The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-03
CHIEF OF POLICE
TALKS At Y. M, GA.
Addresses Young Men on the
Evils of Drink
LARGE AUDIENCE PRESENT
Judge Feaein Also Admonishes the
Youth to sobriety and to Right
Livingstone Very Inter
esting Figures.


tian Association yesterday afternoon
which was regarded as most timely. II
was the first of series of three talks
on "rhe Vices of the City which the
Chief will deliver before the association
Judge Feagin, who was present, was
called upon and made a few earnest anu
practical remarks. There were more thah
two hundred men present and all seemed
u enjoy the exercises.
Some stereopticon figures were given
concerning the liquor traffic in Birming-
ham, These figures are estimates ana
l. was announced that those estimates
were regarded as conservative.
1t was shown that there were 10 sa-
looms in the city; men employed IN sa-
Icons, 500; capital invested, $oOO,ooo' an
nual current expenses, $5720OO licenses
paid last year-city, $4,000; state, s4O'ooo;
total license. $4,000. This does not in
clude fifteen drug stores and other places
selling liquor.
Wholesale houses, 10; breweries,. :; dis-
tilleries, 2; brewery branch houses, q;
total, 20; men employed, 4l6; capital IN
vested. $500, 600; annual current expenses
100000; licenses paid last year-city, slo'-
coo; state, $4,000; total $4,000
Summary of Liquor Traffic.
Summary: Liquor plants and places In
operation, 1870; capital employed, $1,000
600; men employed, 966; cost of operation,
running expenses s1,O79.O0o; license, $780,
600; total, $1,1Ss,oOO; cost of liquors, sl,1Ss,-
600; total cost per year, s2,S7S,OOO.
Dividends to the city: Arrests for
drunkenness last year, white men, 24ll;
colored, 2O4o; total, 44ol; fines collected,
81. $50; total arrests for all causes, white,
4l43; colored, $780, total. 11,443. Total fines
collected, $31 III; an an inestimable num-
Der of poverty-stricken families. broken
hearted women, murders and other
crimes.
It was shown on the stereopticon that
the amount of $2,S7s,0O0 spent In the
whisky traffic could be better used for
the following purposes:
To feed. clothe and school 2642 fami-
lies, purchase each year 1921 cottage
homes, to maintain at state colleges 1885
young men and women, to keep up 1888
life insurance policies of $4,000 each, or to
pay the bonded debt of the city of Bir-
mingham.
The following comparisons were made
Fifty-four churches are open to the pub
lie 351 hours per week; ITO saloons open
to the public 1880 hours per week. men
employed on salary in the churches, 81;
in the liquor traffic, 966.
Chief Wier's Address.
Chief of Police Wier on being intro
duced, spoke in part as follows:
From time immemorial the three evils
have been asked to discuss have been
tie three great sins of mankind. Under
the enchantment of their insiduous infiu-
cree countless numbers of lives have
been wrecked and immortal souls forever
lost
mo record but the books of the record
ing angel can disclose the full measure
of blight and curse that these greatest
enemies of God and man have wrought
Go to the paupers of the world, go to
the outcasts, go to the thousands who are
enslaved by one of these damning habits,
&c to the tens of thousands of women,
wives of moral wrecks, poorer and hum
grier in life and heart than widows; go
to millions of half-starved and naked chill
dren, and the stories they could tell you
of the horrible curse of these evils would
fl the libraries of the world with books.
And the sad part of 1t Is the stories are
true; yes. too true
Generally whenever you find human
l:fe that Is wrecked, home that is broken
up, business that has gone to pieces, an
empire that has crumbled or nation that
is tottering, you will find the cause to be
strong drink, gambling or inordinate
lu.ts
Evils of Drunkenness.
THE question before us this afternoon
Is discussion of some of the causes OF
one of these evils, viz, drunkenness. And
this is always disagreeable but neces-
sary task 1t Is disagreeable because 1t
calls to our consideration vile and de-
PRAYED associations; and carries us
through ways that are unpleasant to our
feet and repulsive to our eyes. into the
presence of that most horrible and in
sidnous disease-the drink habit. | as
surl you 1t would afford me much greater
pleasure this afternoon to call your souls
to diviner associations, and carry you
through ways pleasant to your feet and
delightful to your eyes, into the presence
of the beautiful, the lovely, the pure and
holy.
But IL the disease of humanity Is to be
cured, 1t is necessary to touch the ugly
wound, to diagnose the case, and however
hard 1t may be, to take the sharp knife
in hand and cut and probe until you come
to the seat of the trouble.
There Is one arrangement of body and
mind and soul which Is common to drunk
enness. The experts of the world find
this one thing as a supernducing cause
In every case where the malady is oft
recurring. This thing is habit 1t is habit
which occasions 99-100 of the drunkenness
Of the world; habit that binds manhood
in bonds of steel and holds a mans will
in u grip of iron; habit that leads a man
by the nose into ways OF sin and ruin and
destruction when all that is manly and
noble and decent within him protests
against the oppression of the merciless
tyrant; habit that he would shake off, but
he feels himself impotent and helpless
within such a mighty grasp.
May God Save Them.
young men, may God save you from
this habit; this habit of taking strong
drink / have known It to rob men of
integrity and make them lie. I have
known IL to rob men of honor and make
ffiem steal. I have known 1t to rob men
of all virtue and decency and make them
sots.
when drink has become a habit with
you, say goodbye to the better elements,
the higher powers of your nature; say
goodbye to your manhood. to your self
mastery, to your power Of will. TO your
bright prospects. to your divine heritage.
for you have sold your birthright for
mess Of pottage. and ever after you are
a slave TO appetite.
"Of course you say we all know that
habit makes men drink to drunkenness:
but what Is 1t that makes habit2 This is
going deeper and coming closer home. Re-
peated drinking makes habit. Possibly
w alr a drinks RA