Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1888-03-31
rHg RUM CURSE.
The business Aspect OF the n"in
Power.


nockst.nerve than 10 anything else The
financial aspect OF a question is OF more
general interest than any other, and generalii
rules when such topic comes up Tor discus
sion. Yet the liquor question Is looked ~
more from q moral and religious aspect una.
any other, and the business side, its financial
aspect has not yet obtained that attention
from the public which Its Importance deserves
This state of things arises from the fact tha'
temperance was frst pressed upon the publle
az a personal reform. ALI effort was directed
TO saving the individual who had fallen 4
victim to the Rum curse, or TO inducing those
who had not done so to pledge themselves
never 10 drink. Individuals were iaoored
with to get them to keep beYond the tempta-
lions Of Rum, while the saloons were allowed
to 20 on their way unhinder'
cd. Il was not I'LL lsterthaE the ecu
trail idea Of Prohibition was made prom
inent viz: To put men beyond the
reach OF temptation by rendering Il lmpossi'
BILE tor them to obtain Rum
Strange to say, tho old idea, that the tenn
perance reform aims at the individual instead
Of at the traffic, still dominates the minds OF
the masses, and renders them Indifferent to
the business aspect of the Rum taftie-for
man is Indifferent as q rule. whether his
neighbor saves his money or wastes u over
the bar OF the saloon. II is our purpose to
call the attention OF our readers TO the real
magnitude Of the money loss to the public At
large, and especially TO all engaged Ia legtti-
mate lines Of trade, through the Ram traffic.
The Rum Power frantcallY endeaTors to
impose itself upon the country az leglti-
mate business, supplying the demands OF the
consumer for an article in daily and common
use. 1t attempts to force It's infer nal trade
upon the same plane OF necessity and respect
ability as the trade In dry-goods, In groceries,
in boots and shoes, and other similar com
modltles. But this effort Is q failure, and
from the very nature OF things must be.
Dealers In food. and clothing, and furniture,
and the thousand and one articles OF daily
consumption aud use, are engaged 10 supply.
ing legitimate wants; the Runseler is not.
The dealer In neeessarieS gives 10 his Gus
toner an equivalent for his money; the Rum.
seller does not His commodity Is one which
Is neither food, nor clothing nor dOes II sup
ply any ueed Of the human body la any way.
10 Is poison to il, not benefit. The men
who deal In Ii are on the same plane as other
ministers TO humanitys vices. They are az
bad as the panderers Who trafflc ia the souls,
and bodies Of women TO satisfy mans lust.
A brief calculation " Ill show the loss 10 all
lines Of legitimate business through this
damnable traffic In liquid ruin. II IS entirely
probable that there IS not saloon Ia any city
whose average sales are lass than s. per day
Even tue enormous percentage Of pFodt which
is made BY the sslOonist WOulI leave but a
narrow margin out Of this average wheu the
frst cost Of Rum, rent, fire, gas, taxes, and
other expenses, are taken out Then the
higher class OF saloons, those In tie more IRE
quent business streets, sell anywhere from
500 to 500 worth a day. Let US put the AZ
erage for all classes OF SALOONS low enough.
aud assume that Is $40 per daY all around.
la the ctty Of Toledo, we are Informed at the
Internal Revenue Office, theirs are over 900 sa.
looons. The amount paid over thcIr counters
at the above average, Is over S5,OJJ daily.
This Is over 81, s3a, UuO Yearly, not counting H.
legal Suuias SAFES, which are very large, The
estimate Is clearly low enough II We make 10
S3OOJ00 yearly.
Think Of what that $4,000, 600 a year loses to
the eats ami 10 ali Legitimate lines VI business,
and you will begin to have FAINT idea ID
what the Rum traffic costs Toledo Id a bust
ness way, every year IL does not do a penn. =
worth OF good 10 the buyers, Or 20 their wTyr4,
their families, aud their dependent Ones Ii
Is TIL much cut on from their necess ties and
eomfnrta II there we're not a Rua hole III
u y, that two millions would be nearly ali
spent Nlth the business men in legitimate
lines. Tho men who now paw Il out F0r Enrn
would then spend II for mere and better fool
better clothing Tor themselves and their faml.
lies, for furniture, home comforts aud luxurtea.
They would dwell IN better houses, would sx.
lst on higher plane. Let tho merchants ~
The city think OF the value 10 thefDsrtvea ~
the aided expenditure OF over S. 90 per day
by retail cOusuiuersl Iheg can JHen 6egln 10
realize what loss 70 themselves Il the Rum
traffic 80 long a. eListA And what is tue
lf Toledo Is Lrue o! any other cllY or village In
The county Ia proportion to population AnI
number Of saloons
Let US look at ig In another light. Assume
The average wages Of wurkmsn IN a factory
10 be $40 year--a little over 81 day That
Two millions " III then represent the wages OF
,,sJ7 Workingmen. The determination u ths
Rum traffic To this city void be equivalent 10
llding 70 her buying population 2,sJ7 men,
WIN thelr families What earnest, united et-
,ort would be put forth to all In bringing 10
Toledo q great manufacturing establIshnsat
Tlth = 81 hands, by the business men Of the
lily simply In order 70 add that number ~
consumers 70 the pypu alton! Why not puL
orth the same energetic effort to crush out
Gum, when the result will clearly be the
Iamsl
Nor would the enormous sum added IN tho
legitimate business transactions nr the civ
Ie the only benefit There would be Isat
'rime- ana the police and court aud prison
expenses OF the city would be less while tie
BURDEN OF Indulgence would be nu h Itght
med There would Dc mote mea, IN tIs
'uFse oil Rum we're lifted, who would buy Io,4
mi build cottages AIeH who are not tax
ayers now would accumulate savings. ana
,ecpme suck. The effect of pr9bfbItion
would not be for one year alone, but would ~
"a through every succeeding wear. The bsst.
u taxation you'll be brpadened, and lie
,urten Of taxes be llghteued Add these ID
ne yerltable boom" that would he given Ia
he vast number u lines Of retail business nv
he daily increase Of some 81 90 m sale. and
he vast benefits 81 Prohibition Ia n busIne,a
gaF Will be clearly seen.
fsr contra, the amount Of injury that would
e done would be trining when cofnuared Wit6
ne vast benefits acCruing. There would be |
ono damage 10 the men now engaged in |
eiiinR Rum but the benefit won II aerrnn |
irecuY Or Indirectly, TO every other resident |
I the clty. There is but very little Genital /
equlred IN Kun selling, and there Il not a |
aloon ia the city but has paid for us furui. |
ure ana httings, aud returned its original |
apltai 10 us owner Nor would these man |
e "lthuut opportunity for catering leplu. |
iate busihrA@ The Increase IN tho amount |
money poured daily Into trade channels /
,ou'l maNe plenty y openings for I'm barking /
I some noe gL supplying The peoples wants. /
'hich shhnld return honest value for ever /
OlItr spent, Instead u the daease and suf 4
Y ,hg, poverty and want vice aud crime. /
htch H9#S from the traffic tn Rum. the
'hm frame ~ the enemy Of every kind Of
wv. maze business; and a cOnsi lerattun of /
ne ttCt5 above enumerated ahoutI La 80,