The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-06-19
MAGNITUDE OF TEE Rum TRAFFIC..

It is clear that through prohibition the bulk
of the enormous sum that is spent every year
in PENNSYLVANIA for rum will be saved to the
people Has the reader any clear idea OF the
magnitude of the traffic? Let us take an e1-
ample Take a city with 500 saloons-ano
there are number that have that many In
the Keystone State-and let us figure up the
amount Of money wasted by the people Ior
rum. How many dollars does each saloon
take in over its bar each day, on an average.
taking into the calculation all saloons OF all
descriptions, from the gorgeous bars, fre-
ouented by the men with money, down TO the
dirty little beer-shop in the suburbs. From
actual investigation in one Ohio city, we are
inclined to believe that the average is about
SIS per day. But let us put our figures en-.
tirely within the mark, and say that each OF
Let us make our calculation on that basis.
Ten dollars day for each of 500 saloons
gives a total Of $4,000 per day. We will
leave Sunday out Of the calculation, though
the great majority of saloons derive their
most profitable trade on that day, ana
count but six days per week. inns
then, gives a total OF SSo'VTo ~ sRg1e ast1
two weeks of the year, then, the rum bill OF
that city amounts to the vast total OF 81, 56O,-
COO! How large a city does it take to main
tain five hundred saloons? The city OF Toledo
has about one hundred thousand population,
and it contains between four hundred and live
hundred saloons; this may afford basis 1or
any one who desires to estimate. suppose
the saloons were all banished from the fenn-
sylyania city we are considering; what then
would 90 with this 81, $50, 900 which is spent
by its people for rum? 1t would go for things
which would benefit these men instead OF In
juring them. These persons and their faml-
lies would live better; they would have better
food and in greater variety; they would wear
better clothing; they would live in better
houses, and their homes would be better 1ur-
nished and more attractive. Inc money
would be spent for these, not 1or rum. an9
grocers, the butchers, and the bakers "ouo
all have greater patronage; the dry goods
merchants, the boot and shoe men, the clotn-
ing men, would have larger trade; tne Iur-
nifnre men. and in fact the dealers IN the
thousand and one articles Of comfort and con-
yenience that are required In householos,
would all sell more. Take any city OF one nun.
dred thousand inhabitants and CONSIDER Wna1 !at
would be the effect of adding 81, 800 O0O to lts
trade every wear. Trace out the channels In
which this enormous sum would How, II tne
yawning hell-holes were closed down Wnlcn IL
pours in a never-ending golden steam,
its nayers receiving nothing of value In re-
tnrn. Then extend the calculation to the me
entire State of Pennsylvania, and you VIII
have some faint idea OF the enormous foluI-
tary tribute which the people pay annually
to that Internal combination OF greed ana
selfshness the rum power What argument
in favor of rum can stand against such
showing? The abolition, through the adop-
tion of Prohibition, of this onerous tax a upon p3a
the people would be true economy; 1t would you'd
mean practically. the addition OF tWo-hitns IS
to the wages of the drinking clasSmior IL IS
estimated that an average OF two-n1tns 9l tne
nav of these men goes for rum and three
fifths for the necessaries of life. Is there
not here an evil that needs prompt remedy;
The experience of Kansas and Iowa low ana ana
Maine is that Prohibition does prohibit. The
only way to stop this drain Of the money e,ea ea
will will hot do it. for the saloon still exists under
license. m There is no way Of stopping it but
the one-through Prohibition to destroy the
saloon and pulverize the rum power.-1o'eao
Blade.