Omaha daily bee., 1915-06-04
sellIlnE Some "s.atl.tlo.."

Settling some "statistics."
SAN FRANCISCO. May &-To the
Editor of The Bee: Much pleased to find
The Bee of the ooth and news from home
at the newsstand here. I note therein a
Communication from your Des Moines
staff correspondent Of the 10Th announc-
ing that a certain circular is to be freely
distributed through Iowa. the contents
of which should not go unchailenged. 1t
is to the effect that 80 per cent of the
penitentiary expense. IS per cent OF the
cost of maintaining the refornatory and
feeble minded institutions and 90 per cent
of the expense OF insane hospitals and
AL other institutions (whatever they
may bel is due to intoxication. Such ex-
travagantly fictitious claims q will pay
$1,000 10 anyone who can prove that even
one-tenth thereof is true) are constantly
being circulated by the Anti-Saloon league
and are merely a part OF their weil-de-
fined plan 10 poison tho sources OF pub
lie information with false statistics. a
fact well known to every publisher. The
statement referred to r. In line with ex-
Congressman Hobson's assertion In con-
gress last December that alcohol kills
100000 American citizens every year Al
though that mendacious fabrication no
doubt credited by millions Of readers
was denounced by the unpreiudiced press
OF the country, IL hobs up persistently
from time TO time and was reproduced
only this month in the Modern Woodman
OF Rock Island through an article by
Walter Allen Rice (whoever he may bel,
and favorably commented on as the
truth about King Alcohol One would
think that a reputable journal published
in the interests Of the many members of
that organization would be extremely
careful and conscientious IN selecting
articles for its columns.
To show the total absurdity of Hobson's
claim l win quote from the United states
census which gives the annual total
deaths in the United States as 100000,
of which 10000 are males, so that Hob
sons claim that 10000 citizens are kilIed
every year by alcohol means that each
and every death OF males Of ali ages,
babies included. is due TO alcohol. The
fact that nearly 60 per cent die under
II years OF age would eliminate some
42o.0 900 Deaths from the possibility of be-
ing due to alcohol. leaving only about 40
per cent. or $4,000 deaths. amongst males
tistics of the government census classify
the causes OF deaths by percentages.
showing that about % per cent are due
10 a great variety OF diseases. many OF
them CONTAGIOUS. such as typhoid. ma
laria. smallpox, dlphtheris, cancer. etc,
which cannot possibly be due to alcohol.
In fact. carefully compiled statistics
show that out OF $4,000 deaths in 1912.
within the so-oalled registration asea.
there were less than 12.So0 Ssaths with
even a remote history OF the probable
excessive use OF liquors
This means that instead Of 10000 deaths
as Hobson claims there could not pos
sibly be more than 1900 cases in the
total United States where alcohol may
possibly have shortened life. or one
fortieth OF Shat our kissing hero" would
make US believe.
The prohibition propaganda depends
largely upon such and similar misrepre-
sensations These professional rsformers
realize that with taking away such fic-
tion they will have no ground TO stand
ON. With them II is a remunerative bust
ness which thrives on ignorance and SUI
Perstition. but what excuse has any re-
putRble journal for imposing upon its
readers by serving out 10 them such
glaringly false information. Real tenn
/ peranee has nothing 20 gain by such
tactics.
! The United States census bureau sta
tistics show for the twelve years from
100 10 1912 that although the consump-
ton Of liquors increased 3 per cent the
death rate during that same period de-
creased "a per cent. Scientific investiga-
tons of the most thorough ana reliable
sort by eminent medical authorities have
/ shown that the strictly moderate drinker
viii outlive the total abstainer. In an at
( tempt 10 prove the opposite certain insur-
snce slatisticians and physicians Try TO
force their figures into the straitjac ket