Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-02-20
THE MONEY ARGUMENT.


Injurious Effect on All Legitimate Bush
ness of the Infamous Rum Trafic.
The committee on Political Reform,
of the Union League Club of New York
City, made report to that organization
few days since, in which the saloon
question was handled from the economic
standpoint The report says:
1T is stated upon good auth GRITTY that the
number of saloons in this city is about $500,
and in Brooklyn about 5000 or a total OF 1880
saloons and drinking places. II is estimated
that the average income OF these places is
not less than $1,000 per annum each This seems
a reasonable estimate when we consider that
rent, attendance light, fuel liquor, etc, have
10 be paid for to carry on the business.
At this estimated rate Of income, there is
taken out OF the people in these two cities for
this trailic the sum of 600 annually, If we
say nothing Of the balance OF the State. II such
a sum was extorted from the same people by
tax ii would produce a revolution In our Gov
eminent To the people who drink, this money
is wasted. 1t is taken from families homes,
mothers and children. What NO,000,0OO would
purchase in comforts such as improved homes,
clothing, food, education, etc. is the major part
of il lost to the innocent and helpless.
This view of the liquor question is
one that has often been discussed by the
Blade. The rum traffic is terribly ex-
tortionate tax upon the Nation, and is
paid very largely by the people who are
least able to stand it. That the tax is
voluntarily paid does not alter its char
acter as grinding oppression. 1t does
not make a burden one whit the light
er because we carry it of our own will
instead of under compulsion. 1t presses
just as heavy and requires just as much
effort to support it.
Although they have separate munic-
ipal governments, and are from a legal
point of view two distinct cities, New
York and Brooklyn are in every other
respect really one huge city. The thou
sands who pour across the great Brook
lyn bridge every morning on the way to
the days labor in New York show the
close connection between the two.
Brooklyn is the overflow of New York.
The combined cities have a total of
-, 500 saloons-12, 800 doorways leading
to ruin-gateways to poverty and death,
ante-chamber of hell!
Let us figure little on their receipts.
The estimate that their receipts average
s4, 900 year each is moderate one. If
we count the 313 working days Of the
year, this gives them an average of but
about S12.5O per day each. To one who
is familiar with New York City, this
figure will be deemed excessively mod
crate; its error, if any is its being too
small instead of too large. Hence the
total is certainly not too large. Yet it
brings the total up to fifty millions of
dollars per year! This money is utterly
wasted. Those who pay it out obtain
nothing in return which is either food,
clothing or shelter. On the contrary,
the rum they pay for and drink ruins
them, body, mind and soul.
Suppose there were not a saloon in
the two sister cities, and that no oppor-
tunity was given those who now drink
to indulge in that habit. What would
then go with this enormous yearly total
of fifty million dollars? 1t would be
largely spent, of course; but there
would be this radical difference-it
would then bring in some tangible re-
turn. 1t would be used to buy more
food, and of better quality; it would
be spent for better clothing; it would
go for the comforts as well as the neces-
saries of life. The groceries, the meat
markets, the stores of the dry-goods
men, the clothing merchants, the boot
and shoe-dealers, would find a solid,
steady increase in their sales. In short,
every avenue of legitimate trade would
be enlivened by share of the golden
stream that now is wasted, to the tune
of nearly a million dollars week, or
about S16O, 900 per day.
We do not know what the Union
League Club proposes to do with the re-
port of its committee. But If its mem
bers have any reforming zeal among
them, the report of this committee
opens to them a promising field. The
rum traffic has been assailed for years
from the standpoint of morality. 1t has
been eonclusively shown to be demon
alizing to the masses in the highest de-
gree. 1t has been shown to be the tos-
tering mother of vice and the promoter
of crime. All this has been done. but
the masses are still largely inactive.
They need some more potent argument
20 rouse them.
The money argument is one that, per
haps, appeals to all classes and condi-
lions of men more than any other. The
report above referred to puts that
argument in compact, irrefutable
form. It gives not only the total
money loss to the people, but states
the simple elements of the cal
culation, so that they are capable OF
complete verifcation. With fifty mill
ions of dollars drawn from the people OF
two cities in each and every year, and
that, too. largely from the class least