The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-05-16
The Boycott on Beer.

A great struggle Is now in progress In vari-
GUS sections Of the country between the pro-
prietors of breweries and their employees.
In Chicago, on Thursday of last week, q
strike was inaugurated which stopped every
brewery in the city, except one, and threw
out Of employment between fifteen hundred
and two thousand men. The trouble grew out
Of the employment of non-union men in the
breweries. In Milwaukee, Albany, New
York, and other centres Of the beer trade,
East and West, similar condition Of affairs
exist In this city trouble between the
brewers and their employers has been In pro-
gress for months A critical point was
reached last Friday when the employees cir
culated petition about the city calling upon
all workingmen to '.arise" and boycott Ger
tain liquor stores that are selling beer manu-
factured by firm employing. non-union men,
All the brewers in this section have decided
to make common cause with the boycotted
firm, and on Monday seventy eight brewer1es
wers closed and five thousand men thrown
out Of employment. The brewers declare
that they will carry their point If they have
ito shut every saloon in the city to do it.n
We apprehend that very large portion
of the community will be able to regard
this beer fight with great degree Of equa-
nimity. II it should result in the entire de-
struction Of the beer traffic, or even tenn.
porary suspension Of it, tha country. would
hardly feel called upen to mourn the loss.
The possibilities involved in such struggle
are encouraging in the cause Of temperance:
II the brewers will carry out their threat
and close up "every saloon in the city
they will deserve to have their names en-
rolled in the army Of the worlds greatest
benesactors. If the saloons could be closed
for a year, or even for q few months, until
their regular patrons could once be thoroughly
sobered up, We have no doubt that many OF
them would find business decidedly un-
profitable when they opened again. 1t Is
possible that many persons would realize then
what they do not realize now-that the
saloons can in no way be considered as indis-
pensable adjuncts Of civilization, but that
they are, on the contrary, ugly excrescences
upon it, pests and nuisances always and
everywhere. The only thing, therefore, we
have to fear about the brewers threat Is
Much the same results might be effected by
general boycott on beer. We are not In
favor Of the employment Of the boycott as q
general rule, but an exception must be made
in the case Of beer. We earnestly hope that
the boycott on beer will be continued until
it embraces not only all the workngmen In
the country, but all others who have been ac-
customed to indulge in this kind OF strong
drink. We say 'strong drink" because we
s
Its general results than the worst kinds Of
fermented liquors. 1t is the sheerest folly to
talk Of beer as healthful or wholesome
drink, or to argue that its sale Is not pro,
ductive Of drunkenness; pauperism and
crime. An overwhelming mass OF evidence
might be offered to prove the contrary. Beer
is the drink Of the masses and the main
source Of revenue for nearly all the saloons
in the poorer quarters Of our large cities
It is the beer traffic that absorbs
the larger part Of the wages Of
workingmen and brings poverty and
misery to thousand, and tens of thou
sands of innocent women and children. We
do not believe in making any determinations
In favor Of beer-makers and beer-sellers as
against whisky-makers and whisky sellers
We see no essential difference between them
They shall all be treated alike before the law;
boycott beer, "union beer" and s'non-uniou
beer" and let the boycott be continued to the
end Of time.-Ne,D York Observer.