The Washington herald., 1911-01-15
By JAMES b. MORROW.

the army. Whisky more than supports
! the navy. The government tax on beer
would build and arm ten huge battle
ships a year. The whisky tax comes
! within $15.000,0o0 of paying the annual
charge for pensions. About every fourth
dollar spent for maintaining the govern
| ment is obtained from tobacco. distilled
spirits. and fermented liquors. So the
| consumer of a glass of beer or a cock
tail may stand boldly forth from be-
hind the barroom screen or curtain and
| vindicate himself before the spying world
outside on the ground that he is helping
his -country-joint beneficiary with the
saloon keeper-to liquidate its debts and
to promote worldwide peace and Chris
tian civilization
Obviously, in the case of the drinker or
smoker. neither argument nor quest is
required to find the man who pays the
i, tax; he is the one ultimate consumer,
silent abroad and speechless at home.
who is without rhetorical friends in
Congress. Although some form of pro-
hibition is workable in all the States
but ten. the distilleries are increasing
their product, and the breweries are do
ing the same. The tax therefore, is will
inSly paid. In the matter of whisky, it
almost doubles the price of drink.
1t is evident that a tax on intoxicat-
ing liquor does not hinder the supply or
interfere with the demand. Nor has re-
strictive legislation. so common the coun-
try over. turned topers and tipplers into
sober men. Counting women and chill
dren. the people of the United States last
year dranNhabout seven quarts Of whisky
apiece. The increase over the year before
was 2,0O0.00 gallons. Estimating ten
drinks to the pint and the price at 10
cents a drink. the whisky bill of the
American people was $1Sc,0O0OGO less in
1909 than it was in 1910 In the mean
while. they had smoked more tobacco and
cigars and had drunk 3,lSO.OOO more bar
rels of beer.
Panic Worse Than Prohibition.
The October panic in 1907 seems to have
hurt the liquor business more than has
prohibition or local option. 1t is unlaw-
ful to sell Intoxicating beverages In nine
States-Maine. North Carolina. Georgia.
Tennessee, Alabama. Mississippi Okla
homa. Kansas. and North Dakota 1t is
lawful and licensable in ten States-New
Jersey. Maryland, Pennsylvania. West
Virginia. Nebraska. New Mexico. Wyom-
ing. Utah. Nevada. and California In
all of the other States there are local
option laws. applicable either to counties
townships. municipalities. wards. Or resi-
dence districts. But the habit of drink
ing appears to be growing. nevertheless.
it is possible that those who drink are
drinking more than formerly. Also. the
population is increasing constantly
Doubtless the Anti-SalO League can
give buoyant Interpretation of the fig |
u-es herein set forth. On the other hand. |
diStillerS and brewers are loudly grum- !
bling about confiScation and are plead |
ing the rights of private property and !
the employment of their men :
A young Nirginan is the Commissioner !
If Internal Revenue. Royal Eubank !
Cabell is his name in fuil-CabelI being (!
pronounced Cab-cll and not Ca-bell as /
one would guess by the spelling. He is |
six feet and one inch tall, speaks with |
4 James River accent, and after being ,
graduated from Princeton. studied law.
He practced in Richmond with his father.
became postmaster in 1896 and three ,
years later was called to Washington !
by Secretary MacVeagh. who, being
griZZeld himself demands youth and in
teligent energy in the Treasury. His |
salary is $500 a year and he is Bap-
tst. Likewise<he is Republican. hav
ing come down from ancient line
Of Virginia Wings. One of his great
however. was a Democrat I
and sat in Congress from Thomas Jeffer-
sens district. When he talks internal
revenue he sounds like animated
book. If he has opinions pertaining to
prohibition as preventive of drunken
ness. he conccals them for the most part
by recital of the facts.
New Drink.
What is near heer.' I asked him, /
and where is it brewed?"
1t is new drink he answered. that
'be described with precision at ]