The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-08-21
OUR TEMPERANCE COLUMN.
REPORTS OF PROGRESS OF TIE
BATTLE AGAINST RUM.
The Burden of the Liquor Curse-A
Problem Which Demands The
Earnest and Thoughtful Attea-
ton of ALL Patriotic Citizens.

Many great problems confront u
people, moral, social, political, finan-
cial, sanitary, scientific, all pressing
earnestly for solution. None, how
ever, demands more earnest or
thoughtful attention on the part OF
the patriotic, intelligent citizen than
the temperance question.
Economically it is of the first mag
nitude. The Corn Belt estimates that
in 1900 there were 661,554 persons
engaged in the manufacture and |
of liquor in the United States. This
vast army was withdrawn from pro-
ductive labor, allowed to prey upon
the public, degrading others and les
sening their industrial efficiency, de-
stroying a vast amount of wholesome
food products and having their fam
lilies supported by others, all without
rendering any valuable return. and
in spite of the harm they were doing.
According to the United States
Statistical Abstract there were con-
sumed in the United States in 1905,
1,694,392,765 gallons of liquor of all
kinds, or 20.38 gallons per capita.
Only eleven or twelve million gallons
Of this were used in the arts and
manufactures.
The direct cost of this liquor-that
is, the amount paid by the consumer
was not less than $500, 100000,
and the indirect cost-that Is, the
cost of crime, pauperism, insanity,
idiocy, loss of productive labor,
shortened lives, etc.-was at least
$1,000, 000, 900 more, making a total
of fully $4,000, 100000 twenty-five
hundred million). Rev. DR.. J. B.
Dunn, late General Secretary OF the
National Temperance Society, esti-
mated the total cost at $2.678,5O4,-
S64. Other authorities place it low
er. The figures first given are prob
ably not far from correct and, while
an estimate, are based upon Govern
ment reports and other wide general
izations.
Estimating our population at So
10000, this harmful and useless
thing costs directly and indirectly
more than $50 per capita, or $3.50 to
every family in the United States.
This seems almost incredible and Is
entirely beyond comprehension.
The entire internal revenue re-
ceipts from this source for 1905 were
S186,319,066, and the customs re-
ceipts-that is, the duty paid on i'm
ported liquors - were $1~2,097,799,
making the total receipts Of the Cen
eral Government from this source
S198,416,865.
If we add to this s100,O00,000 for
State, municipal and county license, II
gives a O sum Of s29~8,416,865.
From this we must deduct the cost
of collection, which, for the internal
revenue, was 1.85 per cent. of re-
ceipts, and for the customs receipts
3.48 per cent. Summing it all up,
it is safe to say that the liquor traffic
cost more than eight times what 1t
paid, to say nothing of b moral
ruin which it wrought and the un-
told misery which it caused.
An Organized Foe.-There are five
great. liquor organizations in the
United States:
l. The United States Brewers AS
ISOLATION.
2. The National Wholesale Liquor
Dealers Association.
8. The National Retail Liquo:
Dealers Association.
4. The National Protective Bu-
reau.
S. The German-American Alli-
ance.
These five organizations are, Of
course, in league and usually supply
men, money and literature in every
local contest where there is a posi-
bility of the saloon being defeated.