Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1897-08-05
ICoNMUNIcArRD.
WHAT IT MEANS.

Ii is an unquestionable fact that
of all the industries of our country
the liquor traffic entails by far the
greatest expense upon our people,
indeed, greater expense thar a
great many of them put together.
What the country contributes year
ly to the churches and to public ed
ucation and spends annually for
brick, for furniture, for sugar and
noiasses. for boots aud shoes, and
for silk and woollen goods. is s2i.-
600, 900 less than what is yearly ex-
pended in the country for liquor.
And still the liquor traffic is in
creasiug.
In 1884 there were 195, ,2S4 liquor
dealers in the country. In 1890
there were POI, ,461, an increase of
G,177 liquor dealers IN SIX years, or
an annual increase of 1,029. In
In 1898 there were 232, ,295, an in
crease of 30,S34 liquor dealers in
five years; aud at present the num-
Der has increased to about $50, 900,
an increase of 17,705 in two years.
Ia 1886 the amount of liquor con-
sumed in this country was 20, $780,
079 barrels. In 1891 the amount
consumed was 30,021, ,079, an in
crease of 9,732, ,O5O in FIVE years, or
an annual increase of 1,94S,57
barrels. In 1890 the amount con-
sumed was 26, $50, 953 barrels. In
1895 the amount consumed was &c.
496,661 barrels, an increase of s..
G75, ,704 barrels in five years, or an
annual increase of 1929, ,041 bar
rels. In 1872 "the nation drank
four gallons of the noxious stuff
per capita" In 1876 the nation
drank S.61 gallons per capita. In
1886 the nation drank 1890 GAL
Ions per capita. In 1895 the ma
tion drank 1886 gallons per capt.
ia. ''Now they swill down seven
teen gallons for each person every
year." In 1876 the nations per
capita drink-bill was $1O.72. In
1886 the per capita drink-bill was
$3.50. In 1895 it was s13.79.
DIR. l.. Meyer, Professor of the
University of Gottengen. says:
"The consumption of alcohol has
been considerably increased in all
civilized lands in a short period.
In Holland the use of distilled IL
quors increased per person, in II
years, 1864 to 1881, about 80 per
cent. In Belgium the consump-
tion in the last forty years was
more than doubled. In France the
increase per person during 20 years,
1SG0-1SS0, was about 20 per cent.
IL Prussia the amonnt consumed
increased in Is years, 1s65-1SsO,
from eight to ten liters per head.
and the consumption of beer in
creased from 81 to sS liters per per-
son."
In 1890 the country's liquor bill
was 1907, ,645, ,S67. In 1891 it was
81, 200, 900, 900. In 1898 it was
81, 1853, 900, 900, and the latest esti-
mate makes it 1 ,546, 900, 900.
The population of the country is
about 10000, 900, and that means
that the country's liquor bill aver
ages more than $4,000 for each in
habitant IN the country.
1t requires about s437, 900, 900
year to run the national govern
ment. That means that for every
dollar the people are taxed to sup
port the government, they are taxed
more than $3.50 to support the sa-
loon. The liquor traffic pays an an
nual revenue of s12l, ,404, ,42l. That
means that the traffic pays the gov
ernmens 81 for the privilege of
wronging the people out of sl5.
This country every year donates
ABOUT s5, 900, 900 for for foreign mis-
sions. That means that for every
dollar contributed in this country
to enlighten, moralize and Chris-
tiaeize the heather. there are 1915
expended to drunkenize, demoral-
ize and devilize our citizens, or 81
to Christianize the heatheus and
1915 to unchristianize the Ameri-
cans.
There are about s14, 900, 900 ex-
pended in this country yearly for
preachers salaries, and about 500,-
600 for home missions, which with
the S., ,000.o for foreign missions,
makes $40, 200, 900 that are disburs-
ed in this country annually for the
spread of the GOSPEL of Christ in