Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-10-30

tiary
The industrial \ spcct OF Rum.
The New York EroHjug Post has been
attempting to show that this country
could i'll afford to have the production of
Intoxicating liquors stopped, because of
the extensive industrial activities depend
ent upon it. "The whole number of per-
sons in the country" says the POST 'who
get their living in one way or another out
of the production of liquors Of various
sorts would make an army of no mean
proportions, and it would be ineXpedlent
to take the daily bread from their mouths
/ 10y suppressing the manufacture and sale
/ of intONicants.
Such reasoning as this is so specious
that we are surprised to find it in the
columns of Il journal which still retains
some portion Of its former ability however
far 1t may have departed from its basis of
sound and honest convictions. If the
mere fact that Il trade or business gives
subsistence to Il number of people is suf-
fcent for its maintenance, then gambling,
burglary, counterieiting, or prostitution
can be justified. on the ground that
they afford the means of subsistence
to thousands. How can the mere
fact that the manufacture and sale of
/ liquor gives employment to vast army of
men, make it right How about war,
which does the same thing-does that
make war right? The Toledo Blddc
aptly says, upon this point, apply
ing it to the industrial" argument
! of the POST rs not every soldier a
burden upon the industry of the
country, Il luxury for which all who
are not soldiers have to pay - So that
war is not only an evil morally, but indus
trially. 1t levies n tax upon the general
community, for the support of those who
are obliged to conduct what everybody ad-
mits to be an evil, though it is sometimes
a necessary one.
Let us follow out the logic of the Eucn-
. ing Post and see what it leads to. The
manufacture of liquor creates demand
for the raw materials from which it is
made. These are principally the same az
ricultural products which make the poor
mans bread. The larger portion of the
grain which is consumed by the manufac-
ture of liquor-that is, all over and above
the amount needed for medicinal and
mechanical purposes-is so much bread
taken from the mouth of the poor man
Every barrel of flour, every measure of
meal, is just so much higher because rum
has stolen portion of the legitimate fruit
of the soil intended for mans food and
has applied it in too many cases to the de-
struction of his soul.
Rum fosters crime. The greater the
amount of crime the heavier the tax for
Z
if we admit the argument of the Post, we
ought to bless the rum. power for all the
sheritfs, courts, jailers and hangmen to
whom it gives employment.
Again, the consumption of Intoxicating
beverages decreases other kinds OF bust
ness. Instead of buyinga barrel of houl
for his family, the drunkard runs up an
account at the saloon. Instead of buyin .
decent suit of clothes, he wears his old
rags and instead of getting books fol
his children and sending them to
school, he drops his dimes into the
sar-keeper's drawer, and lets the
little ones run in the street. The
liquor traffic burdens the people with
taxes; it supplies the workhOuse and the
Jail it takes money out of the pockets OF
our tradespeople; it ruins manhood and
debases womanhood. And vet because it
Supports an army OF men and womer
: who ought to be in better business the
rum traffic ought to be maintained to its
= full extent. Such is the reasoning OF
l the special pleader and strangely enough
it seems to satisfy some sensible people.
l A novel scheme for the protection OF
ocean travellers has recently been breach
e ed in letter to the New York Hcrdld by
Mr.. f. a. Cloudman of Rondout, y, y
; The project is no less than the illumina
ton of the Atlantic ocean by night, which
, Mr.. ClOudman argues, could be accom-
= plished by means of lightships bearing
electric candles, of enormous power, con
e nected with each other and with IL sub
{ marine cable. The lightships are to bC
/, anchored two hundred miles apart, 50 thai
\ no vessel following their alignment woult
a be ut any time more than one hundred
4 miles from a point of communication witt
!. the shore or Il place OF refuge for passen
y gers and crew in case of need. Mr.. Clond
4 man is we'll named. He is both upon TIT
y clouds and quite at sea, with his visionary
= invention.
g Among party of forty fox hunter.
= which left Sycamore Ilill Oyster Bay
o last Saturday, was Hon. Thomas Roose
a welt, who rode powerful thoroughbred
/ When leapng II wall about five feet high
5 the horse stumbled and fell, and Mr.
e Roosevelts left forearm was fractured
:, The gentleman, however, pluckily re
q mounted and followed the chase two miles
/ farther, where the fox was run to cover
d WISHED WAS DEAD
e After suffering several years with the Leu
COrrhura and no doubt | WOuld have been. Oul,
r. a lady induce me to try sulphur Bitters. Nov
a | am well. Three bottles cured me. ) Mrs