The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-01-25
THE COST OF VICE.
Some Startling Figurss-a1o Spent
in vice to Secure 81 In Revenue.

s0lne ? '-l 'i-..e ~. y, =. $500
IN vice 70 Sseufs : : ~ -.
TO the Editor OF me lh'eii ls 49,. :,
sIh;-the lou'" SOl'. 'sa. go
January 10 ls.'' naS ,n's 'rs's w." ~.
cant parasrapn' whlcn so'"'
citizens VINO are aayoea'lnb 'ne .ee4 =.
lation OF vice lot revenue Ou
ponder long ana intenlly' -.
"Twenty'si1 thousAho alLss's -, 40
drunkenness : year aFu es"s III, NJ
sand imprisenmen!s 10 Tue % ,,'s.D..-S
record OF one OF the most snss'.su
OF American ei.ies. !. i,s.,'' IN, nv =,
rest 70 every lour l-'iliiea' -. =
means to the taApayets may &c = WI, ~,
ed from tue Iact .na. M''.I NJ, me- .os ~
lected amounted 10 isss ''i''n 1900
the cost OF maintaining tne pt a.ou saa
took from the PUBIC more wan 1900, $1,000
The net cost 70 lne Guy was .He.saS' :,
more than .lOOOO'' Were i p ,', !"
appropriate mat sum lot ',,. ug.-iS ~, -
any beneneent PUBIC insl'utio., 'nV
matter would De careluly pOls.uess gu
lest the city De gu'lty OF eH.'sN@s Sn .,
A remedy Tor TINS yearly 'rlpute ~ '"e
city's shame and curse is niucn more
worthy OF Consideration
The Youths Companion ieaVes gu. u
these figures which are appaiilhS
enough. some very important Items,
necessary to complete the slor3.
says nothing about the amount u NY
ney these persons spent for the lhtOHl'
eating drinks which made them drunk
ards and prisoners, which must nave
been enormous; nor about tne suHer'
ing and heartaches caused parents,
wives and children. by their ioollsn ana
criminal expenditure Of money tne
bitter sorrow and shame caused In that
ot,,. h,, +hoss nr,sonars from which II
ivy W '"V's :, 5oI,.r. IN
derived twenty-five thouSAi'u -
revenue and on which 1t spent one
hundred and twenty-five thousand are
49, =. AZ. o.,,r.. 7,,,,reV cannot
not tolu ny tne su1es'
express such things. But cOnunlhE our
selves 10 the matter OF revenue which
,.,........ -, .,,,,,r.y, The amn,,nt oui.
ilsu'es e'l. e'Ns' s9s' m. !.
cities receive from hhes Oh Niee
mere trihe when compared with the
a,,,o,,nt that vice draws out OF their
M, ,,...,.e,,,.a,a ~ Social
treasures tHe F-NsS Wv ,,..-.',.
Reform gives the nations Fetll LpuUE
bill for the year 1895 as being 1852, 1872
on ,,,t,,,h ocoorJtrv N other atatIstl-
e'l' ,,....,
clans Is very moaeFate' ~ es'it.a''9
the Indirect cost Of these liquors, from
tho Ioss NJ worl, bv 3.T5O 900 hard drink
=. -. 49,, 600 -sn nm ,pba Ices
eIs !" nave Neil
| OF. work by non-drlhkers, cauSeu Wy 1he
drinkers. at $66,975,O00 LOSS from
ot,,. ~ AZ mn dy,,r.ards at SliB 2Ss. :
ue'H'"s y. 'S'sSN :, ~,
wv. COST 10 tue government VI pV'e''s
and crime, at $6S,SSl, ITO. Private cost
of poverty and crime, $6S,SSl,llO. rms
would make n total indirect cost from
the traffic in intoxicating liquors OF
| $453, 0I6.220 These figures, ~ to the IN
direct cost, are based on the returns OF
the census for 1890. This makes total
cost to the nation from this tratiic OF
81, AIS, 2Gs,0I4 This Is y very moderate
estimate, for many estimates make the
| Indirect cost OF the traffic fully equal to
the direct What did the nation get
from this traffic In revenues? She got
from Internal revenue, customs, state
and local revenues, the net sum OF
SlS7, 2G3, 9T4, not one-tenth OF the cost, j.
e., the people spent more than ten dol
lars on this traffic to get one back IN
revenue. What sensible business man
would long continue q collecting agency
| II Il would cost ten dollars TO collect
one? But the foollshneRs OF throwing
tar JntInrU It,tn a 1ink. 10 get one
out does not tell the story. Our penl-
tentIaries, jails. courts. asylums. ruined
homes. weeping mothers and wives,
etc, make another chapter OF this fool
ish and sinful greed for revenue. II
1t were not for this insane idea that We
must have the revenue from this traf-
nc for public improvements. etc. be-
lieye the American people could be In
| duced TO abolish II. But dollar Of
revenue looks as large to the ordinary
tnSpayer, as the moon would. were he
| TO run his nose against 1t. The cost OF
the liquor tratiic for the year 1900 would
establish. ut the very lowest estimate;
20. 900 public libraries at $4,000 each.
This community will spend In. and on
account Of. the saloons OF this city
during the year 1900, at the very lowest
estimate, 100000, That Will be less
than 5000 to each, which Is not a high
estimate. II this sum would be spent
for the lettering of this city instead Of
the cursInF OF Il, what an amount OF
happiness It might bring instead OF the
sorrow and shame II Will cause. 1t
wouId build and euulp a public library,
and save us the shame OF begging for
| Il: and Il would pave our unpaved
streets. clean our crossings, and prevent
a great many heartacheE and other