Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-12-08
AL LCOHOL|C REVENUE
TOTALS s23O,47,OOO
Governments Income From Liquor
and Tobacco
4S.6S PER CENT. OF RECEIPTS
One Glass Of Beer Per Capita---As A
Nation We Are Not Becoming
Drunkards.

United States approximates $4,000.
Gee. year. That represents a large
amount of money. especially when it
is considered, by many people. as
useless waste
It causes unnecessary sorrow 10 zeal
Gus laborers in the vineyards or NOR
ality and gives rise to the fallacy
that the people of this nation are
given to drunkenness. says Joel Shoe
maker in Leslie's illustrated Weekly
Newspaper But we are living in
big country Our population now ex-
ceeds. 92,000.e00 If we didvied the
money expended for liquors among
people we would have only about $50
per capita, for an entire year.
That would be only about cents a
day for each man, woman and child,
and would buy at retail a little more
than one glass of beer daily. Under
such conditions is it fair to say that
our people are becoming drunkards? :?
This great and growing country re-
quires money to keep the wheels of
government in motion. We get that
money from internal revenues, an in
come tax, tariff on foreign goods.
and other minor sources. The cash
income to the general government for
the year 1913, reported as internal
revenue, from alcoholic beverages.
was s230,147 900. The revenue de-
rived from liquors and tobacco
amounted to 4S.6S per cent of total
revenue of the government.
1t is estimated by those competent
to give figures that at least 100000
people are engaged in some of the
many fields of industry dependent on
the liquor industry. I'VE must avoid
intemperance in eating, drinking, Ian
guage, work and recreation" is an
old doctrine of one of the leading ma
tional organizations of farmersThe
idea of total abstinence is not advanc-
ed by that society, but it does insist
that members must be temperate not
only in drinking, but other things.
Prohibition originated in New Eng
land, and was intended to prevent the
Indians from getting fire water and
disturbing the peace. About the
middle of the last century the states
of Massachusetts,, Rhode Island and
Vermont followed the plan adopted in
Maine. and passed prohibitory bills
closing the saloons. In short time
Massachusetts and Rhode Island re-
pealed these measures as impractical
BILE. No one familiar with conditions
sees good results from closed saloons
and opening of illegal "blind pigs,
such as exists in Maine.
Iowa gave prohibition a trial and
returned TO the system known as the
Mulct Law. when it was discovered
that liquors were sold and consumed
in practically every section of the
State. Michigan had prohibition for
a time and then went back to the Ii
cense plan. Kansas may be consid-
cred the banner prohibition state, but
in 1913. according to the Official rev.
9nue reports, there were 735 tax
stamps used permitting the sale of Ii
Quors in the state, and there are %
wholesale liquor houses in the State.
Those who drink alcoholic bever-
ages do not become total abstainers
simply because laws are enacted and
public places are closed. The secret
places where liquors are dispensed
are more dangerous to young and old
male and female, than the licensed
and regulated saloon. In former
years l served as a soldier in the
United States Army and witnessed the
effects of the military post, with and
without the canteen. When the sol
diers conducted their own clubhouse
and saloon there was little drunk
enness, few enlisted men disgraced
their uniform, and the guard-house
was practically empty. When the can
ten was closed and the soldiers went
away to neghboring cities for drink,
there were drunkenness, arrests and
fights with the police and general lis
order among the troops