The Panola weekly star. (Sardis, Miss.) 1882-18??, 1886-05-08
THEIR GREATEST FOE.
The Temperance Movement Among the
Knights OF Labor.

The Temperance Movement Among the
Knight. OF Labor.
The movements among Knights OF
Labor TO prohibit the use of intosicant
By the members Is In the right dircc-
ton.
No one ought TO doubt that strong
drink IL the greatest foe Of tho laboring
CLASSES. Granting that we have real
grievances against capital, their wrongs
from this source are yet small In CON-
pnrison with the injury inflicted upon
themselves by intemperance. Those
who have not given special attention
TO the subject have but faint con-
ception Of the extent Of the
evil One witness before the Senate
committee testified that drinking work
men keep down wages 10 the rate they
themselves can command. "They are
Obliged 10 sell their hali.drunkon labor
at the lowest figure; and when pres
sure comes they have no reserves, and
80 must 20 into tho market for what
they can obtain. Those who buy labor
will, Of course, buy "a cheaply az they
can" When paid on Saturday. drink
er oarouse on Sunday. Monday. and
often Tuesday. thus losing from one
10 two days work each week.
Wages sufficient 10 keep their fam
ilies In comparative comfort are thus
squandercd, aud want. II not misery.
results. One witness declared that
fully one-tenih of all wages Is paid for
drink; and this estimate Ia confirmed
BY liquor.reyenne and labor statistics
A low estimate fixes the drink bill of
the Nation at 500. 600. From cal
citations BY Edward Atkinson. based
upon the lmt census, we learn that 30
100000 Of population Of the United
States are engaged In productive OPP
erations This estimate includes. be-
sides wsge-workcrs. employers. pro-
fessional men. teachers and oil who de-
rive income from labor of whatever
kind. Mr.. Atkinson shows that the
average earnings Of these 5000. 900
are $40 per annum; 10 that u requires
all the earnings Of 200. 900 Of people
10 pay tho National drink bill. or ol
ono man out II every ten. An aver.
age Of tss each Is paid yearly for drink
by those engaged in gainiul opera
tons. or ons-tenth Of their average
earnings. This Is enough 10 absorb q
large part Of the workman's daily
wages, and "enough 10 insure poverty
and misery 10 hundreds Of thousands
of humble homes that otherwise might
BE- thrifty and happy" ~ working
men witnesses testify.
The Temperance movement of The
knights Of Labor Is surely most timely
Their rules exclude rumscllers from
membership. They ought also 20 en-
elude those who drink. or drink u
excess. aud BY rash acts and insubor
dinailon render impossible the dlsci
plins necessary 10 accomplish the or
der's noble aims and deprive Il Of pub
lie conidence and sympathy. Their
are said 10 be- from 10000 10 10000
Knights In the United States and Can
sds. II 10 impossible 70 overe-timat'
the good 10 themselves and 10 societ,
that would result " al were temperate
men. They would seldom. 4 ever
have occasion for strikes. and rheI
compelled 10 revolt. would general.
gain their point. The zane may b
. said Of the "amalgamated iron-vork
, er.,.' and of all labor organizations
. Their usefulness and. indeed. their per
petuity depend upon their chosen tenn
: perats, conservative. law-abiding lead
}. en-N. W. CArsfian Advocate.