The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-02-26
LEAvEHwoRTH, Feb. IA


LEAvRNwoRTH, Feb. IA.
To the Editor oftte wOausexAH's ADvOcArs.
l see by your own writing and some
letters which appear in your very val
liable paper that new light is begin
ming to dawn upon the minds Of work
ingmen. one which / hope will soon
spread from one side Of this great re-
public to the other. / refer to "total
abstinence" This il a move in the
right direction, and one which, if
faithfully carried out, would do more
for our cause than anything else can
think Of at present Of course, the
great majority will say: 81 just take
q glass Of beer once in a while with
friend, and that does me no harm.n
Very good your friend treats you and
you treat him in turn, which costs you
ten cents for something to take away
your reason, and leaves you ten cents
poorer, for you receive nothing of any
practical use in return. Allow this to
happen once in a week in one year,
this weekly instalment amounts to five
dollars and twenty cents How many
such little contributions would it take
to pay the President of the National
Labor Union his salary, which he is
not getting very fast from all accountsp
Estimating our membership at FIVE
hundred thousand, which Is certainly q
low estimate, and supposing one-half
of them TO be strictly temperate, never
tasting any intoxicating drink, the re-
naming half putting on interest in
some saloon-keeper's till their ten cents
every week, at the end of one week
will have put away just one million
three hundred thousand dollars. Take
this sum and apply it to cooperation,
how many foundries, shoe stores, tailor
shops, grocery stores, Touring mills,
ETC., could we start ? Though these
figures look large, all must admit that
it is but too true that this sum is &C
tually spent annually by workingmen,
together with millions more, for that
which gives US nothing in return but
sore heads, bad names, shamed faces,
and which in the end will not only |
ruin us, as it has thousands before us,
but will drag our families down to
misery and want, as it has millions who |
have gone before. Some say it will
not do 10 bind temperance reform and
labor reform together. So say /, but
when the next convention of working
men In brought together, let us insert
a plank in our platform endorsing, in
capital letters, temperance and sObrie-
ty. / am not a member Of any tenn
Perance society, but simply one who is
deeply interested in the success OF the
principles Of labor reform, and | think
there is no better way TO commence
than to strike at the root Of the evil,
for l feel that there is no greater argu-
ment against US than that so MANY
spend their time and
money at the grog-shop. l have fire.
quentiy heard the remark made that if
men worked but eight hours per day,
they would only spend two hours more
each day at the dram-shop. Let us,
in the name Of God and for our own
benefit, stop this accursed dram drink
ing, save the odd dimes to paw the
men who are devetiDg their time aud
money to our cause, and deposit the ,
balance (Which will be far the largest
portion of it) in some savings bank.
Were we can draw it, with six per
cent interest, at the end of the year.
we would he that much better off in ,
money, and have a clear conscience of
having done right.
Let US, next TO that, 20 TO work to
our own ranks. Let each
one consider himself committee Of !
me to bring in new member for the
National Labor Union, and when the !
lext Presidential campaign comes
-ound we'll bury the foul-mouthed poll !
iclans (whO are at present bleeding the
50 deep that, when a
thousand years from now they are
brought to light by some sordid petro-
cum hunter, they will create more
wonder and excitement than did the
wonderful Cardiff Giant"
Not wishing to infringe too much on
vOur room, viii close but before /
inish must again call your attention
o the Presidents salary. Men cannot q
Iftord to work for nothing, and when
We leave the shop in the evening, think
ng we have done hard days work,
ct US ask ourselves the question :
whether the President don't feel tired .
fter travelling, talking or writing all '
he day, and half the night too, and
lot only feel tired, but feel bad to think :
hat he is so poorly supported that he
as to live on one meal day while 50 !
many Of us are throwing away money \
Oolishly on ale and beer.
PRFa r. RI Y