The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-12-26

PROFESSIONALLY the necessity of having
only sober men to operate our railways is
doing more to promote. not only temper
ance but total abstinence, than all tine leg
|islation on the subject in the country. The
attempt to prohibit the sale Of Intoxicating
liquors is like endeavoring to dam the cur
rent of a mighty river whose tide is the
aggregate contribution Of hundreds of
streams. and whose sweep has become resist
less. But the railway service is gradually
drying up this flood by cutting off the
sources Of its strength. 1t makes use Of
what is. after all, the ruling motive by
saying to the young man, IF you drink,
you can have no work"-that is. no wages.
While we would not be understood as an
tagonizing those who believe that senti-
mental influences are the most effective in
dealing with the great evil of intemperance,
who give chief prominence to lost souls and
drunkards' graves as results of drinking,
we believe that the adoption of the rule by
a railway company that every employe
who enters a saloon except on business, or
is known to drink while on duty. will be
discharged. will be far more effective in
making sober men. The loss of work and
wages is a more influential motive than
perhaps any other to keep the young man
from social drinking-and but few. com
paratively. are in danger of indulging in
any other form of the vice. On several OF
our largest railway systems the rule against
the use of liquor is very strictly enforced,
and the importance of the rule is being
more and more clearly recognized, by all
who are responsible for railway manage
ment. 1t is seen that drinking Is incom-
patible with railway service, and abstinence
is rapidly becoming the rule rather than
the exception among railway men.
The present attitude and influence of
railways in the matter of temperance re-
form are well set forth in the following ex-
tract from an editorial in the Chicago Duly
Neus:
There is an enormously large number of
laboring men who are practically under
bonds to abstinence. This is particularly
true of railway employees. The situation
was we'll expressed by a locomotive engi-
neer a few days ago, when he said: Things
rave come to the pass that railway manag-
ers hav no use for a man addicted to liq-
uor. This is true in exact proportion to
the ability of the management. The
Pennsylvania rules are extremely arbitrary
upon this point. The Chicago & North
Western general superintendent, when he
hears that a man is indulging in drink.
sends for him and talks to him like a faith
er. If he reforms, well; if not, he is dis
charged. Drinking while off duty is for
hidden on account of its after effects. The
same is true of the Missouri Pacific, and, in
fact, of about all the large roads. The va
rious 'brotherhoods, such as those of the
locomotive engineers. firemcn and conduct
ors. discourage drink by every means in
their power. An engineer discharged
from the brotherhood for Incorporate hab-
its cannot get a job upon any railroad in
the country. 1t is to be observed further
that the restraint exercised by these forces
is brought to bear upon a peculiarly rest
less and energetic class, who, without it,
would be among the first to yield. Tito
Ratltrdg lac.