The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1915-12-10
LIQUOR TRADE PAYS o., 100000
Four Dollars or Profits for Every
Man. Woman and Child i'm II. ..

Man. Woman and Child i'm u. >.
Recent figures compiled by the
Census Department at Washington
show that the taxpayers and people
of this nation are partners in the
liquor business to the extent Of $780,
400, 900. In addition to this the same
people, by states, takes another per-
centage of the profits to the extent
of $21, 100000. Again, the people
take third profit by counties, to the
extent OF $6,600,000. Once more the
people dip into the profits and take
$40 100000 by towns having a popu-
lation Of $500 and over.
| This makes a total Of 1852, 100000
| in dividends paid to the people OF
this nation annually out OF the profits
or the liquor business and it - used
al pensions, for salaries, for schools
and for city improvements.
TO 20 step further let " dissect
these figures:
The population Of this country
outside Of charitable institutions is
80 ,000,000 Divide the profits paid
from licenses and internal revenue
and we have 81 for every man, wo-
man and child, or SIG per year for
every family. Let's cut it of and
add it to the taxes-and see a revo-
luton.
In 1913 the State Of Pennsylvania
the profits. The counties of the
state received $423,357 more, while
the towns and school districts took
the third dividend to the tune Of
SO. 1856, S52-a total OF $6,110,149.
30 much for the financial side. Now
let u turn to the social side.
ri il commended that prohibition
produces temperance, but the Bureau
or Census reports do not substantiate
that contention. For instance, out
liquor and the state derives N revenue
of $585.645 from licenses. Georgia
has statewide prohibition and no
revenue, yet there Is as much liquor
consumed in Georgia as in Alabama.
Again, turning to Census Bulletin
No. 112, for 1911, at page II, we find
the average death rate, exclusive OF
suicide, was lower in 20 states where
liquor was sold than the death rate
of Kansas. for many years a prohi-
bition state. In three states it was
higher. In six prohibition states it
siderably lower
In S8 states investigated the aver
age death rate from suicide was lower
in 20 OF them where liquor was sold
than 1t was in prohibition Kansas.
and in LII license states the average
wa little higher.
Census Bulletin No. 96, On mar
riages and divorces, page Az, shows
that ~ states where liquor IL sold
have a lower divorce rate than Kan
sas and IS have higher rate. Okla
homa, another prohibition state, has
a higher rate than Kansas. Pennsyl-
vania was about one-third lower than
Kansas or Maine.
On page Al we find that from 1887
to 1906 there were $1,000 divorces
granted to wives because Of hus-
bands drunkenness. During this
same period the State Of Kansas
granted more divorces on account of
drunkenness than 25 states where
liquor is legally sold, and the State OF
Maine, with 1,756 divorces because of
husbands drunkenness, was nearly
three times larger than. the Kansas
record Of $50.
If prohibition prohibits or causes
temperance, where did these men Get
their -booZe?r
The annual report OF the Secretary
Of the Treasury for June, 1913, page
460, gives some interesting statistics
on the average savings in savings
banks.
In ~ states in which liquor is law
fully sold the average savings per
deposition is higher than that Of the
average depositor in Kansas. In nine
states it is lower. Four prohibition
states show a higher average than
Kansas and four lower. The average
in Pennsylvania is nearly double that
of Kansas. Maine was $50 below the
average for the United States and
Kansas was but little over half the
average for the United States.
Once more we turn to the only Off
cial record-Census Bulletin No. 10j,
on religious bodies, 1906, page 40. Out
of 40 states investigated only four
states had a lower church member
ship in proportion to population than
Kansas. Two of these-Wyoming and
Oregon-were license states, and two
West Virginia and Oklahoma-were
prohibition states, in which liquor il
lawfully sold had larger percentage
OF church membership than Kansas.
The percentage Of Kansas was 2S.4;
Maine, 29.8; Pennsylvania, 43.0.-|
Daily Leader, Cory, Pa.