The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-05-29
WISE AND BRAVE. WORDS.

Chief Master-Workman Powderly's Ero-
quent Appeal to working-Mo in Be-
half of Temperance.
Having warned his men against their
outside enemies, Mr.. Powderly closes
his remarkable circular by warning
them against themselves. He addresses.
himself to every drinking member in q
kind, fatherly way, and beseeches him
to quit the use of liquor Eloquently
he appeals to every victim of whisky
''to stand erect on the floor of his
assembly, raise his hand to Heaven,
and repeat with me these words:
~ am a Knight of Labor. / believe that
every man should be free from the curse of
slavery, whether the slavery appears in the,
shape of monopoly, usury or intemperance.
The tirmest link in the chain of oppression is
the one Jorge when / drown manhood and
reason in drink. No man can rob me of the
brain my God has given me unless L am a
party to the theft. If drink to drown grief
bring grief to wife child and sorrowinS
friends. ] add not one iota to the sum of hu.
man happiness when invite oblivion over the
rim of glass. If one moments forgetful-
ness or inattention to duty while drunk brings
defeat to the least of labors plans, lifetime,
of attention to duty alone can repair the loss
l PROMISE never again to put myself in such q
position"
These are memorable, eloquent
words. 1t has been shown by careful
and painstaking calculations that the
wage classes of the United States.
squander upon alcoholic drink over
five hundred millions a year. Nearly
all these wage-workers live in the cities
and towns. The remaining two hun
dred and fifty millions drank up in the
United States isspent by the capitalists,
professional, middlemen and the farm
ers, representing three-fourths of the
whole population, and best able to spare
the money they waste. The one-fourth
of the population who can least afford
it pay two-thirds of the entire liquor
bill of the Nation. They literally de:
stroy five hundred millions of their
yearly earnings, and, worse than that,
damage themselves. Liquor drinking.
wastes their time, squanders their
wages, Injuries them mentally and NOR
ally, leads them to the commission OF
crime and to the abuse and impoverish--
ment of their families. Nearly all the
poverty and misery of which the wage
workers complain are caused by liquor.
The impelling motive of these strikes
for more wages is largely to make good
the loss of these five hundred squan-
dered millions which they need for better
subsistence and the procuring of
home. The aim of these labor combi-
nations is to obtain from employers
another five hundred millions without
stopping the awful waste on liquor Mr..
Powderly says: IF every member OF
the Knights of Labor would only pass
resolution to boycott strong drink SO,
far as he is concerned for five years,
and would pledge his word to study
the labor question from its different
standpoints. we would then have an in
yincible host arrayed on the side OF
Justice" More than this, at the end of
five years time, if the wage-workers
would stop the use of liquor, they
would have capital of two thousand
five hundred millions and the earnings
of that capital. If it were invested in,
railroad bonds they would own half the
railroads in the United States at the
end of five years. Liquor lies at the
bottom of their troubles. 1t is nearly
always the cause of their misery and
poverty and discomfort. If Mr.. Pow.
deSly could extend this oath among the
wage classes and make it effective he
would immortalize himself and lift
working-men out of their troubles.
Wise, brave words are these which the
Chief Master-W orkman addresses to
his fellows, and wise indeed will they
be if they heed them and listen to the
counsels of their truly chivalrous chief.
Chicago Tribune.