Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-02-06
A COMMON ENEMY.

The Rum franc tho hfusiheHS wa" -
An Argument from the Doiiar-and-
Cent Standpoint.
There is a business side to the liquor
question as we'll as a moral side; and
though rum-selling is not legitimate
business, 1t has an important bearing
upon all kinds of retail trade-a bearing
too often overlooked by the very men
who are themselves the most interested.
It is an important matter to them, be-
cause it affects their poclEets--and we all
know that the pocket-nerve is very
sensitive one. 1t is touched constantly
by the rum traffic; for it is perfectly
safe to say that every cent spent In In
toxicants is taken from the retail deal
ers of the city; and it is worse than
wasted, because it does the purchaser
harm instead of good. 1t is not only
dead waste of the money spent, but 1t
ineapacitates the user from earning
more. No CON irmed drunkard is good
or reliable workman. He can not do as
much work rs a temperate man, nor Is
its quality as good, If his line of labor
lies in any occupation in which the quail
ity of the product is taken into consid-
Grafton.
Look about you and you will note
that the regular drunkard never lives in
a good house; that he never owns his
residence, nor pays rent promptly for
the rented tenementhe occupies. What
stands in the way of his either owning
his own, or Of his paying rent promptly
for decent residence? Ask him and
he will reply that he is too poor" But
his poverty is the result Of his drinking
habits; hence the real reason that he Is
living in hired howell is rum-nothing
else. The saloon, mercenary to the last
degree, absorbs the money that would
buy him a comfortable cottage, or pay
the rent for a decent tenement for the
occupancy of himself and his family.
The lumber-dealer, the hardware man,
the carpenters, masons, painters, plas-
terers-in fact, all who are engaged In
the building trades-are thus robbed by
the saloon.
Did any one ever see confirmed
arunkard's family properly and health
fully fed? Never. The wife and chill
aren do not have food of the proper
nuality, nor enough Of it, such as 1t is.
Helpless dependents upon drunken
husband and father, they are compelled
20 live upon just enough to sustain life
and that of the coarsest and cheapest
They do not live. they merely exist. II
is not because they wish to have scanty
fare and poor food, hut because they car
get no better. The saloon robs them OF
what should enable them to do it; and
It robs the butcher, the baker, the
vroceryman, the gardener and al
others who make the purveying OF food
their occupation, of the money tina
should buy proper food. The drunkarC
is their customer only for the cheapes
and poorest of their stock. The saloon
gets the bulk of his money.
Did you ever see a drunkard who wor'
decent clothes, or one whose famil,
we're comfortably, neatly and warml.
clad? Never. They usually are dresses
In airy rags in the warmer portion o
the year. and during the winter shive
through the cold weather in garment
,fterlv inadequate for their comfort
The children go in summer with bar
,eet and in winter wear the cast-oi
,cot-gear of happier and more fortunate
,nes. The drunkard is "too poor" t
2uy proper clothing. The money h
,borld snend for such articles goes int
he till of the saloon. That institution
chs his family of the price Of the gar
nents necessary for their comfort thei
,espectability in appearance; it robs tn
irv-roods merchant, the clothing mar
The dealers in boots and shoes. II
we're not for the saloon the money tina
IS now wasted in rum would be spent
part with them, for the proper dressln
IF the drinker and his family.
Shelter, food and clothing are neee:
uties of life. The drunkard himsel
buys the poorest and cheapest OF thes
;hings in order that he may have u
more money to waste for rum. AS &c
he comforts of life-articles not abs'
utely required to sustain existence, ou
which stand next to them-such
looks, carpets. pictures, periodlcah
! MUSICAL instruments and the thousan
md one things that Gil the happ