The Dillon tribune., 1884-10-18
&C. TT. DEPARTMENT.
l, There Il Temperance Question
W. 5. I,. MATTHEWS

oySrW lelllllIiSiN s''''"@"N'"''|' A''S WIZ
sumption of wine, beer and spirits in the
! .red States far exceeds the sum OF 5000
,,o, 600 annually This estimate rests up.
=, fine following data among others: In
,ss, the government collected its 90 cents
F., GALLON upon about s.,6;,:,Y7, gallons OF
,;r,,w,,s. All of this liquor is consumed
!, america. exported liquor paving no
.,...,ne tax. In the opinion OF the revenue
officials, ninetv-nine percent OF it is drunk:
medicine and the arts using only one per
cent OF. the annual production. The con-
sinners paid ,or this liquor at prices rang.
mo from between >" and SIG !, gallon.
rh. latter is the price paid ior single drinks
,t /; cents each over "iir>t.clas> bar.
The ordinary drink is Il 'luid ounce, some
ar;oker, taking more. some less. The bar
keeper, digger" in which he measures the /
liquor for mixed drinks. holds an o';nce.
Ten cents a drink gives Si..So Il gallon.
This gives more than S0W'ooo,ooo as the ,
drink bill. have also left lary. margin to |
offset the big drinks.
have omitted all counting OF !ernsntcd
liquors, the government tax upon which,
amounting to con>dcrabl, less that 10 per
cent. upon their retail value. amounts to
sl6,ooo,61L wear. The revenue from inn
ported wines and spirits amounts to Sl..'
;;6S6y more. Taking thi, IL, a quarter OF
the final retail value of the goods. have
in these two items for ter,ncntet liquors
S1,s,S6S.G,p. and for imported liquors
Sso,,.7,+76, or Il total OF Sl7h.l9h,16" to
cover shrinkagc in the estimate derived
from the tax upon spirits There is still
further the very large and constantly in
crr:sin" production oi' native wines to be
taken into :.rcount. Therefore. in default
Of precise knowledge, let us take Sgoo,'xo,-
COO annually as Il safe minimum OF the
drink money OF the United States.
confess that do not understand tic
significance OF the >tul,endou> sum which
the figures have given me. 1t exceeds the
S4,xooo,ooo of national taxation for all
purposes, plus about S.ooooo,ooo Tor State
PURPOSES, plus !, margin OF SStp.otN.no to
apply upon county and municipal taxation.
1t exceeds the gross value Of the wheat
crop, $t07nSI4I, plus the gross value ot
the cotton crop. S.4.,l+n0S7, and has to
spare about enough to cover hat the ted
cral taxation for 4 year. The government
revenue from distilled. termcnted' and inn
ported liquors amounts to SloS.7Sh,:so Il
year. This sum. which represents Hot
over one.nintl oi what the people pay tor
drink. almost equals the entire aggregate
value of our importation> OF wool and
woo'cn>, S:S,,o44,+++: silk andit> "ro-uci>
Sss.so7,ll:: and linen, S:.,osS, 'y'---tota
Sro6,4 ,4+o,4+7. Was there ever so thirsty :
race, There is NO possible. hypothesis
which can excuse such Il colossal and ut
tcrlv worthless consumption OF value.
The moral argument i equally over
whelming Drink occasions >onicthin!
like tour.tiith> oi our paupcri>n. about two
thirds of the insanity. and ahoht iuur-tith
of the vice and cri,nr. Or ii we admit
doubt in the latter cast. it can ." II" lu'
,her than TO 81, that crime and drink are 81
intcrminslvd tina, it i perhaps not quit
possible to say which j. thc cause AM
which the effect. n: prc>en, 'l'c nnu> i
On drink, Tor when drink has been ha,ii>'
cd from a society crinv has laryel. @o1'
With it. and this in spite %; .ac he'ca'ar
tendency to crime which drinking anre'
tors NAV have cnt,.ilra upon u>. Drin
breaks down moral character by tn
wholesale. but need not 20 int" :i'i
Even the ru,nsell.s> admit hat drink Ga
easily he abused
More than this. drink is the greatest c'',
my to civil service reform. and % rnr
municipal and national government. Sons
time ago this question occurred t" NIX
Why docs it happen that wc always com
upon the whisky interest" in politics
We never hear OF the ''.srv goods interest
the "!umbcr interests etc save When
new tariffs cooking a, Washington. I
municipal affairs, these important ucpar
,nents OF commerce cat 81 small iis,lr
'Iat tlleV are not even 'llSht"'1lct' Al
milk in the COrOau.:t WAS soon !ount
When we have paid thr government il
Slo5.ooo,coo OF drink :aN. and have above
S1u,,ou,oen more ,nr t:ic first cost ct III
stuff (incluting all that the ,arWcr gets &c
his mi>applicd corn, rye. l:rlc., and hop
and all that labor ge;> Tor the >o'ca!le
manufactured ,,r luy.. lt,it about S-CnOot
h coo annually as the Irotit ct the retail e'ea
er> and the mi,ldleucn. In other word
torcvcrv loaf which national and !oca! po
tics has to offer the whisky business h: