not to put it too high. we will throw OFF
the 49, 44O, and then we have left ninety
Utousnud dollars, which our liquor traffic
actually costs us in Il single year.
Is it any wonder that we have hard
times? There should be added to this
cost the amount that it takes to support
the paupcrs made by intemperance, and
to board and try the criminals made in
the same way. How much this is. am
unable intclligently to estimate, but we
all know that it is a good deal. I asked
one of our Justices of the Peace the other
day, what proportion of the cases which
came before him for trial, were caused
more or less directly by strong drink. His
reply was "a very large proportion.
might almost say all Of them." and he
added, the cost Of prosecuting them is
much more than the amount they pay in
for fines"
It costs less than $10,0 900 year to sup
port all the churches in Austin, and
800, 900 to support the saloons 1t costs
about Sc, 600 a year to support the schools
of Austin and 100000 for the saloons
1t costs about $4,000 year to meet the
working expenses of the CITY, including
interest on the bonds and 800, 900 to main
tain the saloons And what do we get in
return for this 800, 900 that we pay out for
this traffic? What is the consideration TO
this community for such an outlay? I
mean the money consideration. We all
know what else we get. We get drunk.
enness, we get crime. we get ruined lives,
and who shall estimate the worth of life
to itself: who shall measure to us the differ
ence to itself between life corrupted and
ruined by strong drink, and the same life
developed TO its best capacity? We get in
return for this traffic tears, the tears of
desolate widows, and more desolate wives.
We get the woe of helpless children who
cry for comfort-that comfort of the
heart, that comes from sympathy and ten.
derness. as well as for comfort of the
body. We get all these in return for our
outlay.
But, as this is discussion of the tinan-
cial aspect of the question, what do we
get back in money! Thirteen saloons
pay license fee each of $780, which
would amount to 81, $50, over against the
500. 900 which they cost us. And that is
all we get in return from them in money:
and even if the license fee We're $400, as
it is in Albert Lea. it would amount to
but a little over $4,000. a mere trifc COM
pared with the cost But. it will be said
by some one. 1T makes trade" 1t will
be said that this money which is paid for
strong drink. is not thereby annihilatcd ;
it is put into circulation rather 1t is an
exchange of wealth, and not the annihila-
ton of it. Now, if any man uses such an
argument as that. 1t is evident he has
never studied Political Economy. One
principle of political economy is that
money is not in itself, wealth, but only
the representative of wealth. Suppose
that our nation were the only one on
earth, and that we had in our possession
a hundred billions of coin, of gold and
ment, not house, not a mouthful of food,
not manufacturing establishment, nor
an implement of use, would our money,
in such case, be wealth? Can we eat or
drink coin? Can we wear gold or silver?
Barley is wealth. and corn is wealth, be-
cause they minister to human want but
when they are converted into beer and
whiskey, they are practically annihilatcd,
because they are turned into that which
does not minister to human want. And
hence, the money spent for it is practi-
cally annihilated.
Another pri nciplc of political economy
is, that mere exchange is not wealth.
Exchange does not always imply gain or
increase of wealth. If you exchange
your labor or your money, for that which
is of no real value to you, you lose instead
of gaining. And the same is true of the
community. Suppose that this county
were to pay 100000 for the new court
house, and that when it is completed
we set fire to it and burn it. would it not
be throwing away of the money? And
is it not just as truly thrown away when
it is spent for liquor, which is of no value to
the community? You might say that the
money paid for the court house is in ex-
istence. and that the rearing of that struc-
ture contributed to the circulation of the
money even if we should burn it when
completed. But do you not see that if
we do not burn it. not only is the 100000
900 which the building is worth, is also in
existence? That is we have just doubled
the amount. But if it should be burned
to the ground, we should have added
nothing to the wealth of the community,
and the money which might have been
spent IN a useful manner has been thrown
away. And it is precisely SO when the
community spends 5000 for intoxicat-
ing drinks. 1t spends money, not only for
what is worthless, as a court house in ashes
would be, but for that which is positively
harmful. 100000 spent for clothing or
groceries adds to the wealth of the com
munity, because these things minister to
human necessity, and are means to
future production of wealth by human
labor, but when it is spent for that which
we do not need, it is practically thrown
away. If it were not for the liquor traffic
this 500, 900 which the community pays
for whiskey and beer, would still be cir.
culated, and in a manner to enrich all
concerned. The money which men spend
now for these things, they would spend
for things useful and ornamental.
They would spend it for lumber, and have
better buildings. They would spend it
for clothing, and dress better. They
would spend it for groceries, and live bet
ter. They would buy more books and
newspapers and be more intelligent.
thus they would enrich themselves, while
at the same time they were contributing
to the wealth of the community.
No man can keep II saloon and pay his
bar tender and his clerks, and the expen-
SEES of his family, without robbing at leass
20 families of his customers of the neces-
sites and comforts of life. The result it
that the saloon and one family it sup
ports, are sustained at the expense of
making 20 families destitute. But in any
productive industry the man who lives by
selling poison could support his own
family without robbing others. And the
grocer, and the dry goods merchant and
the mechanic would get the money which
is now worse than wasted. In whatever
way you look at it the money paid out
here for intoxicating drinks is dead loss
to the community. We have our poverty
by this craft. No man in his senses can
deny it.
1t is strange principle to go upon that
the worst evils must be permitted in order
to prosper as community. To do that
is to distrust righteousness and truth
altogether. 1t is to say that God has con
structed this world on false basis; that
sin is the basis of success and happiness :;
that God himself is in league with iniquity;
that truth has lost it's power. 1t is to
contradict the word of God; that
Righteousness exalteth nation, and
that sin is reproach to any people,"
Oh that we might learn, both as COM
munities and individuals, that nothing
T.. Al