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

pie OF this aud other eonntries, therl
are s7S expended % carry the de
bauching, demoralizing and un
christianizing tendency OF the IL
qnor traffic to Amerisan homes.
There are $40, 0oo. 900 yearly in.
vested in this country for potatoes.
That means that Americans pay 81
for q nourishing article Of food that
tones the nervous syatem, and 81
forasssssisusIobsf desitaiigant and
nervous parslyzant. Annually this
country contributes s125. 600, O0O
to the churches. That means that
Americans donate 81 to the sup
port of the churches and give
sl2.25 to the support of the sa-
looms. This country contributes
yearly s165, 900, 900 to public edu-
cation. That means that the gov
ernment appropriates 81 to educate
and cultivate the intellect of its
subjects and expeDds 30. 33 to blast
their intellects and destroy their
souls.
There are $415, 900, 900 annual
ly invested IN this country for silk
and woollen goods. That means
81 for wearing apparel and So. rs
for intoxicants. The annual out
lay of $175, 100000 for furniture
means 81 for the comforts of the
home and S4S.5O for the discom~
forts of the liquor traffic.
There are in this country annu-
ally expended 1925, 600, 900 for su-
gar and molasses. That means 81
for the sweet products of the ref
merry and sG. 72 for the bitter fruits
of the distillery. Annually this
country invests s435, 900, 900 for
boots and shoes. That means 81
to keep the feet comfortable In life
and s4.66 to lure the feet into the
paths of death. In this country
there are $345, 900, 900 yearly dis
buFsed for -four. That means 81
for an agent that nonrishes and sus-
tains life aud S4.33 for an agent
that devitalizes and destroys life.
This country's annual Investment
Of SS70, ,000, 900 for meat means 81
for that which tones and inyigor-
ates mans constitution and 81. 73
for that which debilitates and un-
nerves health.
The yearly expenditure in this
of $3.50, 900, 900 for brick
and sawed lumber means one dollar
making comfortable Amer
lean homes and two dollars and six
ty cents towards making American
homes uncomfortable. The coun-
trys annual output of $50, 900, 600
dollars for iron and steel means
one dollar for material to make rail-
roads, which build the country MP,
and swo dollars and sevepty-five
cents for the liquor trafiice that
breaks the country down.
1t ought to be very easy to see
that the continuance of the liquor
traffic, which is every year assum-
ing greater proportions and COM
mitting grester atrocities, means a
debased civilization, the country's
delayed development, and deter
red national progress. In every
instance given above the country is
aenually paying more for an agency
which is detrimental to it's every
than for that which tends
to upbuild, improve and enrich
it.
How is it possible for a country
with such a record to prosper j?
How unreasonable it seems to think
that Bryan with his silver or Nc
kinley with his gold could bring
prosperity to country upon which
its government is riveting the de-
grading, debasing and impoverish-
ing tendencies of the liquor traffic
like the tentacles of the octopus
upon its helpless prey-with year.
ly increasing grasp? How irrationss
al the thought that the tree of ma
tional prosperity can flourish amid
the self-serving, blasting, bligbting
and bestializing tendencies of the
liquor traffic, protected, sustaiaed
and encouraged as it is by the ma
tional government:
In this country, the saloons, (the
widest gate that opens hellward,
through whose fatal portals one
hundred or more thousand human
beings pass yearly to the dark, des-
olate aud dismal domains of eter-
nal despair) are as lawful as