Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-02-27
Decrease In Dram Drinking.

II appears that Maine is not the only
State where the consumption of intoxicat
ing liquors is decreasing. Throughout
the country there is a gain upon the tenn
perance side. Temperance agitation and
organization are making inroads every
where upon the army of dram-drinkers.
More light is thrown every year upon the
temperance question, laws to restrict the
sale of liquor are made more effective,
and children are moulded at home. in
school. and in temperance organizations.
so that they are growing up largely tenn
perance men and women. Upon the sub
iect of the universal decrease of DRAM
drinking. we find the following editorial in
the Philadelphia Press of recent date
which we commend to the attention of our
readers.
The consumption Of spirits in the United
States is discussed BY Rev. DR.. ID Dor
chester in q recent issue of the New York
Independent, with the conclusion that the
average per capita consumption was Ave gal
Ions head sixty years ago, and not over two
gallons head now. Temperance advocates.
with more sentiment than sense, will proba-
Div be amazed at this conclusion. but no in.
telligent student of the progress made in the
last sixty years in restricting the evils of
whiskey- drinking will be surprised at this
assertion; agreeing as it does, with all that
10 known on the subject of American dram
drinking. In the last sixty years the produc-
ton Of spirits has not grown as rapidly as
our population, the use of alcohol in the arts
ton per adul, for drinking purposes 10 proba-
bly mach less than half what II was two gem
erations ago.
DR. Dorchester rests his case chiefly on the
records of New England towns. whose con-
sumption Of rum At the opening of the tenn
perancs agitation was something frishtful.
and 10 probably not to be eQuslled today in
the worst slums of our worst cities. Fitch
burg. Mass. in 1928 consumed three and one
half gallons to person; Dudley, in 1926,
six; Shrewsbury Ave, and Wilbrahsm four
In Connecticut, every family ia Salisbury
made away with twenty nine and onehalf
Rallons Of rum year. and Fairfield in 1918
disposed OF ,ix and one-third gallons to
person. These places we're all small villages
Of 400 to 1000 Inhabitants, but the cities
were no better of. Troy. population 10, 600.
consumed -, 9se gallons in 1899. and Boston
and New York had. relatively. and the first
absolutely, more places where liquor is sold
than to-day. The Boston Record, in 1928.
put the national consumption in drink at s5,-
ooo. 900 gallons annually, At least twice what
il /. to-day, with Eve times the population.
Temperance advocates are never verv
ssfe authorities as to the total consump
ton of spirits. The census of lS40 puts the
production Of distilled liquors At about 60
900. 600 gallons. At this early period nearly
all spirits we're drunk. Nearly half Is to-day
used in the arts and. With q population three
time. that Of 1870. the total production in
taxable gallons was only rs. 266 $50. of which
Sd. 99s ,s0& gallons were made up Of high
wines and neutral or cologne spirits, and
lo.7ls. s06 of alcohol. The proportion of
spiri,s for drinking purposes was, IL is true.
relatively less last year because OF the over
production in this direction for three years
before; but the average for the past ten
years is nearer the figures of 1858 than Of
1881. The simple lesson of these facts 10
that, with three times the population. the
United States probably drinks no more
spirits than in 1910. nor to observe this de-
crease is it necessary to 60 back forty years.
Our population has advanced 80 percent
since 1870, the distilled spirits withdrawn for
consumption in 1870, LII. 266. S6S gallons.
was larger than in any year since. If the
average of consumption for the three years.
ls.o-l-s, s5.4l1.oo0 gallone, be compared
With the average for the last three years,
si,ss4, 200 gallons, the advance is barely 5