The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1894-08-31
The Financial Question.

| According to the most reliable statistics for
| 1891, there were in the United states 254469
| licensed liquor dealers, and 14l,SO0 liquor
saloons The United States Bureau of Sta
! tistics for the same year, gives the cost Of
| alcoholic beverages at the average retail
| price to consumers as follows: 81, l57 $50 gal
! ions of distilled spirits, (after deducting l219
per cent for medicinal, mechanical and other
legitimate purposes) costing $598 o! ,5l9, also
per barrel, 1857 1858 $780, 2s956,9S1 gallons of
wine at 50. $57, 9l3, 1862, making one billion, Two
hundred twenty-three millions, seven
hundred and four thousand, three hun
bred and seventy-one dollars ($l,223, 7O437D
as the alcoholic drink bill in this country in
| 1891. And this does not allow for adultera-
ton, illicit distilling, smuggled liquors,
| prices paid in many. places for drinks Let
us compare this with other leading financial
| issues of the country. The aggregate interest
| bearing and non Understanding pubic
debt of the United States not including the
Treasury certificates and notes was Decem M
| Der, L. 1891, $9H,739,9So
The aggregate capital of all the
National Banks in the United
States in 1891, '66O,lOS,Zbl
The total expenses of the United
the postal department, 437,436,s6S
Net earnings of all the railroads
in the United States for 1890, 343,92l, 3lS
FIR from imports in 1891 2l9,522,20
Total amount of pensions paid
soldiers, sailors and their fam
lilies in 1891, l24,4l5,95l
Aggregate loss of property by
fire in the y. S. in 1891, 13l 26O, 400
Total net earnings of the Nation
al Banks OF u. S. in 1891, 75763,6l4
Total cost of maintaining the
of the II. S. for 1891. 74,SS3, 1861
is it possible that any honest intelligent
man can claim that the liquor traffic is not a
financial but only moral issue?
The census of 1890 gives 73,O45 paupefs IN
aims houses three-fourths of this number is
pgtin 1tp6 to he due to iDtHmDeranCe, sup
ported at an an nual expense of $9,l29,6OO.
The statistics of crime caused by drink is es,
expense of $46, $4,000. The census of 1890
shows 1885 persons confined in asylums,
also ll3,40O insane and id1otc persons not
confined in asylums. The small estimate OF
one fourth of this number caused by drink,
would entail an annual expense of $6,!lS,OO0,
The yearly cost of sickness due TO drink IS
estimated by DR.. Hargraves at sos, 5OO,0OO. II
we add the drink bill of the same year (lS9O),
81 ,l3l $685. 1872, and other items that have an
indirect bearing should be added, and deduct
from the same, the amount received from
the three following sources, viz: .oo
Internal revenue 1890, $lU7,69oO9
Customs revenue 1890, S,5lo,OSl
State and local licenses 1890, 4l,272OOO
We have balance agafnH the traffic show
ing that it pays back to the people only
about eight cents for every dollar expended
The following is an extract from published
interview concerning High License, of Col
r. S. Cheves with H. p. Crowell notorious
liquor-man: chow did you manage Mr..
side?" "Oh, that is the easiest thing out. No
did not go to the preachers as | did to the
politicians, but always found out good
man in the church who could work the
preacher with but little trouble for half of
the preachers are towards Then hired for
so much man, some old broken-down news
paper man or politician to go round with
petition and get the names of ministers and
lawyers, which we published with fine effect.
We talked High License all the ime. Never
try to deteud the saloon if so you lose the in
nupOcp of church members and ministers
but talk about the revenue, cider, taxation,
and especially Prohibition don't prohibit,
and clamor for High License. had thous-
and badges printed with High License and
gave them out to pollworkers on election
day and it had fine effect" "Mr. Crowell
has High License which has reduced the
number of saloons, reduced to any extent the
consumption of liquor?" mo sir, on the
contrary the consumption of liquor has in
creased The sale of beer in the city has in
creased 20 per cent the last year, and grad
ually increased every year since the adopt
ion of the Brooks law" "Mr. Crowell, how
did mi to get the Pre %e
bought them by paying down so much cash
We paid the Ledger 40 cents per line, and the
Record so cents per line, though II did some
the farmers on the tax sHu
neWeg
want to go through another such tight. |
When the campaign closed, we were in debt
$JU,UDOOn account OF 0eDJs cOnIrdcteu Win
newspapers; but the committee made an APP
peal and raised the amount and settled all
Reader, who is responsible for the 5000
victims of rum in this county who are |
into eternity every year? The fol- |
lowing extracts are from distinguished and
noble men:
"The first duty of government is to strike |
out and extirpate the dram shop; and II is 10 |
do this not at all as a temperance measure, |
not at all to please the temperance reform
ers, but simply because government ls lnstl- |
tuted to protect person and property
GKRRIT SMITH.
awe have sold our fellow-men, we have |
set apart our thirty pieces of silver for the
potter's field for State prisons, asylums ana
and now the fearful work must
90 on" JOHN BAsCoM.
To support government by propagating
vice, is to support IL by means which destroy |
the end for which IL was originally establish
ed" DIR. SAMUH. JOHNSON.
claw has entrenched and emblazoned the
LIQUOR traffic, and no lesser agency can now
annihilate IL. DIR. F. r. LEES, =. +. A.
"Never shall my hand or voice be lifted
against so-called temperance fanatics- III
ever a cause justified fanaticism the temper
ance cause does" REV. PHILLIPS BROOKS
"The temperance revolution will not be /
carried out except by sturdy blows from
sturdy arms, backed by sturdy brains ana
sturdy hearts. BISHOP SAMUEL FALLows.
"And when the victory shall be complete
and when there shall be neither slave nor
a drunkard on the earth-how proud the
title ofthat land which may truly claim to
be the birth place and the cradle of both
hose revolutions that shall have ended In
hat victoryl How nobly distinguished that
20 maturity both the political and moral
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
viii ye play then, will ye daily