Sword and shield. (Clinton, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1885-02-28

erc0mn0Glty or article OF merchan
disc. If the S38,000.000 expende
in New York in rum were transfor
red from that channel to othe
branches Of industry, we could EN-
ploy seventeen men to where one i
now employed.
have no particular interest in
man who sells rum, more than | hav,
in anybody else-nore especially
when We take into consideration tha
what he sells is of no use, bu
spreads trouble and deStitutior
wherever it goes. A getting into
trouble and wearing black eyes, OF
getting into the station-house, but
let him lay out thar amount in rum
and he becomes inebrlatcd, and
brings trouble to somebody, and com
pels respectable people to go to the
trouble of furnishing him, and WI
have to pay cur policemen 81 200 a
year to watch and guard others from
his violence, and to arrest him and
lock him up. And not speaking Of
the misery entailad by its production
and sale, the fact remains unGispute
that only two and a half per cent. Of
the capital embarked in its manufac
ture goes to reward the labor employ
ed in making It.
Ii we can get the llboring people to
think seriously upon this question, we
can certainly accomplish something.
Set them to thinking about it, just as
a question of labor, whether this man
utdcture is useful in that direction or
not. Seventeen men employed
where there is now but one would
makea Il vast difference. Suppose the
great mass of people were to demand
to be set to worN, and we should
make an examination to ascertain
the position of the various business,
IN order to set them to work. Sup
posing the Government would pur-
chase the labor Of thousands Of men
$4,000 men for three months
and in order to find employment
for them, it should 90 to the brewer
les and distillers, and say, We'll we
are under the impression that this
trade ought to employ great many
more than any other business, be
cause there is SO much money embark
ed III its manufacture, and it ought
to be a very profitable trade; now,
will you take out Of this 60, 900 or so
600 men? Suppose We ask you to
make $500 worth Of liquor a week,
how many men will you take !? :
Everybody who knows any thing
about the business knows that there
is but little labor required in its oper-
ation.) Well, the distiller would
answer, I'VE can manufacture that
with about two or three men. In
any other trade or calling, statistics
tell you that it takes thirty-four.
Then people would nave their eyes
opened in minute, and if they were
and took care of their own
they would have nothing 10
10 with business which gave back
50 little in return. Taxing the man
lfactnries of rum in this country,
there is over S700.U00, 900 invested,
and not one halt million of men EN-
Dloyed, and this number OF men man
ltacture every year S739, 100000
worth Of liquor. Suppose this capI-
-ai could be transferred to other
Of industry. Suppose it is
possible to do it-and there is moth
ng impossible with the great mass Ct
,he people-if we have the will, we
nave the way and power to do it.
We have the power TO meet and dis
,uss the problem of labor, and
t is a problem that the peo-
BE can solve. Statesmen and news
papers say We cannot remedy tie
wrong or solve the question; but we
,an. and let us take hold anu work
)ut out own salvation. 1t is as pat
mt as anything else ever was. Ii
his amount OF capital, which en-
lloys somewhat less than half mil
ion of people, was transferred
rom that channel Of trade to any
hing else, there would be employ
nent for two and half million more
nen. Now, we have not two millions
# people out OF work in this country.
Suppose we have out of WOrkIn Amer
Ca; this principle of total abstinence
md total annihilation ofrum wills set
o work more than two millions of
people, and yet etemploy the same mum
)er as are employed in the manufac-
ure of rum to-day.
This was illustrated some years
tgo when Father Matthew com
nenced his work. The people were
,ut Of work in England and Ireland.
In England, some of the mills were
'unning on half-time; but in less
han one year after the people had
expended their money, the
Mills were running on fall time.
One large firm, before the princi-
)les OF temperance were advocated,
lad only worked their men on half
lime; but as soon as the people in
Ireland gave up drinking rum, and
bought furniture and clothing. and
,ther necessaries they needed, it
gave such an impetus to their com
nerce that the mills were set to
work again, and couldn't do work
enough to supply the demand that
vas made upon then. 1t was not
because they had any more wages
yiyen to them, but because they
made more and better use of what
hey received. This firm stated that
where they had sent nne hundred