The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-01-12
THE RUM TAX.

| Aside from the loss OF money, o.
time, of health, OF reputation, OF all
that makes life worth living, on the
part OF those who pay their money for
rum, the traffic itself increases the,
burden of Government taxation, and
makes those who have property, even
though they do not ever purchase a
drop of rum, pay moro taxes than
they would were the rum curse lifted
from the Nation. The influence of the
rum traffic on municipal, county and
State taxation is easily seen, though ii
is extremely difficult to mako an esti-
mate of the actual amount which it
adds to the taxpayers burdens.
Taxes are laid at a certain per
cent on the assessed valuation of
all taxable property, or a certain
number of mills on every dollar,
of that valuation. Surprising the
total amount needed for public pur-
poses to remain the same, the rate de-
creases with the increase of the,
amount of taxable property; and the
rate increases with the decrease of the
amount OF taxable property. Hence,
whatever tends to increase the amount
or the value of taxable property, de-
creases the tax; and, conversely, what,
ever tends to lessen the value or
amount of taxable property increases
the tax on each taxpayer. Hence it
is plain that whatever tends to develop
the resources of State or locality,
and favors the rapid accumulation Of
property, increases the valuation and
lessons the tax; and whatever binders
or retards such development or accu-,
mutation, tends to increase the tax.
Now, does the rum traffic increase the,
amount or value Of taxable property.
and favor development and accumula-,
ton, or does it notP And, therefore,
docs it tend to make taxes lighter OF
heavier?
Industry is potent factor in the
creation of wealth. Given the same
conditions and the Industrious man
will accumulate property, while the
idle one will not. Hence thing
which produces idleness binders &C.
emulation; and there is no one can
deny but that drunkenness destroys
the industry of its victims. An
authority estimates that we have in
the United States one million habitual
drunkards, and four times that nun.
Der Of drinking men not yet advanced
to the drunkard stage. The same au-
thority estimates that one-half the
| oh l. nd 10
destroyed by his vice, and that an
average of one-fourth the productive
power of each drinking man is thus
lost. That would equal the entire in.
dustrial force of 100000 men. As.
} suming that each mans earning
} power, if steadily at work, is $500 per
year, the annual loss to the United
States is 5000, 100000 year. This is
serious drawback to the increase OF
wealth, which would reduce taxation;
hence here is a clear case in which
the rum habit involves unnecessary
taxation.
A large share of the sums raised by
taxation is paid out for the support OF
penitentiaries, jails. warehouses;
poor-houses and asylums for the in
| zane and imbecile; for the payment OF
/ police and other officers of the law:
and for the maintenance of criminal
, and police courts. with their numer.
J Gus officials. A large proportion OF
all this expense is simply because OF
/ rum. The inevitable tendency Of the
use of rum is TO excite the baser
passions. All that is savage, and
( wild, and vicious, and lawless in
human nature comes to the surface
, under its internal stimulus. It is est,
mated that at least three-fourths OF
, all those who are inmates of poor
houses and insane asylums are either
/ brought there directly or remotely
through the use of rum. That it 10
= directly promotive Of crime is ap
parent to every one. Street brawls,
quarrels and murders result from it,
and whole brood OF voice is born Of
, the use of rum.
It is estimated by criminal Stats
! ticians that nearly ninety per cent OF
all crimes may be traced to the in
fuence of rum, from murder, outrage
and other crimes of violence down.
The vast machinery of our criminal
r courts and our police systems is
enormously expensive, and ninety per
cent of that expense is to be traced
directly to the use of rum. 1t costs,
t on an average, a thousand dollars for
t every criminal sent to the Ohio Peni-
f tertiary. That institution contains
over 1,6o0 convicts. whose average
t term of imprisonment is three years.
9 The actual cost to the people of Ohio
of the crimes which are punishable by
e Imprisonment can thus be easily calcu-
3 lated, with the additional factor to be
!, considered that not over one-half the
= persons arrested and indicted are final
Il ly found guilty
n Add to this the burden OF the county
Q iails and work-houses, and other insti-
tutions for the punishment of offenses
/! of less magnitude; the cost of our
It asylums and poor-houses, our reform
l schools for boys and girls, all of which
L Al