From Wealth to Poverty

From Wealth to Poverty, by the Rev. Austin Potter, is a passionate first-hand exposé of how the liquor traffic drains communities, corrupts politics, and defeats reform efforts. Blending memoir, reportage, and moral suasion, Potter recounts his personal encounters with the "drink curse" and the ruthless tactics used by the liquor party to neutralize temperance laws. Rooted in the late 19th‑century temperance movement, the narrative examines the Dunkin Act and the Scott Act as flashpoints in the struggle between reformers and vested alcohol interests. Potter details schemes of bribery, propaganda, and legal manipulation—drawn from his residence in multiple counties where prohibition laws were in force and from travels to others—to show how economic incentives and political pressure can subvert public policy. Written with evangelical urgency and documentary instinct, the book reads as both social history and a study in political economy, exposing how private gain can erode civic welfare. Ideal for listeners interested in the history of prohibition, political economy, social reform, or legal history, this nonfiction account will appeal to students, activists, and anyone curious about how economic power shapes law and public life.