The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1912-05-03
HOBS0N DELIVERS STRONG
ADDRESS ON TEMPERANCE
wHissEV eREATER ENEMY THAN
AL FOREIGN NATIONS
Sir ThoSssno Persons Ast.,ded tire
Close % stat. sunday Sehooi
Convention.

Before an audience o. more than
sir thousand people. Captain Richmond
r. Hohson. hero % the Merrimac and
representative in congress from the
state OF Alabama. delivered his ad-
dress On The Great Destroyer" ~
the Sunday tabernacle last evening.
bringing TO a close the annual state
Sunday school convention. The pre-
dictor OF war With Japan stated that
the Whiskey ring hoped to win az the
prohibition elections by buying the
press and buying votes. lie stated
that 1000 American citizens die every
day from the use of alcoholic bever-
ages. II a Titanic sinks every day
and twice on Sunday. drowning the
same number OF people that the White
Star liner did. IL would not be destroy
ing the number Of people hat die each
week from the effects OF drink he said.
Startling Statistics.
In the history OF the world. two mil
lion. eight hundred thousand soldiers
have beer killed and wounded in war
fare. he said. and this number is ex-
ceeded in the United States each year
by drink. There are five million con
frmed drunkards and t~wenty-threc
million people who use intoxicating
liquors every day in this country. Some
OF the points Mr.. Hobson brought OUT
in his address follow:
Scientists. after wide investiEa-
ton. have found hat In only ! per
cent. OF cases do accidents occur in
maternity 10 mothers where parents
are total abstainers. while 5.25 per
cent. occur where the parents are reg
ular temperate drinkers. and 7.32 per
cent. where the parents are heavy
drinkers.
The Army War College at Wash
ington made an investigation OF the
destructiveness of war. Taking all
the wars of the world. from the Rus
so-Japanese War back 10 500 r.. c.
the War College found that the total
number of killed and wounded in bat
tie amounts to about 100000. OF
which it is estimated that about ZOO.
O0O were killed and something over
100000 wounded.
The comparative figures show the
appalling fact that alcohol is killing
of as many Americans every ear as
all the wars Of the world have killed
in battle in 1900 years.
Applied to the whole white race.
we find that alcohol is killing $500. 600
white men every year. five times as
many as have been killed in war in
$500 years so that. stated mathemat-
ically. alcohol is ten thousand times
more destructive than all wars COM
bined.
Scientific Tests.
From conclusions drawn from sci
entific tests referred to. IL is Conserva-
tive 10 estimate that the heavy drink
ave 1nA rnnffrwwaA HrHnEara a -, tho
United states have their productive
efficiency lowered at least 80 per
cent; that the temperate. regular
drinkers. who drink alcoholic bever-
ages every day Of their lives. suffer a
loss OF productive efficiency OF fully
80 per cent; that the occasional
drinkers suffer a loss OF fully 10 per
cent.
But even this terrific economic loss
IL but small part Of the ravages OF this
destroyer As seen alcohol attacks
the line OF evolution more than any
other l!ne. In the case OF man she line
OF evolution is in moral advancement
what in any individual may be term
ed character Therefore the loss Of
character must be far greater than
the economis loss. We found the
economies loss TO be fully q per q ~
II character could be measured by per
Centage. We would have to estimate
the loss In average character Of the
Lation "a fully 50 per cent.
Charges Against Saloons.
Las year on an average. each
saloon iu the United States was the
cause OF the death OF three men. This
year each saloon. on the average. will
Kill three men. Each saloon IN the
United States. on an average. now has
20 mon made heavydrinkers or drunk
ards. who are MORALLY wounded
Each saloon. OF an average. has 100
men made regular drinkers. who are
seriously wounded.
Speaking FOR myself. I feel no bitter.
ness against those ongagcd in the
liquor traffic. They aro Boo business bv
the consent Of tho Government. which
shares tho spoils
Suppose America should go down
before This destroyer. whittier viii Cd
rural and frugal fragmrn. Of America
20 90 start q new empire History
leaves no hope tp go hack eastward
There .s not longer any westward We