The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1884-05-03
100000,

| elSn.'... ............... 0,0UV,U UV
Bread ....................5 sos, 00O, 900
Meat 1903, 900, 600
Iron and steel. 200, 100000
Wooden Goods Commence. 237, 200, 900
Sawed lumher ............ 233, DOC, 900
Cotton Goods. ............ 2l0, O00, 900
Boots and Shoes .......... l96, 1000, 600
Sugar and Molasses 5000. l55, ZOO, 900
Educational purposes. 5000, 900
! OF the entire list Of expenditures for
living the liquor account amounts to
nearly twice as much as any other
item. 1t amounts to nearly twice as
much as bread, three times as much as
meat, and ten times as much as educa-
tion. 1t is more than the combined
cost of bread and meat, and as much as
the combined items of bread and iron,
steel, wooden and cotton goods. These
figures are something so enormous as
to invite doubt as to their correct
ness. But if any difference, they are
far below what they should be. One
hundred millions moro could properly
be put on the top of them and they
would still fall below reality. The in
ternal revenue on distilled spirits in
1883 was t75, 1854, IT'S; the rate is 80 cts
a gallon; and the quantity of liquor
taxed is therefore 92,631, 072 gallons.
Some Of this, very small percentage,
was used for scieutlfic and mechanical
purposes, but the most of it was drank
in the murder factories. Sold by the
glass it would cost the consumer about
$500 a gallon. The whole amount, at
this rate, would aggregate $495, 791,-
e32. The same year the tax on fer
mented liquors amounted to SIG, $780,
615, which at 81 per barrel represents
all equal number of barrels containing,
at 81 gallons per barrel, So, 9l9, 065
gallons. At S ceuts per glass and 12
glssses to the gallon, this costs the con-
sumner 1914, 351 ,439. The imported liq-
uors estimated On . similar basis, cost
the consumer at least 500, 000, 900,
| which brings the total cost up to more
than 5000, 900, 600. In this estimate no
account is taken Of native wines, nor
Of liquor, 'tcrooked whisky" and other
which escapes taxation; nor the dis
honest watering of liquors, all Of which
the ragged codsumer pays for az whis-
ky. But let this go to offset that used
in the arts and sciences. These esti-
mates are all too low. There are in q
gallon Of whisky, 40 they average, 100
drinks instead of 60, and 20 glasses of
beer to the gallon instead Of IL, and
the prices average long way above 10
cents. The price Of alcoholic drinks is
never below 10 cents, and it runs up all
the way to 40. At the bars in all the
so-called respectable saloons tho price
for common varieties of whisky is Is
cents, and extra qualities 20 to Is. The
fact that it is all drawn ont Of the same
barrel makes no difference-it is tho
label on the bottle that fixes the price.
1t is perfectly safe to add another $780,
GOO, 900 to this estimate, and to put the
actual expenditure of the people of the
ffinited States for alcoholic stimulants
ut One THOUSAND MILLIONS OF DOL
LARS! In this there is no account Ia
ksn of the direct cost resulting from
the use Of liquors. Add to it the loss
to the country in the impaired capacity
for labor of rum and beer drinkcrs.-
Add to it ninety per cent of the courts
and police. Add to it the cost of ever
recurring riots, like that in Cincinnati,
which would be impossible without
rum. Add to it the cost of . very large
per cent of the expenditures for insane
asylums, poor houses, penitebtiaries,
houses of correction and reformatories
of all kinds. Add to it the cost Of the
trials Of murderers and of executions,
ninety per cont of whirh is to be car
ried to this already enormous account.
Add to it the cost to tho country of the
rotten political rings, all of which are
baseb upon rum and topped out by it.
Add to it the cost of maintaining the
hordes of gamblers, thieves, prosti-
tutes, and in fact the entire criminal
class who are FIRST brought to vice and
criminality by rum and who afterward
depend upon it as their chief stay
These additions make an array of fig-
ures entirely beyond human under
standing. and this is only = part Of the
money account. vsst q Is this there
are other effects that ase fhs beyond it.
Ado to this money loss the blighting,
yearly, of the lives of Thousands upon
thousands of the best mon and women
of the country. Add to it the cold
thearthstones, the shoeless women, the