INTEMPERANCE. 313 



The above figures are based upon the most 

 conservative estimates; those referring to crime, 

 insanity, pauperism, and sickness being 25 per 

 cent lower than the reports given by many of the 

 most authentic statisticians. The "annual drink 

 bill" simply represents the legitimate licensed sale 

 of liquors on which government duty has been 

 collected and does not therefore include "moon- 

 shine whisky," the barrels of chemical com- 

 pounds that are sold for whisky, or the illicit 

 sales; neither do the above figures include many 

 of the great expenses caused by drunkenness, such 

 as fires, railroad accidents, explosions, damages 

 by mobs, strikes and lockouts, one-half of the 

 police service of the country, etc., etc. 



Taking this estimated annual cost of the liquor 

 traffic of $2,890,841,177 as a basis of compari- 

 son, which, it must be noted, is extremely con- 

 servative (perhaps not less than 25 per cent below 

 the actual cost), I will place it in comparison with 

 other great money questions, that the reader may 

 be better prepared to appreciate its meaning and 

 realize how far the liquor question exceeds all 

 other financial questions : 



Annual cost of the liquor traffic. $2, 890, 8 5 1,177 Liquor versus 



War and navy expenses 82, 547,427 



Appropriation for Spanish- 

 American war 50,000,000 



Indemnity paid to Spain 20,000,000 



Demonetized silver and silver 



currency 575,948,822 



National aggregate debt (in '93) 961,946,492 



Tariff duties collected 1 98,373,453 



