The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1891-08-26
TEMPERANCE NOTES.
A BUSINESS VIEW.

mate as the sale Of food, or of clothing,
or of furniture, or any other retail oc-
cupation. This is not true. Dealers
in these and the thousands OF other
articles of daily consumption and use
are engaged in supplying the natural
wants of humanity. The saloon keeper
is not. The former gives to his custom.
er an equivalent for his money. The
saloon keeper does not Rum is neither
food nor clothing, nor does 1t supply
any need of the healthy human body.
1t is a poison which Injuries, and in
large enough doses will kill. The men
who sell it are not on the same plane
as retail business men. Instead OF
catering to humanitys needs, they
pander to its vices. Their occupation
is on the same leyel as that Of those
who traffic in the souls and bodies OF
women to satisfy mems lust
There is no legitimate business that
would not be largely benefited if this
traffic in liquid ruin were destroyed.
We will enter into a little calcula-
ton to show how much the traffic
costs Toledo. We think it probable
that there is not saloon in the city
whose average sales are less than $40
per day. Unless the saloon keeper take
in this much at least, he cannot live;
for, though the percentage q profit in
the retail sale of liquor is enormous,
yet when the first cost of the liquor,
the rent of the room, and the cost of
fire, gas, taxes and other expenses are
taken out, there would be too narrow
a margin for profit if the saloons sales
averaged less than $40 daily. 1t is said
that the large and fashionable saloons
on Summit street claim, to average
$500 and over per day. We think
that the average of $40 per day
for all the saloons in the city is proba-
bly, too low. However, we would soon
er err ON that side than on the other,
and so will let it stand.
There are, according to the collector
Of internal revenue, over 800 saloons
in this city. For convenience in
calculation let us take that number
Assuming the average of daily receipts
to be only $40, the amount paid over
their counters is over $4,000 daily, and
over $1,s7S,OO0 yearly. 1t will be
noted that we omit Sunday, and do
not take into calculation the illegal
sales Of that day, which are very large;
hence our estimate is very low if we
make it So, OOO, 200 yearly.
Think of what that 81, 600. 900 a year
loses to the city and to all Legitimate
lines of business and you will begin to
have faint idea of what the rum traf.
fic costs Toledo in a purely business
way every year! 1t does not do cents
worth of good to those who buy it, mol
to their wives and children. The
amount spent for rum is simply that
much flched from other necessitie.
and comforts. If there were not rum
hole in Toledo that ~, 600, 900 would h
nearly all spent with business men il
legitimate lines. The men who nov
pay it ont for liquor would then spent
it for more food or that of bette
quality; for better clothing for them
selves, their wives and their children
for better furniture, home comfort
and the little luxuries Of life. The.
would live in better houses; the,
would exist on higher plane. A por
ton of it would probably be saved AM
put away in savings banks as deposi
against times of sickness or misfortune
or when old age shall come. ,,a
Look now for a moment at the busi
ness side of this state of affairs. lie
the retail merchants OF Toledo conside
for moment the value to themselve
of an additional expenditure Of sc, 0O
per day from retail consumers. w
have no means Of knowing what is tn
average total amount of retail sale
daily in the city, but we are quite Ger
tain that the regular addition o
$4,000 to the total for every working
day in the year would give such boon
to the retail kade as it has not ex
perienced in years, and 1t would b.
permanent. 1t would not be only TO
one day, but for every day in the weel
and for every week in the year. l
there is any class of the communit,
whose own interests should promp
them to be bitter opponents of the run
traffic it is our retail merchants.
The benefit of the suppression of tn
saloons of Toledo would not be confined
to the retail business and to the drink
ing class of her population; nor woul
the enormous sum added to the legiti
mate business transactions be the onl
benefit Toledo would derive. Their
would be less crime and disorder; tn
expenses of our police force and on
, courts and prisons would be diminished
while the burden of pauperism woul
, be much lightened. There would b
more men who would buy lots and bull
cottages thereon; men who are not no,
tax payers would accumulate their say
ings and become such. The effec
would not be for one year, but go o
through each succeeding year. TIL
. basis of taxation would be broadene(
the rate of taxation would be lowered
there would be such an increase in tn
demand for staple articles that it woul
probably increase the number of on
retail establishments, and add to tn
= output Of many of our manufacturin
ones.
And who would be damaged by sue
a state of things? Not one, unless
were some of the men now engaged !
I saloon keeping: the benefit would az
crue either directly or indirectly {
t every other citizen. The saloon me
|. would BE- compelled to enter upon som
legitimate occupation, and the increas
in the amount of money poured dali