The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1915-08-13
LIQUOR LITERATURE, ETC.

public, but so many liquor dealers
have sent to our office by our Prohi-
bition friends with inquiries for ex-
plantations, etc., that we have decided
to write an article dealing with the
false statements that the unwar,
reader may not be deceived. Some
things are unreasonable, in these
circulars, tnat it is not worth while
to lose time or energy in denying.
We are told by one of the liquor ad-
vocates that 200,000,000 families have
wine, beer, or spirits always on their
tables in Continental Europe, and that
there is no drunkenness in all thai
land, and that the people live longer
over there than they do in the United
States. The writer surely was ad-
dressing his remarks to the lunatics
confined within the wall of tbs
asylums. When we read such stuff, a
thinking man at once begins to ask,
"Why has France declared for Pro-
hibition during the WARP" "Why
has Russia declared for Prohibition
during the war;" "Why has Lloyd
George, one of the great leaders of
England, declared that the three great
enemies to fight-Germany, Austria,
and Rum-the greatest enemy to be
conquered is RUM"
Just for the sake of giving the pub
lie little information, l will stat.
that during the year 1912 the gov.
ernment of Russia owned and manag-
ed 1888 distilleries and 26,016 bars.
In other words, they had bar for
every 5,922 of their population. Dur
ing the same year England and Wales
had dram shop for every 571 popu-
lation, and 26O,OOO,OOO gallons Of
liquor were sold through these shops.
These liquor shops paid more thai.
| 70 per cent. of the total revenue of
the kingdom and more than twice the
total of revenue of the United States
Government. And yet the people IF
this country are told that everything
on the other side of the Atlantic
Ocean is happy and sober.
Financial Scarecrow
Another great scarecrow brought
into the open by the liquorite circu-
lars is that the United Staes Govern
ment is in danger of becoming bank
rupt, and that financial panic is
sure to come if the bars of this nation
are closed and the revenue from the
sale of Intoxicating liquors is cut off.
1t is surprising how few people stop
to think of the actual facts in regard
to this revenue issue When we are
told that the liquor business pays to
the United States Government $685.
100000, some people reach the con-
clusion at once that it would ruin the
nation if this should cease; but with
they are shown that this liquor reva-
nue. amounts to but very little when
compared with the whole, they can
! scarcely be made to believe the state
ment. The editor of the Vindicator,
"a newspaper published in Franklin,
Penn, and which has a nation circu-
lation, put in an expert accountant
on the job and got the facts for his
paper. The following is part of his
experts reports, published April 18th,
1915:
taking first the broad, national
view of the subject, we find that in
the year 1913 the total revenues Of
all States, counties and incorporated
places having a population of more
than $500 were$1 ,845, ,9O1, ,128, a per
capita average of $40. We also dis
cover that the revenue from liquor
license and other IMPORTS which. it
is to be assumed, includes all forms
of revenue from liquor traffic re.
ceived by the State, county, and NUM-
cipal governments, amounted to $780,
5l6,9S9, or a per capita of 80 cents.
In other words, the enormous reve-
nues which the liquor business is sup
posed to pay for the support Of the
State, county, and municipal govern
ment, as revealed by these statistics,
amounted to 4.3 per cent of the total
| revenue.
The general property tax included
| in the total revenues of the States,
| counties, and municipalities amount
ed to $1,OS2,971 ,46s, a per capita of
$11,15.
From this we see that in the year
1913 it had been necessary to raise
every dollar of the sum paid by the
liquor business for the support of the
State, county, and municipal govern
ment by direct taxation uqon the prop
erty it would have required an in
crease of only 7.3 per cent. Or, in
other words, man who did pay in
that year $40 taxes would have paid
$lO.73, or man who paid 500 taxes
would have paid $107.7S.
There is another consideration
which has its place right here. I'm
1913 the per capita dr1nl: bill of the
American people was III excess of $23.
Therefore, the avrag prison 'bnefit-
| ed" by the liquor revenue under con-
sideration parted with $23 - the
liquor business as tax collector and
got pack &2 cent in the way of reve-
nue. collected, somewher, in the
neighoo, hood of 3 1-2 cents uqon each
dollar the traffic took him.
Considering the liquor traffic a
tax collector, commissioned by the
State and D,upicipo1 .ynuarrn,o,+.