The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-02-11
THE LIQUOR QUESTION.

An urgent question confronts the peo-
pie of the United States. From Maine
to Texas, from Oregon to Georgia, there
is agitation as never before on the ques-
ton of the liquor traffic. Decisions
have been given for or against license,
local option or State prohibition, and
still the agitation goes on. There was
a time when the question of selling
liquor, like the question of drinking,
was regarded as merely personal and
moral. But it is so no longer. 1t is
recognized now as social, and even po-
litical. The liquor traffic is an unfail-
ing theme of popular discussion, and
constant subject of State legislation.
The change has been brought about
by causes of various kinds. 1t is not
due merely to temperance lecturers, nor
to temperance unions. 1t is due also
to the action of brewers and liquor man
ufacturers and dealers. 1t is due above
all to the action and movement of the
people themselves, to the influx of for
eign people and habits, to the modifica-
ton and relaxation of American social
usages. The mass of the people have
been moving steadily forward in their
use of alcoholic beverages, especially
malt liquors. The tendency has been
felt and resisted by those who condemn
the use of such beverages as injurious
both to the individual and the commu-
nifty. Between these opposing forces
there have been action and reaction
and counteraction. Yet the current
has been steady in one direction. All
have been acting according to their re-
spective inclinations, and the result is
universal ferment. The people are now
aroused to the Importance of the issue
presented by their own habits.
The national Government, recogniz-
ing the Importance of the liquor prob
lem, has used the means at its COM
mand to lay before the people the
actual state of the case, as far as figures
can do so. From the census reports
aud the annual treasury reports it has
gathered mass Of valuable statistics.
We present here a part of the results.
In 1860 the total population of the
country was 81 ,443, 32l the beer, wine
and distilled liquors consumed amount
ed to 2O2, 374, 461 gallons, but from this
should be deducted S,996,S $50 gallons Of
alcohol estimated to be used in the me-
chanic arts. The remainder, 1913 .377,-
500 gallons were consumed as beverage,
thus giving a little over six gallons to
each man, woman and child in the
country. In 1870 the population had
risen to SO, 55S 81, aud the total con-
sumption of liquors to 296, $40 ,93l gal
Ions. Deducting as before we find the
net consumption of alcoholic beverages
to be 2SS, SS7 1851 gallons, or nearly sew
en- and one-half gallons per capita. In
1880 the population had increased to
so, 155, 1888, while the total consumption
of liquors was SOC, O76, 400 gallons, max
ing 400, 723, 73l gallons the amount used
as beverage. This gives over 8 8 gal
Ions per capita.
For the year 1887 the Treasury De-
partment reports grand total of 822,-
1928 gallons of liquor imported and
manufactured. OF this amount $751;
OBI ,S95 gallons were intended to be
used as beverage. If we estimate the
population of the country to have in
creased in the same ratio as during the
last decade, it should now amount to
81, 30l ,513. This would give 1873 gal
Ions as the average consumption of
alcoholic beverages throughout the
United States. We are inclined, how
ever, to think that the population has
increased even more rapidly since 1880
than before that date. The average
consumption might thus be diminished
to 13 gallons. 1t would then be over
81 per cent more than in 1880, about
70 per cent more than in 1870, and