Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1886-10-28
MEXICO, MISSOURI, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2s 1856
RuINOUs RUM.

RUINOUS RUM.
Extracts From an Address Delivered
by Rev. w. II. Turner ssPuIver-
fze the Rum Power.o
TeIthe Editor OF the Ledger.
MEXICO, Mo-, Oct. 22.-At the re-
quest of many members Of my con-
gregation I submit for publication
the following extracts from an adj
dress delivered last Sabbath in Lib
erty Street M. e. church.
w. H. TURNER.
The task thus imposed on me is
one of difficulty, 1st, because the au-
dience here assembled is composed
of people so familiar with all the
dreadful fruitage of the rum traffic,
as, set forth by the platform and pull
pitt that any statement I can make
of 1t must be as tale twice told !;
while those adornments of the aver
age Temperance lecture, that even in
the public halls arc of questionable
propriety, must be renounced at a
time and place like this. However,
arn consoled by the reflection that
shall enjoy your sympathy as |
seek to awaken new interest, quicken
your zeal, and lead you to recon-
secration of yourselves to the great
temperance reform.
Perhaps the cry most familiar to
our ears in the home and business
circles is "hard times" This is the
complaint of the laborer; the me-
chanlc repeats it, and it is the refrain
of business and professional life.
Everywhere there are willing work
ers, but not enough work. This, too,
at time when bank vaults and treas
uries are almost literally breaking
down with their weight of hoarded
gold and silver, when untold millions
await investment in industrial enter
prises. Why it should be so is the
dispair of the political economist.
Some have told us that it is all be.
cause of over production. That the
Increased facilities for manufacture
have glutted the market. That We
I work too many hours. That there
are more of the necessaries and lux
uries of life produced than are want.
ed, and that hence some must remain
idle or receive little or no compensa
ton Cor their labor.
This view of the case cannot ht
correct, for I look around me ant
see thousands, and tens of thousand
sheltered in mere novels, clothed il
tattered garments and subsisting OF
the bare necessaries Of life. / lool
again and l see that the great mas
Of our people want and would hav'
vastly more of the oonveniences ant
luxuries of life had they the mean
to procure them. 1t is not, then
over production but under consump
ton of the products of industry tina
occasions the scarcity of remunera
tive labor and the hardness of tn,
times.
/ Let us now see If there is rene
dy for this great evil. Let US lool
at it in the light of some statistics
Figures are usually dry, but some
times they are overwhelmingly sug
gestive and eloquent of facts. Tbes
figures are compiled from the U. S
Internal Revenue Bureau of Stats
tics and census returns. From thes
official returns we learn that the an
nual cost OF intoxicating drinks i
5000, 900, 900; that the support O
paupers, prisons, court trials. police
&c, is $500,00O,O00. The most es
perienced lawyers and judges est
mate from Z to $40 of this is due t
rum, but We will say that 3-4 tn
, amount is due to the liquor traffic
This gives US 1915, 100000 Th
value Of the grain used in the disti
leries is estimated at 100000, ,00(
Let us call it but one third as much
S20,000,000. The value of the labo
lost and property destroyed is est
: : mated at over $50, 100000, but tbs
. we may not seem TO exaggerate let u
. call it only S105,OO0,0O0, less tina
one-fourth, and you have a total {
Sl.460, 100000. Please remembe
!, that these figures are not compile
in the interest of temperance, bt
they are gathered FROM offici'
sources, and are in many instance
boastfuily paraded before the worl
as illustrating the magnitude of til
interests involved, without referent
to their economic or moral effect,
q Now this shows we have more tha
twenty y-eight millions week sper
in the liquor traffic; not less tha
eighteen million are spent by thos
i who would like to have and WI
Q would have increased amounts of IL
:, necessaries and luxuries of life hs
n they the means to pay for ther
e Now we spend S9,711,000 per wee
i for bread. Let us take $4,000, ,0(
i from the rum bill and add it to Il
e bread bill and thereby increase it
= nearly one, third- Then no man wi
l. be hungry, no little child will cry fl
It food. We spend So, ,769, 900 a wee