Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1893-10-31
THE ECONOMIES OF pRoHIBIrIoN.
BY W. JENNINGS DENoREsr.

BY W. JENNINGS DENoREsr.
A tremendous boom in every branch
OF trade, and stimulus in every depart
ment OF industry, to startle the world
with its extraordinary advantages,
would certainly follow prohibition OF
the liquor traffic.
BESIDES this marvellous increase in
the business Of the country, great
reduction of taxes would inevitably
follow the moral and social revolution.
The immense expense of our courts,
our police and their accompaniment
prisons, lunatic asylums, poor-houses.
reformatories and many other depart
ments of charities and correction, ia
due in very large proportion TO the
ravages on society caused by the liquor
traffic
Probably not less than one-half OF
the present taxes, both in city and
country, are required to protect society
from the 1epredations of this destruc.
tive business of liquor-selling.
The Unsuitable appetite for alcoholic
beverages has become juggernaut of
passion, leading to a holocaust of
waste and destruction, so that the bus
mess and material aspects of this qucs-
tion of Prohibition arc astounding, in
fact are overwhelming.
The great question of the economy
of Prohibition, therefore, has very
wide, significant, and formidable COM
pass, covering every department. of bus
iness, and, in fact, includes our whole
civilization, whether applied to the
beautiful in art, the utilities of ind us
try, the benefit Of education, or the
neccssaries of life. All these interests
arc involved in the great and many adj
vantages that would follow from entire
prohibition, as well as the people saved
from the terrible havoc the curse Of
the liquor traffic is producing every.
where.
At no period of history have the peo-
pie had SO favorable an opportunity to
practice the virtues and secure the
benz hts of economy as the present
The large proportion of the peoples
earnings lured by this insidious mael-
strom OF temptation, to be swallowed
up into its vortex of destruction, is
simply colossal, wanton waste. All
the desolation of war, pestilence. and
famine of the past centuries have not
equaled this waste of the peoples ener-
gies-
An intelligent and careful considera-
tion of this destruction of tie peoples
earnings, how the mind is staggered
with the enormous cost of the
liquor traffic! How awful is the
effect of this blythihg curse on the
wage-earners of the people, and how
surely has every man, woman, and
child to share and endure the burden Of
this terrible juggernaut of passion,
crime, and misery.
Our whole country in it's business re-
lations is more or less depressed and
paralyzad by this tremendous blight
and absorption of the resources of tho
people.
A careful estimate of the cost of
alcoholic beverages has put this am cunt
at eleven hundred millions of dollars
annually in the United States and
then certainly another eleven hundred
millions is required to take care of the
inevita BILE consequences of this terrible
war on the lives and health of the peo-
pie, besides the appalling, stupendous
waste OF the peoples earnings. Twenty
two hundred millions of dollars of the
peoples hard-earned money all swal-
lowed up; all gone to satisfy that ter
rible cravings of vicious appetite-to
burn. corrode, and consume the bodies
and destroy the minds and morals Of
the people.
If we could only realize what tho
world would secure through I'rohibi-
ton.
If, through ohibition, these thous
ands of millions could be put into the
regular channels of trade, if we could
have this vast amount of money spent
for the ordinary necessaries and luxu-
,ies of life, what tremendous boom
and impetus the country would have in
every department of our industries.
Commercial enterprise and mechani-
,al employ ments, both for men and
women, would have a stimulus and
boom such as the world has never yet
seen.
Confidence and security would pro-
mote activity in new enterprises
Wages every where would be largely in
creased, every body would have employ.
ment all kinds of trade would be nearly
doubled, and every branch of product
i've industry enlarged and strained to
it's utmost capacity in supplying the
wants of prosperous people
A greatly increased consumption.
and an increased production. would be
the result all over the country. Rail-
roads, steamboats,, hotels, etc, would
be crowded with patrons; stores
crowded with customers; mills, mines,
foundries, and workshops overrun with
work at high wages; more comfortable
dwellings, with less crime. less poverty,
plenty of monev, plenty of schools, and
plenty of recreations-plenty of every
thing that makes life enjoy able. Who
would not welcome Prohibition?
Bob Burdette tells the story of man
sentenced TO solitary confinement for
a term of years; his friends thoughr he
must go mad. by no means" re-
piled the prisoner calmly; ~ will get
along very well. l am accustomed to
the life have been in business thirty
years and never spent a cent for adver-
tising. g.-Seward's Journal
A world without sabbath would
be like man without smile, like q
summer without flowers and like n