The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1905-08-04
W. C. 7, U. COLUMN.
THE AWAKENING OF THE MANOT
By F. C. Miller,
ABRIDGED
Edited By Palatka Union.


license town, being an honest Ger
man who liked his beer and cOnsid-
cred the saloon necessary adjunct
to any progressive little city.
He had "a son who possessed a very
inquisitive Dispositions; and he was
not satisfied with a superficial
knowledge of subject He took an
especial interest in the sciences.
among them physiology,
His home training had been en-
tirely at variance from what he
learned by his researches Being
somewhat worried. he decided to
consult his father, the mayor. That
| diguitary was very proud of this, his
only child, and when the young man
explained to him what he had learn
ed from the study of the effects of al
cohol upon the human system when
| taken in moderation, the old gentle
man was somewhat taken aback,
but said: well, veil, dot is all
right for you, my son, yOn needn't
drinks any beer if you don't want to;
but don't let dem peoples make a
crank NIT you. What would our
town be mitout saloons? link OF
our business interests, my boy. Dot
license money-$4 $40 each year paid
into our city treasury. Why, if it
was not for our saloons, what would
our town be? Why, it would be sure
dead. 90 on and study your books
my boy; but remember, the saloons
are necessary for any good business
town"
This phase of the question natur-
| ally appealed to james, being by
| heredity of business turn of mind
and from that time he considered
the saloons a necessary evil, though
his better nature often rebelled at
the thought.
Shortly after this conversation
James heard minister, Il man of
God who had the courage of his con-
victiOns, preach a strong temper
ance sermon, taking for his text
Isaiah 2S:l5 I'VE have made II cove.
nant with death, and with hell are
we at agreement"
"Since our Heavenly Father has
said, "A drunkard shall not inherit
the Kingdom of God, are we not
truly at agreement with hell. when
we license this institution which
sends to drunkards' graves 10000
precious souls each Year,"
James was much disturbed, and he
| 'phoued to the minister for an inter
view that afternoon which was
granted Reserving nothing, he told
of his early home training, his stud
| les, his conversation with his father
and his view of the saloon as NECES-
sARY EVIL and concluded by saying
1t does seem terrible that the licens-
ing of the saloon is such n great
wrong as you proved this morning.
The minister smiled kindly as he
! looked at the anxious young face,
and replied: "The trouble is, my
dear boy, you have concluded that
we must have the license money
when such is really not the case.
The economic phase of the liquor
question is indeed a great one, and
when our people fully realize what
they are losing by this traffic, then,
and not until then, can we hope for
the day of better things. You told
me your town had six saloons, each
paying license of $500 making
81 800 in all. 1t is estimated that the
average saloon earns $1,000 a year.
We will concede that, being in a
small place, they fall below the av-
erage and earn $1,000 apiece, the six
making 100000 year, leaving them
a profit of $25, 200. Nou see for each
dollar they give the city they take
| between four and five dollars them
selves, the greater part coming from
the poor laboring man, thereby rob-
bling his family Oftcntimes of the ne
cessities of life"
"rhat is entirely a new way of
looking at it, exclaimed James,
but, by Joe, | like it"
The minister laughed at this burst
of boyish enthusiasm and continued :
| what is true of your little town,
is true of other license towns, and,
on much larger scale, is equally
true of our nation. The national
drink bill for alcoholic beverages
during the past year was $l,172,5 500, =
| 900 Now if you wish you may fig
ure out what that would be per
capita"
| Anxious to know more about the
subject, James took the prOtfered
pencil and paper and promptly set to
work.
1--WE have in the United States a
population Of SO,0OO,OOO," said the
minister
After Il little figuring James ex-
claimed: Fourteen dollars and six
ty cents; is it possible?"
Now you may find what the sa-
looms pay for this privilege" con-
tinued the minister The latest
government report of the revenue
and customs. International, state and
local, places the amount paid at
| $l4l 100000
II find it is only $40 for each
one, said James.
Yes, that is the amount the sa-
loon pays in return for the $l4.G0 it
takes from each citizen. These fig
ures would not seem so terrible were
it not for the fact that in return for
this money our people get nothing
that will benefit them either in this
world or the world to come.
81 know continued the minister.
these figures startle you, but they
simply represent the cost of the
liquor itself. Let us consider for IA
short time the indirect cost of the
liquor traffic upon our people.
II Llle sUdbH p6nlJeu tlarleS IN New
York So per cent of the convicts adj
mitted that directly or indirectly in
toXicating liquors were the cause of
their crime.
1.-The cost of crime in the United
States, as given by Eugene Smith OF
New York at the Prison Congress,
was $20O,OO0,0OO; 80 per cent of this
may safely be charged to the influ-
ence of liquor.
Lord Shaftesbury, twenty years
chairman of asylums for the insane
in Great Britain, said 'six-tenths of
all the cases of insanity in these
realms, and also in America, arise
from no other cause than from the
habit OF intemperance i'm which the