Sword and shield. (Clinton, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1885-06-20
no. "a
Size Of the Temperance Question.


estly commend it to the consldera-
ton of the eliminating" CONNER
.eial Herald, State Ledger, Southern
Reveille, and as many others as need
the cobwebs cleared from their eyes.
Gentlemen, read and think over
these facts few minutes:
1t does no good for men to sneer
at the agitation in regard to the
liquor traffic. The subject is too i'm
portant to be laughed down. it
may be that prohibiton is not the
right way to settle it, or that license
IS not, or that taxation is not these
are fair questions, upon which diff
ference Of opinion between sincere
and candid men is possible But
the subject has become altogether
too important to be ignored, or pass
ell over without any serious attempt
to settle it. Aside from tile law-de-
flying spirit which it has elected,
aside from all its moral and religious
aspects, the question considered
purely as one of dollars and cents, in
its effects upon the national prosper
ity and wealth, is one of the most
important that can be named.
Directly and indirectly, this coun-
try spends in the liquor traffic every
year a sum exceeding half the ma
tional debt. The cost of that traffic
to the country, direct and indirect, Is
greater than the profits of all its cap
ital not invested in real estate. 1t
costs every year more than our
whole civil service, our Army, our
Navy, our Congress, including the
River and Harbor and the Pension
bills, our wasteful local governments,
and all national, State, county and
local debts, besides all the schools in
the country. In fact, this nation
pays more for liquor than for
every kind of government. How is
a question of that size to be put
aside with sneer?
As these statements may seem sur
prising to those who have not looked
into the matter, a few figures may
be of service. A glass Of beer costs
the consumer five cents, and there
are at least twenty in the gallon, and
6I0 in the barrel, so that beer re-
tails at about s32 barrel, while ale
| costs still more. The consumption
of beer and ale last year was about
15, 900, 900 barrels; cost to consum-
ers about $4S0,000,000 The cheap
est kind of liquor used, ordinary
whisky, is rarely sold at five cents,
and averages at least seven cents Il
drink; at half a gill to the horn,
this makes S4.48 per gallon. The
consumption last year was about
10000, 600 gallons cost to consum-
ers about S313,000,000. Adding
wines, there is certainly spent for
drink more than $500, 100000, and
the entire sum raised by taxes of all
kinds, national. State, county, city,
town and school district, is stated on
authority Of the Census Bureau to be
not more than about 500, 200, 900.
But the cost Of the liquor drunk IS
not By any means the whole cost OF
the liquor traffic. An official report,
prepared with much labor by the
Bureau Of Statistics of Massachu-
setts, under authority from the Leg
islature, states that eighty-fOur per
cent. of all the crime and criminal
expenses in that State come directly
from the ablse Of liquor. There
are at least one in twenty OF the
| able-bodied men in this country who
are rendered idle by their habits or
incapacitated for work, and these
persons, at the ordinary wages Of
workingmen, would earn, if indus
trious and fairly employed, over
/ 5000, 100000 yearly. The proper
ton of persons in hospitals who
reach them because of excess in
drink is very large, but cannot be
definitely ascertained.
A traffic that costs in actual pay
ment and in loss Of productive labor
more than half the National deb
every year, is not to be ignored 10y
the economist. 1t may be assumed
that the entire wealth of the country
has risen from fSJ0,000.000,000 ii
1879 to $50,000,000,0O0 in 1890
about one half being in real estate
Probably it does not average profit
exceeding four per cent yearly, tax
| ing bad investments with good, bu
at that rate the yearly interest cI
all personal property of all kinds j
only 81, ,000,000,000, and the direc
or indirect cost of the liquor trafii
must be greater.
But the time has gone by in thi
country when IL serious discussion {
a question that involves such vas
expense to the nation can be pre-
vented by bullying intolerance, il
science or ridicule. This very prat
teal people, having begun to thin
about the matter in earnest, pei
ccives that it is much too importan
to be put aside at the dictation I
saloon keepers. 1t is certain ths
the entire savings of the people an
all additions to their wealth are nc
, twice ne mich nc the sum, .eXnnnde
!, for liquor and because of the abus
! of liquor Ifany just and reason;
:, Bile proposition can be made tbs
! will add one-half to the savings an
: the prosperity Of the nation, it Wi
! not be put down by a sneer, nor d
feated by lGwlbFeaking mob.