The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-01-16
TEMPERANCE NOTES.
AN AWFUL BURDEN.
The Enormous Amount Paid Out for Drink
in One Year.

The Enormous Amount Paid Out for Drink
in One Year.
The liquor traffic of the United States
reaches stupendous total annually. 1t
was estimated at 5000, 900, 900 per year in
1888. and the annual increase of sales at |
E75, G00, 600 That would bring the sum !
total up to about 81, 500, 900, 900 per year |
at present. This is a tax upon the peo-
plea tax paid voluntarily by those out |
of whose pockets it directly comes but !
nevertheless TAX, and worse; for the |
payment is for no useful purpose, nor
does the payer get any thing of value in
return for his money. Quite the reverse,
in fact.
This total, alarming as it is, is not all
The indirect losses resulting from the
liquor traffic, such as the loss of pro-
ductive industry the expense of main
tanning the pauperism and of suppress
ing the crime and violations of order
caused by it, certainly will make up
total equal to that expended annually
for drink. This is tax also; but it is
not a voluntary one in this case. 1t is
"A tax this time on the sober and indus
trious Taxpayers, those who own taxa
BILE property. The cost of the support
of poOr-houses, insane asylums, police
forces, courts and prisons forms no in
considerable part of the burden of taxa
tion--and the drink traffic is the cause
of the greater part of their cost.
1t is interesting to compare the drink
bill of the Nation with the entire an
nuiL revenue of the United States from
farm products, our industries of a me-
chanical nature, from mining, railroads,
and so on, which is estimated at S12,-
600, 900, 600 per year. The Nation wastes
this tremendous total in drink every
eight years: and if we count the indirect
cost of the traffic as equal to the total
direct sales of rum in all its forms, the
Nation pays out, because of the traffic,
the twelve billion dollars in four years.
This is record which demands con-
sidcration at the hands of the American
people. The politics of the Nation at
the present time is pivoted on the tariff
question. and the anti-tariff men are de-
claring that the Nation groans under an
unsupportable burden because of the
duties paid on imported goods. Now,
the total of duties collected on all i'm
ported articles per year is only about
500. 900, 900. If this is Il burden what
shall be said of the National drink bill.
nearly seren times as great per year? is
it not seven times more imperative to
redeem the people of the Nation from
the payment of this enormous and un-
necessary burden?
The whole anti-tariff sentiment of the
country has been crcated-how? By
steady, persistent agitation, the pres
entation of arguments designed to help
that side of the case. Here is lesson
for every man who realizes the terrific
burden of the rum traffic, and desires tc
remove it from this people. The cam
paign of education" must be begun.
Every pulpit in the land must educate
the people in the evils of the drink
traffic, and the physical and moral deg
radiation that follows indulgence in the
drink habit. Every schoolroom mus
be center for the instruction of The
rising generation in these things
Every Temperance advocate must be
imbucd with the same spirit that tilleC
the apostles OF old, and must use hi
best endeavors for the enlightenment
of his ncighbors and friends.
And this work must proceed upon TIVE
parallel lines-thc one being that o
pledging men to total abstinence per
sonally; the other, warfare against tn
saloon and all it represents.
Education of the people is the worl
now most needed. Every Temperate
man has around him, in his own local
ity, an ample field for personal worl;
every minister has a field which
white to the harvest; and Temperate
societies and organizations must pus
the work in the dark spots of our Ian
the cities. They are to-day til
strongholds Of the rum power, and
is there the hottest battle of the can
paign must be fought We must edit
cate, cducats, EDUCATE, until the masSe
see the evils OF the rum traffic. -Toled
Rlale