Blue-grass blade., 1891-02-14
Judge Finnell on the Liquor
Traffic I'm Georgetown.
Bro. G. G. Moore.

DEAR SrR:-The argument ha,
been for the saloon that it contrib
utes to the general prosperity
This is an argument worthy of at.
tention; for the question of the
general prosperity, or at least o1
individual prosperity, is very close
to the heart of the average man.
What is all the noise about the
tariff for except that it involves
the question Of money? The n.
terest in the tariff shows conclu-
sively how much the masses are
concerned about matters involving
their financial interests.
When the advocate of the saloon,
therefore, contends that the traffic
benefits the country financially, we
may know that he will secure the
attention of many who care bat
little for its moral effects on the
country.
The question should therefore
be frequently presented from an
economic standpoint. 1t needs dis
cussion from that standpoint; for
mary are induced to believe that
the abolition of the saloon would
bring untold disasters upon the
masses financially.
/ have no way of ascertaining
the value of intoxicating liquors
consumed annually by the Ameri'
can people, but it is estimated that
about one billion of dollars are ex-
pended in this way. If this esti-
mate is correct, and an allowance
ofone-ffth OF this sum is made Tor
the use of intoxicants for scientific
and medicinal purposes, and this
would be probably a large allow
ance, then it follows that nine hun
dred million dollars are annually
expended for intOxicants to be used
as a beverage.
This is certainly a very consid-
cradle sam. Suppose the use to
this extent is continued for twenty
years. 1t will follow that eighteen
billion of dollars will have been
consumed; that is, that sum will
have been expended for intOxi-
cants.
The interest on this sum for ten
years, one-half the period we are
making the calculation for, count
ing money at five per cent. per
annum straight interest, amounts
to nine billion Of dollars. This
makes a grand total of twenty
seven billions expended in twenty
years by the people OF the United
States for intoxicating drinks.
What does this expenditure
mean? Taking the figures shown
by the census of 1880 it means
this, viz:
That the people Of these States
will expendin twenty years for in
toxicating liquors the value of all
the real estate of the United States;
and Of all the personal property in
the United States; and of all the
farm products OF the year 1879 in
the United States, and of all the
manufactured products OF that year;
and the cost of all the railroads in
the United States in the year 1879,
and of all the earnings of all the
railroads in that year; and the value
Of all the telegraph lines in these
same States; and of all the steam
craft belonging to the citizens of
the United States in the year 1879;
and of all the life Insurance in
force in that year; and all of the
gold and silver mined in the year
1870.
The value of the real estate in
that year was in round numbers,
3,O36, 100000; farm products,
$2,2l3. l04, 900; personal property,
$3, 500, 226, 900; manufactured pro-
ducts, 1926. 5j7, 900; cost of rail
roads in the whole Union, $685.
$4,000; the earnings of the rail-
roads, $3.50, 10000; steamcuit,
$78,84S,OOO; life insurance in force
in the year 1879. 81, $50, 1864 OC;
gold and silver mined, So. 1851 200;
making grand total Of $27,l69,-
424,OW
So that it follows that the people
Of these States will expend in
twenty wears the valua of almost