The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-06-04
WAGES AND


by .No-Means Extravagant Assumption
-Reer and whisky and the Labor
Problem.
Is it too extravagant to say that
three-quarters of the money that is
spent for rum in this country comes
out of the pockets of men who are
compelled to earn their money by
hard work? We know of no statistics
that could lead us to a conclusion in
the matter, but from what may be
seen in our rum-shops from day to day
we do not believe that it is far out Of
the way to believe this estimate is corr
rect. In the vicinity of every work
shop and factory the rumshop flour
ishes as long as the workshop and
factory flourish; and about the door
and around the tables of the average
saloon may be seen men, often in
crowds, who give unmistakahle evil
dence that they are toilerS. The rum
shop, therefore, becomes a direct bur-
den to the employer. The laborer
finds that his wages are insufficient to
provide for his family and buy his
grog, and he becomes uneasy. He
pleads as an excuse for demand for
higher wages that he is not getting
sufficient to keep his family as it should
be kept 1t is true that the family
may be suffering deprivation, but
it is also true that it might, perhaps,
be we'll provided for if a portion of the
mans wages did not go for rum. Ii
charged with thus spending his money,
he retortS that the poor man is as much
| entitled to his beer and whisky as the
rich man is to his wine. 1t would be
an unquestionable blessing if both were
deprived of their drink. Itwould never
do the poor man or the rich man the
slightest harm to deprive him of intoX-
icating liquor. We have no pity to
waste on any stomach whose owner
thinks it is outraged because it is not
filled with alcohol. We know that il
we could stop every still, and shut up
every rum-shop, and plug up every
rum barrel, every human being and the
best interests of society would be better
off Hence, as the absence of liquor
would be a public blessing, we think
too much of our fellow men to have
the slightest sympathy with his plea
for the privilege of drinking rum. As
| long as we have rum we shall not quar-
rel with anybody who differs with us
in belief or practice, but we shall never
willingly do any thing which will en-
able man to buy more rum.
The rum traffic is sufficient burden
upon decent people and taxpayers at
best, without assessing employers di@
rectly to sustain it. 1t is far betterS
better for himself and better for the
community at large, for Il workman to-
receive so little pay that he can not
buy rum than it IS TO have enough to
enable him to fill himself. If the rum
shop could be eliminated from the
labor problem, it would be easier of So
luton by very large per cent. The
money spent for liquor in this country
is much greater than that spent for any
article of consumption, and several
times more than that spent for educa-
| ton. Comment upon such state OF
affairs is entirely unnecessary. 1t is
| incredible that nation in which there
are so many who complain of an i'm
possibility to get on in the world should
support a hundred rum-shops to one
school-house, and guzzle rum as If it
were necessary article of consump-
ton. Further, the saloon always fur
nishes the flame that bursts forth into
riot and bloodshed. 1t is the enemy Of
the nottingham and every body else.
But thousands of working-men are
ready to boycott any thing before they
will boycott the rumshop. Many a
man could live well and save money
upon his present wages, if he would
let rum alone, but as long as he is a
patron to the bar-room it is not likely
that he would be paid enough to en-
able him to live decently or to save q
| cent. -WeSterN Rurdl.