Daily globe., 1879-06-13
THE WORKINGMEN.
Address to Thorn from tho Father Msthe,
Tamparance Society.

:
and % : class.
The depression Of business throughout the
country, for the last few years, has overcrowd-
ID the labor market, thrown tens OF thousands
,ut of employment, and reduced tho wages of
hose employed almost below living rates.
SO alarmin9ly evident has al this become
hat many thinking men regard the question of
abor reform. at the present day, az ono OF vital
interest, and il 10 discussed, very generally,
both by speakers and writer's, without, how
over, any practical plan Of relief being sug-
gested or any definite conclusions arrived at.
Brothers, reform must commence with our
selves, from ourselves, in ourselves. He u the
best reformer who reforms himself; he who re-
spects himself, is respected by others and is in
. position to assert his rights.
There 10 reform, blessed, substantial one
which we can begin right here and now.
Our wages. % mechanics and laboring men,
are low, too low to give any portion of them to
support saloon keepers.
Every cent man earns now Is absolutely
necessary for the support Of himself and his
family, if he has one, and tight pinching at
that.
Do not think that government, or parties,
or philanthropists can do any good for the man
who gives ten or twenty per cent. of the poor
pittanoe he thus earns, to enable saloon keepers
We are not addressing the unfortunate drunk
ard who has acquired that fatal appetite for
drink which leads to misery, degradation and
death; God alone, in His infinite mercy, can
stay his downward steps, nor have we many
such unfortunates amongst rs. But We are
door the drunkard entered, little while ago, q
sober man, as it is termed, not dreaming that
it,would lead, SO quickly, to tho drunkard's 8
hell he now hopelessly writhes in.
We are addressing you who. consider your
selves temperate men who take and stand .
treat.
\ new building is commenced. ''Come, boys.
send for the beer.
Do you realize what this means? It means,
como boys. let,us mortgage tho wages We have
not yet earned, to the saloon keeper.
A piece of the work is done. Come, boys,
send for the beer, an addition to the mort
gage. The work is finished. Come, boys,
send for tho beer" The mortgage is fore
closed. Pay up. The saloon keeper wants to
buy new dashy dress for his wife.
Your wife, the woman who has lain next to
your heart those many years, wants dress
too, but you cannot give it to her now, though
she is better entitled to it, for the saloon keep
or has not done one tap of the work-it was
your sweat that mixed with the brick and NOR
ter Of the wall or the dirt Of the graded street.
Oh, but you say that we are making great
ado about q. few dimes spent for ''the beer. !"
Yes, few dimes yesterday, few dimes to-day,
few dimes tomorrow.
You have never calculated what your share
OF tnoee oimes Wouio come 70 IN year. nor
nave you aadea 10 TINS sum the mondays You
Ion. .oss tneougn tns nandays peer, nor tne Gays &
you "eso oockea. ~. pelnE 1pie % oo iuii 1
~;th wGia N - ms''e spree you ns
Did you calculate all these small sums up
and look ut the total, you would be both sur
prised and pained.
!oa Wonid see tnst u would De quite sui
nclsns 70 D9y Roo1 orees ZOE your wi1e, warm
unuor clotning 70. t9e iamiiy 1or the ~intef,
new pair OF boots for Tommy, yes, and pair
OF patent club skates Tor him too. 10 that he
would not have to stand shivering on the bank
of tho river. Watching the saloon keepers boy
If you were . young, single man, you would
see Sc that this total would make quite nit 9
little sum to LAY by as beginning for saving
fund, and the very possession of it would in
duco you to try ana add TO 1t, until in few
years you would have solved tho labor prob
lem, 30 far as you as an individual are con-
ce1ned, py Decoming independent.
Inere are, We Knows great many persons
smong sne Working men VINO 90 not IKE thls
syssem OF compulsory treatlng-lt Is nothing
es-Dee sney nsvo 20 60 IN nsWitnFne rest 80
long aa u u known thas they are not teetstal
ers; otherwise they are deemed mean and mig
garcuy, ana tney snr1nk from being thought
10; Dat leg man an @ 1e pledged teetotaler and
nc IL Se.s ~ :. VI .ls al tnls uincul!y. ..-
ts.s.S1.aM ~ Sn1 .h Mao asA nm 70 qrlnh, an
resnect from h;s emnlover and % hrotbar s xort ILL
.aeI yes, ron tae very men VINO invite mn
,o. ~ sao 49, ssoon lor sno noIe msu se
.SN .oon. .lo more 1r 1uot0uHnly Nc Knows, IN MI
Mest., .I, tnss lne man VINO never enters ono Is OF
sno e.lH llEnS t,.:l :nd sate aoe OF tne door.
..,,.. ~ snis y eluG s:L encua ssys s9me one ~
AN.