The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1912-06-13
MONEY SQUANDERED ON DRINK
Sill for Alcoholic Liquors in the Unit
ed States Amounts to S3.cc0Ooo,-
GEO Every Year.

The amount of money we spend
every year in the United States, di-
rectly and indirectly. for liquor would
give a two weeks vacation to every
man, woman and child in the land,
with their board and expenses paid.
We spend $780, 900, 600 a year for
alcoholic drinks, and we spend az
much more for judges, police, jails.
poor houses and insane asylums to
take care of the people who get into
trouble through hard drink. That
makes 100000 900, or $50 apiece for
everybody. For a family Of father,
mother and four children it amounts
to $3.50 a year, nice sum for an out
ing in the country.
1t is estimated that 100000 men
and women in the United States are
every day either mentally or physical
ly disabled for work as a result or
drink. Investigation among aims
houses shows that more than half of
the inmates become paupers on &C
count Of drink. That means that more
than 100000 people who have put
themselves out of business through
drink have to be fed and cared for
at the expense of the honest hard
working people who do not drink.
Warden Roberts of the New York
almshouse on Blackwell's island, de-
clared that he believed nine-tenths OF
the inmates came there through drink
DR.. T. D. Crothers asserts that one
person out of every ten who dies goes
to his grave on account of the abuse
of alcohol, and one-fifth Of all diseases
of mankind are traceable to alcohol.
1t is commonly supposed that there
is no harm in drinking if the person
does not become intoxicated. But doc
tors are constantly meeting cases OF
paralysis caused by alcohol in those
who never become intoxicated. And
besides this, 1t is known that people
who drink very moderately are not so
we'll able to resist when attacked by
disease. People VINO drink even mod
erately run much greater risk of death
In surgical operations. People who
use alcoholic beverages have more
diseases than people who do not drink.
DR.. Alexander LANDER of New York
asserts that of the 24,200 patients in
Bellevue hospital during one year, over
one-fourth were alcoholic patients.
The startling statement IS made by
Professor Gluten that out Of every 100
alcoholics attacked by pneumonia 70
die, while out of every 100 people who
are not drinkers only % die when at
tackled by pneumonia.
If it could be shown that the drink
ing man had better brains, or better
muscles, or better earning power, or
lived longer than the man who did
not drink, there might be some argu-
ment in favor of drink, even in spite
of all that has just been said. But
thousands of experiments have shown
that the brain worker and the laboring
man are both at q disadvantage If
they drink.
Experiments in the French army
showed that under all circumstances
the French soldier is 40 per cent.
more efficient when subjected to
regimen OF total abstinence. Generals
Roberts and Kitchener in Africa
proved the same fact about the Brit
ish army Laboring men who used to
feel the necessity of having their dram
regularly in order to do their work and
do 1t well. now know they were for
merly deceived, and that they are bet
ter workmen without drink. So well
is this understood by practical bust
ness men that many large railroads
and other employers of labor have pro
hibited the use of alcoholic liquors by
employees at all times. Some marine
insurance companies made reduction
of per cent in insurance rates to
ships on which no liquors are drunk
during the voyage.