Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 May 1900 — CURRENT COMMENT [ARTICLE]

CURRENT COMMENT

The report of the commissioner of internal revenue looks very much as if we were becoming a nation of beep drinkers, the increased consumption of malt liquors having been so rapid during the last forty years. In 1800, when the population of the country was 31,000,000. we consumed only about 2.000,000 barrels of beer, or an average of one barrel to every sixteen people. In 1870, with a population of 38,500,000, we consumed 0,574,617 barrels of beer, or an average of about one barrel to every six people. In 1880 the population had increased 30 per cent, but the consumption of beer was doubled, and 50,155,783 people consumed 13,347,111 barrels of beer. In 1890 the consumption of beer had doubled again, reaching a total of 27,561,944 barrels, while the population had increased only 24 per cent to 62,6*12,250. In 1895, when, according to the estimates of the bureau of statistics, we had 65,000,000 people, we consumed 33,561,411 barrels of beer, or about one barrel for every two persons in the whole community, and in 1899. with 70,000,000 people, we consumed 36,581,114 barrels of beer. Thus the population has increased 125 per cent and the consumption of “beer 1800 per cent. The increase in the manufacture of whisky has not been so rapid. In fact, more whisky was produced in the United States in 1864 than in 1899, the total in the former year be--ing gallons, and in 1899 85.125,532 gallons. The wardrobe that the Misses Morton, daughters of former Vice-President Mor<ton, have had made in Paris cost a fortune. No gown in the trousseau of Miss Edith cost under $l5O without duty, and many of the gowns cost SI,OOO each. For the price of one wardrobe or trousseau a man would have considered himself rich twenty-five years ago, and the price of one hat would*hove clothed a family for a year. A man has obtained a permit to erect a temporary shed in Park Row, New York, in which he will place a voting machine to be tested. Every one passing will be invited to go in and try the machine by depositing a ballot for President of the United States. This will test the machine, nnd at the same time yield a straw vote on the presidency in the neighborhood of Park Row. An oil burner to supply fuel to warships was tooted at the Brooklyn navy yard last week, and is said to have been a success. The patented will try to sell the burner to the United States Governmynt. The new arrangement Is said to generate steam quicker than coal and there is no dirt in its use. A resident of the town of Waterloo, N. D„ sent a two-cent postage stamp in a letter to Mayor Carter Harrison of Chicago a few days ago, with a request that he forward by return mail a city directory of Chicago, as the writer Intends going there in the summer and desires to visit the principal places. Natural-born citizens arc citizens born within the territory of the United States. There was a discussion of the eligibility of a person for the presidency who was born of American parents in a foreign land when Speaker Crisp of Georgia, who was born of American parents temporarily reriding Ln England, was proposed as a candidate for the presidency, and the general trend of opinion was that such a person, being fully recognized as a citlsen of the United States, and being eligible to other offices, is eligible to the presidency.