Jefferson jimplecute. (Jefferson, Tex.) 1907-1926, 1911-03-24
w. c. T. U. Column.
Edited by Mrs. II. A. Benefited. ).
"rHE GREAT DEsToYER. ("

"THE GREAT DEsToYER."
Speaking on the above subject
before the recent meeting OF the
National W CT u. at Baltimore,
Congressman R p Hobson said in
part:
"F have sought to find meas
ure. a standard by which to deter
mine destructiveness, and since
human life is the most precious
thing in this part of the universe,
T | have sought 10 fud out, if war
could be made standard of the
measure of destructiveness and
found fortunately, thatit was pos
sihle actually to 1svafuate the de
structiveness of war. 1t was throu'
our government, through the war,
college at Washington, that I Sc.
cured the facts as to the destruct-
iveness of war. Officers working
under the war department took all
the wars of the world from Russo
Japenese, the latest. to as far back
as 500 B. C.-and they tabulated
all the authentic reports of the
killed and wounded; and the sum
total amounted to about 2, 800, 900
killed and wounded. little over
one-fourth killed and little less
than three-tourths wounded, that
means about 700 600 killed in bat
tie. and about 100000 wounded
sufficiently to be reported as man
gled and wounded
LARGE NUMBER WOUNDED AND
KILLED BY ALCOHOL
Il then sought to find out the
number of killed and wounded that
are to be laid at the door of alcohol.
In this case the British government
supplied the standard. In re-
port of the Register General of
England, it is stated and verified
by other authorities that out of ev.
cry 81 900 of the population, there
will be about 1 1000 deaths year;
but out of the same number of to :.
tai abstainers, there will be only
$50 deaths. Therefore 44O deaths
out of every 1000 that occur could
be laid directly at the door of alec
holic poison. To apply that to our
own country: 440 deaths out of
every 81 900 of our population a
year means 100000 deaths in our
land every year. 100000 men are
killed in America alone every year,
and but 100000 men have been
killed in battle in all the wars of
the world for 1900 years. That
gives US an accurate scientific es-
innate. If we apply the same pro
portion to America, it amounts to
100000 white men killed every
year by alcoholic poison, which is
more than five times as many kill.
ed every year by alcoholic poison
as have been killed by war in $500
years. That means that alcohol is
II, 400 times as destructive as all
wars.
Again as to the wounded, I have
the authority of the British gov
eminent, compiled By the great
life insurance companies in the
following statement: If a young
man at the age of 20 is total alb
stainer and remains so, his pros,
pect Of life is, and will be 44years.
He will live, on the average, to
the age of "a; if on the other hand.
he is a temperate, regular drinker
of alcoholic beverages, his pros.
pect of life is only 81 years, and
he will die on the average, at 81,
having lost 10 years out of his life.
If he is heavy drinker, his pros
pect Of life is and will be Is years.
He will spend IL years becoming
confirmed drunkard and then
will live three years longer and
die at the age of IS, having lost 20
years out of his life. If a soldier
was wounded in battle and lost as
much as ten years out of his life.
he would be considered seriously
wounded"
All understand the productive
margins of this vast army of booze
fighters are lost to the country.
Instead of being burden bearers
these men become burdens on the
legitimate interests of society
There is no margin in the liquor
business, except for liquor deal.
ers, and SO per cent of each 100 OF
them die paupers. The liquor
business is an unmitigated evil and
waste from every standpoint from
start to finish, from the distillery
to the graveyard. Disabled man
hood, widows, orphans and wreck
ed homes line the banks of this
river of death. Home and State
Night riders are busy in Kentuc
! L.