Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-22
commeroiaIism the American Disease.

York Commercial, which we fepilh'
below. The Commercial is vastly
more interested in trade, apparently
than in human morals or life.
Commercial insanity is the Ameri-
can disease. Everything bends to
trade supremacy" and money max
ing, regardless of cost in bodies and
souls. No matter about the sum total
of human happiness if the rush and
roar and buster of business can be
raised point or two for boasting
purposes. The Commercial said:
Those who are opposed to total pro-
hibtion of the liquor traffic, including
the manufacture, importation or sale OF
any beverage containing alcohol in any
form, draw attention to the loss of reve-
nue. which this country Will sustain. Ihe
total revenue receipts OF the Federai
Government from all sources Tor 1917
We're $691, 00o, 900, S222, o00,o00 of which were
derived from taxes and duties on distilled
and fermented liquors. This large sum
would have to be made up in some way.
the sacrifice would result in a CORE
spending gain in the welfare OF the
people
If drunkenness could be abolished with
the assurance that no other vice, sllch as
the habitual use of opium, would take IT'S
place the answer would be more easily
given. The trouble is that absolute pro-
hibition would be followed by the manu-
faeture of Illicit spirits on large scale
The process of turning a mash OF any
grain or other material containing starch
or sugar into ordinary alcohol in more
or less diluted form is very simple and
the cost of the apparatus is small. II
has always been difficult to put stop to
s'rnoonshining'' in various parts of this
country and the Excise Bureau has from
time TO time discovered plants within the
city limits of New York itself in which
anywhere from 10 to 100 barrels of dis
titled spirits could be made every day.
Any excise officer who knows the con-
ditions and will talk about them VIII say
that nine-tenths of all the cases OF run,
ming Illicit stills which the Internal
Revenue Department discovers are based
on information received through liquor
trade channels and most of the otner
among the "moonshiners' themselves
Whenever the wholesale liquor trade
finds sales falling off in a particular dis
trict it sends experts Of its own into the
taste spirits made in the pot stills used
by the "moonshiners. The slight differ
ences in flavor between pot still spirits |
and the product of the chambered stills |
used in the large distilleries cannot be
thoroughly disguised. so the facts that
..moonshine whiskey'' is being sold is
easily established. These private detec-
tives of the liquor trade do not appear |
in the prosecution of the cases; they turn |
over the information they have gathered
to the officers of the internal Revenue
Department and with the field so mar |
rowed it is comparatively easy TO run
down the Illicit stills.
Licensed distillers pay Sf.1o a proof
gallon on all the spirits they prodiee:
The actual cost of making gallon OF
proof whiskey does not exceed % cents, |
SO the great item of cost in marketing |
spirits is the inland revenue, which |
makes up more than four-ffths of the |
spot cash, 1t is the hardest part of the |
business to finance. For their own pro |
lection the distillers have to see that
they are protected from illicit competl- I
moved by nationwide prohibition it is
needless to say that the liquor trade as
a whole will take no part on suppresslng
illicit stills. With that out OF the way
profitable, but much safer than now.
Our commercial neighbor displays
it's entire aim and fear in one word
revenue"
What does America pay for that
revenue?
Last years consumption of intoxi-
cants in America was ten times the /
figures claimed by the Commercial as
the revenue derived.
How many wrecked homes, brutal
lied fathers, murdered mothers,
starved children, ruined girls does that
revenue" represent?
The government gets one-t tenth of
Tho rrioa ~ thu eo,1Ic and hodies and I
happiness of thousands of its people
where does the rest of it go?
The government is in the business
of cuItivating debauchery of humanity
for revenue" And such soulless in
stitutions as the rum trust and those
supporting it for business sake would
save the traffic if possible Never
mind the cost; keep the dollars NOV
ing for that is business!
If the people of this country had not
thrown away two thousand two hun
bred and twenty-five millions of
money last year, we wonder if they
could not have afforded to pay that
revenue out or pocket.
Without the intoxicants, the in
creased efficiency in trades, and bust
ness intellects would have more than
paid the revenue
The cost of poor houses, lunatic
asylums, jails, courts and the thou
sand and one other expenses which |
the liquor traffic directly create, would
have paid the revenue"
This money worse than thrown |
away for intoxicants, entering the
channels of legitimate trade and in |
dustry would have paid the revenue" |
To carry these self-evident facts no |
farther. we would call attention to the /
weak and silly claim of the CONNER
ciars editorial pleader for the rum /
trust, that because we do away with
intoxicants, that we must submit to |
opium. OF all the sickening sophistry
to deceive the unthinking for a little |
while longer. this is the most idiofie |