The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-11-19
TEMPERANCE READING.
A STRIKE PROPOSED.

Suggestion as to What Would Occur If
Working-Men Entered Into a Campaign
Against Whisky and Put tho Money
! They Spend in Drink Into Business.
The undoubted evils of the rum traf-
fic and its complement, intemperance.
would be grieyous enough if they bore
! only upon the persons directly con-
cerned-those who drink; but they 90
far beyond their limit, The loss to the
man who drinks can not be measured
by the amount of money he expends
for rum, any more than can the damage
caused by the explosion of a case of
dynamite be measured by the cost of
! the explosive. One bottle of whisky
may cause the loss of man S life, and
take away the only support of wife and
| children; it may cause an accident
which entails ten thousand times the
cost of the rum itself There are no
men, as rule, who have no relatives,
friends or dependent ones; and the
evils OF the rum habit falls upon these
innocent ones with full force. The
primary effect is upon the drinker.
His body becomes diseased, his mental
and physical powers fail, and he does
not live out the full term of years that
| otherwise would have fallen to his lot.
The secondary effects fall upon his
parents, his brothers and sisters, his
wife and his little children.
1t has been estimated by a Boston
authority that the total annual ex-
penditure for rum, which is consumed
chiefly by men who are in active life,
is 5000. 100000. He goes on to say:
If we conclude that about one-third of the
entire population are workng-men. who must
earn most of the money, the average tax on
each Of these men for this harmful indul-
gence would amount to about ninety dollars
year, or nearly two dollars week But it
is probable that haf of the working-men i'm
the country do not use intoxicating drinks or
only use them in small quantities. If this be
admitted, it follows that about half of the
werkingmen of the country arc taxed on an
average two-thlrdS of dollar day for slim.
ulants which do them 10 good, but cause
them great injury, uniting them for labor,
making them unskilful and subiecting them
to accidents. injuries. diseases and dangers of
many kinds; thus deteriorating their work
consuming their wages, and keeping their
noses on the grindstone all their days
1t is thought worthy of considera-
ton in the above that the burden on
the working men is the greatest from
the use of rum. The evils of drink
affect the whole class, even those who
do not at all indulge in the drink
habit. The intemperance of the others
deranges business destroys property,
demoralizes society, increases crime,
insanity and pauperism, causes en-
ormous expenditures for the in
creased police service and the main
tenance of jails, prisons, almshouses
and hospitals. 1t burdens the temper
ate and economical class with the in
creased taxation thereby made neces-
sary, and loads down the charitable
and philanthropic with the care of
drunkards' wives and drunkards' chill
dren.
1t is a fact to be noted also that the
Incorporate class, being also IMPROVE
dent, are the ones who are always in
trouble concerning their wages. While
the grip of hard times always is most
keenly felt by the laboring class, who
are often obliged to practice the stern
est self-denial in order to keep the wolf
from the door, the case of the work
men who are in the grip of the demon,
rum, is far worse than that of their
temperate fellows. They can not, or
do not do as much work, or as good
work, as sober men. They can not
work so many hours, and they can not
earn as much wages. They are not a
desirable class of men in any establish
Tnent, and when dull time comes,
they are the ones who receive dismiss
al when the force is reduced.
They are in constant poverty, for
their earnings have gone into the peck
cts of saloon-keepers, rather than into
a savings bank. They have paid out
their money for rum instead of cloth
ing and food for themselves and fami-
lies. They have spent in debauches
what would have bought them COM
Portable, modest homes, and made
them bright and cheerful for their
which presents itself to these men is,
to have an increase OF wages They
do not recognize the fact that the prop
er solution of tho problem is in prop
er economy; that q mans wages are to
be measured by the amount he saves,
rather than the amount he wastes We
by no means wish, however, to be I'M
derstood as arguing that man should
3 be ground down to the lowest point
compatible with existence, nor that
man should not ask proper compensa-
ton.
Let US turn about and try to increase
wages by increasing the business of
our shops and mills and factories Let
US suppose that every disconnected
working-man in all this broad land
goes on q strike against rum. Let us
imagine the result if not one man who
works for living should spend one
cent over the counter of saloon, but
should spend his money for the neces.
saries and comforts of life for himself
and his family. Let each one keep on
until himself and his family shall be
well clothed, well fed, well housed;
what would be the result upon bust
ness if those 5000, 100000 per year that
is now spent in running the health and
lives of these men were spent in the
avenues of legitimate trade? There
would be a boom that would be per-
manent in every line of business.
There would be abundant work in
every workshop, every factory, every
mercantile establishment in the land;
wages would rise, and employers
would be able to pay them. An era
of prosperity would set in that would
have sure, solid foundation, and the
rum traffic would die for lack of sus-
tenance. Toledo Blade.
TEM0EDAMNr fTEaC
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