Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-01-26
TO SUPPORT THE RuMsHoP.
One-ninth Of tho Countfy's Productions
Spent For Alcoholic Drinks.

One-ninth Of tho Countfy's Productions
Spent For Alcoholic Drinks.
"What deyiltry soever kings may
do, " says Carlyle the Greeks must pay
the piper" Which, being interpreted,
means that whatever extravaganza or
waste there may be Of wealth. the peo-
pie, the toilers, those who produce the
wealth, have to pay for it all.
Let US do little figuring to see how
many days we have to work to keep the
gin mills running.
The wealth of the United States. ac-
cording to Mulhall, was in 1888 about
S61, 800, 900, 900, and it was increasing
at the rate of So. $50, 900, 900 a year.
This would give US now an aggregate
wealth Of about $4,000, 900, 900 in.
round numbers.
According to the same standard au-
thorIty, the people of the United States
expend every year for the cost of living
about $40, 900, 900, 600 (e2, 050, 900, Ooo).
The earning capacity of the country for
a year amounts therefore to $40, O0O,-
900, 900 which is expended, plus
about 50, 500, 900, 900 which is added to
the accumulated wealth. which makes
the sum of S12. 500, 900, 600.
Counting out Sundays and holidays,
the people of this country work 800
days to produce S12, 500, 900, 900 OF
wealth.
The drink bill of the nation Is over
81. 900, 900, 600, all of which has to come
out of the productive earnings OF the
people. The costs to take care OF the
paupers, imbeciles, insane and crimi-
nails, the loss of work and the accidents
caused by drink, amount at low esfl-
mate to $400, 600, 000 year. Add these
together, and we get 81. 400, 900. 600 as
the yearly 61-:-...-i which the liquor traffic
imposes on the country, or more than
one-ninth the entire productive capacity
of the nation.
In other words, the people of the
United States work one day out OF cv-
cry nine to keep the gin mills running!
No man escapes the burden because
he keeps out of the saloons. No woman
escapes it because she doesn't tpple.
1t bears on us all. The saloons produce
no wealth. They are sustained out OF
the wealth created by other industries.
The miner strikes one blow out OF every
nine, the farmer plows one furrow out
of every nine, the blacksmith hammers
one blow out of every nine, the weaver
turns out one yard out of every nine, the
railroad runs one car out of every nine,
the carpenters, masons, plasterers and
painters build one house out of every
nine as free gift to keep up the stand
ing army of gao, 900 saloon keepers and
their helpers, and to pay for the three
D's-death, disease and deviltry-they
spread abroad. All the productive &C
tivities of this great nation of 70, 0G0,-
900 souls are devoted one day in every
nine to sustaining the most brutal and
deadly business hell ever invented.
There s no mistake about the figures.
The combined productive capacity of
the nation is $12, 500. 600, 900, and the
costs of the drink traffic come to ST.
400, 600, coo. 1t is not the drunken sot
sleeping off his debauch in the gutter
that creates the wealth that sustains
that traffic, but every man engaged IN
productive industry has to contribute to
feed this Shiny dragon Of the nineteenth
century.-Voice.