Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-11-07
The Liquor Traffic.

The extent and expense Of the liquor
traffic in Great Britain, the United
States and Canada is enormous. About
onc-scventh Of the grain of Great
Britain is wasted on this traffic, when
when thousands Of people are on the
verge Of starvation ana living in alb
ject poverty. In the United Kingdom
81, ,659, 900 bushels Of grain are de-
stroyed yearly to make beer. l00,-
600, coo bushels of grain are annually
destroyed in the Anglo-SaXon world,
which would give two barrels of -four
to every family in England, the
United States and Canada during the
year During the last seven years the
large total has been spent of $751;
600, 600, or 1900, 600, 600 more than
the national debt Of Great Britain
And this was not all, for it cost at
least 900, 000, 600 more to pay for the
mischief .hat it caused. That gave a
cost Of t2ll GOO, 600, or about 81 200,-
100000 yearly for their drink bill 1t
said that there are about 200,000
places in Great Britain where liquor is
sold, and these are probably doing
more to hinder Gods cause than the
40 coo ministers Of religion can do to
advance IT, As the result, mainly Of
intempcrance, they have nearly 5000
0OO applying yearly for parish reliet
in that wealthy country; 50, coo in
mates in their asylums; 10000 con-
victcd Of crime at least 250, 600 va
grants roaming about the country !;
and about 10000 brought annually
to premature grave. And these
liquor shops are sanctioned by law to
lead away the people from God, from
happiness and heaven. Thus the
liquor traffic Of Great Britain costs
as much as would support coo 600
missionaries at 81, 200 year; 500,-
coo schoolmasters at $500; build
: 600 churches at $4,000; 5000
-choUlhouses at 1900; would give 10
the world 200OOO,OOO of Bibles at
twenty-five cents each and 500, OOO,-
GOO Of tracts at 81 per 100; would
give 100, 600 widows 500 year and
2JO,OO0 poor families $50 year. In
short, would provide a machinery that
would eyangclize the world in short
time, or pay off the national debt in
four years.
In the United States there are 49,
600 places where intoxicating liquor
was sold, involving a direct outlay and
waste OF not less than 500, 200, 600, aud
an indirect loss to the country. by
crime, pauperism, etc, Of 5700, 900, 600
more; and this results in the dcstruc-
ton Of 100, 600 lives yearly In the
State Of Maine, before prohibition,
there was one drunkard for every fifty
five Of the population, and one million
gallons Of spirits were distilled anDu-
ally, while the liquor bill amounted to
$40, O,O00,O 600. Since prohibition there
is not distiIlory or brewery in the
State, the recent sale Of liquor amount
ing TO the mere fraction Of the former
quantity sold whereas the death rate
had beea reduced to one in 300 Of her
population.
In 1881 there were in operation in
the United States 3,2l0 distillerics
These consumed 81 ,29l 1870 bushels Of
grain, with an aggregate production
Of III, ,73S, $50 gallons of proof spirits.
For the fiscal year ending 30th June,
1881, the total amount OF revenue TO
the national treasury from distilled
spirits was $GI,l53,77483; for the
same period the total revenue from fer
mcutcd liquors amounted to $l3,700,-
2il.2O. The beer production Tor the