The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1890-02-05
THE MONEY ARGUMENT.

x1lLu WIZ ID pCopiih6 VIC uhuSi WYNN
The demon that turks in the bottle
-Pansy.
THE MONEY ARGUMENT.
Injurious Effect on All Legitimate Bust
ness of the Infamous Rum Traffic.
The committee on Political Reform,
Of the Union League Club of Now York
City, made report to that organization
Q few days since, in which the saloon
question was handled from the economic
standpoint. The report says:
ut is stated upon good authority that the
number Of saloons in this city is about 1850,
and in Brooklyn about 5000, or total Of 1850
saloons and drinking places. 1t is estimated
that the average income Of these places is
not less than 1900 per annum each. This seems
a reasonable estimate when we consider that
rent, attendance, light, fuel, liquor, ETC., have
to 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 traffic the sum Of go 900 900 annually IL we
say nothing Of the balance Of the State II such
sum was extorted from the same people by
tax, it would produce revolution in our Gov
eminent. To the people who drink, this money
is wasted. 1t is taken from families, homes,
mothers and children. What e50,000,000 would
purchase in comforts, such as improved homes,
clothing, food, education, etc, is the major part
of it 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 a 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. Itpresses
just as heavy and requires just q much
effort to support it.
Although they have separatssaaeic-
afpal governments, and are from 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 Q total of
1880 saloons-l2,5OO doorways leading
to ruin-gateway to poverty and death,
ante-chambers of hell!
Let us figure a little on their receipts.
The estimate that their receipts average
"a, 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 it's being toe
small instead of too large. Hence the
total is certainly not too large. Yet il
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 il
the two sister cities, and that no oppor
tunity was given those who now drinl
to indulge in that habit What woul(
then go with this enormous yearly tota
of fifty million dollars? 1t would b,
largely spent, of course; but ther'
would be this radical difference
would then bring in some tangible re
turn. 1t would be used to buy NOR
food and of better quality; it woul'
be spent for better clothing; it woul'
60 for the comforts as we'll as the neces
saries of life. The groceries, the mea
markets, the stores of the dry-good
men, the clothing merchants, the boo
and shoe-dealers, would find solid
steady increase in their sales. In shor,
every avenue of legitimate trade wOul
be enlivened by a share of the goldeI
stream that now is wasted, to the tun
of nearly million dollars week, Q
about $3.50, 900 per day.
We do not know what the Unio
League Club proposes to do with the re
port Of its committee. But if its mem
bers have any reforming zeal anon
them, the report of this committe
, opens to them a promising field. Tn
| rum trdllc mas DeeH dSSdlleu IOr year
| from the standpoint of morality. 1t ha
) been conclusively shown to be demon
: alizing to the masses in the highest dc
gree. 1t has been shown to be the fos
, tering mother of vice and the promote
I of crime. All this has been done, bu
) the masses are still largely inactive
: They need some more potent argumer
to rouse them.
Q The money argument is one that, pc
> haps, appeals to all classes and cond
I lions of men more than any other. tn
' report above referred to puts thu
argument in compact irrefutabl
9 form. 1t gives not only the tot;
: money loss to the people, out statt
n the simple elements of the ca
i culation, so that they are capable ,
complete verifcation. With fifty mil
A ions of dollars drawn from the people
). two cities in each and every year, ar
that, too, largely from the class lea