The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-04-21
THE NATIONAL DRINK BILL.

The editor of The American Grocer, Mr.. i.
N. Barrett, ha, been in the habit Of studying
the Government statistics Of the consump.
tion OF LIQUORS, and his conclusions have
been accepted with great deal OF conf.
dence. H. has just made careful exam1na.
tton of the reports for the past year, and
shows by u number OF tables that the hard
times havs resulted in diminished con-
sumption of liquors. The total per capita
consumption Of spirits, wines and beer In
1892 was H. gallons; in 1896 1t was 1912.
showing 6, reduction of 1852 gallons per
capita in the FIVE years. The most notable
reduction WINS in the use OF spirits. which
diminished from $50 gallons in 1892 to one
gallon in 1885, There was similar reduc-
tion In tho use OF wines and very, slight
reduction in the use Of beer. The number OF
gallons OF spirits consumed was In round
numbers, u. 100000. which is less than was,
consumed in 1887, ten years ago. From 1sS7
to 1893 there was q steady increase, the
amount reaching In the last named year over
1O1. 900, 900 gallons. Since then there has
been decline. Mr.. Barrett estimates that
about II, 600, ,0G0 gallons Of spirits are used
annually N the arts, manufactures and in
medicine, leaving about &C, ,OOO,O 900 consumed
rs n beverage. he further estimates that
barrooms retail a gallon in about sixty
drinks, receiving therefor $3.50, "thus
making tie Nations whisky bill in 1896 as
beverage, S270 .000, 900. while in 1892 and
1893 it av. ragged S40O, O,5O0.000 Hs says the
importation of foreign spirits. while larger
In 1896 than in the four preceding years, WIS
lighter thin In 1890 or 1891. The Increase In
the consumption OF beer in the past twenty
wears has been very large. The amount con-
sumed in 1887 was q little less than III, ,0o0.-
900. Mr., barrett says that beer contests with
coffee the claim to be our National beverage.
The falling of in the consumD Dtfon OF wines
Is wonderful In 1887 there were consumed
27,TO6, III gallons OF domestic and 4,618, 2a0
gallons OF foreign wines, while in 1886 the
amounts consumed were "A ,599, 727 OF dones-
tic, and 4,101, ,649 Of imported wines. lie
makes the total alcoholic drinking bill o. the
United States for 1896 Ss61.693, 1892, or per
capita expenditure of S14.G.
NOT ALWAYS THE BEST.
Charles Follen Palmer, in his recently
published work on inebrtety, under the
heading IAN Unselfsh Wife Not ALWAYS the
Best" SAYS:
"A good woman i not necessarily good
wife. On the contrary, she may be. without
meaning Il and in spite OF her conscientious
efforts to be otherwise, a very bad wife to
her husband. aud that in spite OF her gentle
ness, docility, piety and excessive love Tor
him; and It Is possible that he might not be
in the position he occupies to-day II, instead
OF possessing these qualities, she had de.
veloped stronger or even more selfish traits
OF character The continued exercise OF The
spirit of ,inselfshness on the wife's part has
helped in no small degree TO restrain rhe
husband from denying himself IL. hundred
ways; and all innocently, but not the less
fatally, las famed the flames OF self-in-
diligence until his power Of resistance, in
sidiously encroached upon by loving hands,
has finally succumbed to herpersistency, and
his great preservative against any strong
temptation to which he may be constitution
ally inclined has become 80 weakened that
he Is unable to cope with the strong desire
for drink when 1t manifestsitself. Ee-
fore either Of them Is aware OF II the hrs-
bands strong mainstay and security against
sudden and powerful temptation are
gradually but surely undermined and when
the circumstances OF life, sure to be favor
able at certain junctures, invite the presence
OF an underlying vice, the man goes down
before IT, and, in spite OF his manifold
struggles and heroic resolves and efforts,
tails utterly to redeem himself"