The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1892-07-09
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
Poverty and Intemp,rance.

Poverty and Intemp GRANGE.
Jerry Simpson says they must cure
poverty before they do intemperance.
Jerry's brain is working backward
Buffalo Times.
The shoe is on the other foot. If
Jerry has made that statement it indi-
Gates that his head is level on the liquor
question and his brain is working in the
direction Of progress.
There are many people who hold that
poverty is due to intemperance, but the
modern political economist, and in fact
almost all thinking people. now admit
that the greatest factor in intemperance
Is poverty. The prohibitionists believe
that by suppressing the liquor traffic,
poverty will be abolished, for, he
argues, men will then buy clothing and
other necessities with the money they
now spend for liquor. They will then
have better homes and their families
will be better cared for.
This is a simple and effective argu-
ment, and is believed to be sound logic
by that class who are mentally incap-
able of delving deeper into the economic
features involved in the question. From
this illogical premises many otherwise
bright minds are led into confusion of
thought Mr.. e. Evens of Tonawanda,
for instance, who is treasurer of the Ma
tional reform party and an ardent prohi-
bitionist, says: Poverty and crime is
unquestionably the result Of intemper-
ance. Why, if we left the saloons to be
conducted as at present, and were to In
crease the wages of labor all around 1t
would end in even greater drunkenness
and crime, for men would then be able
to buy more liquor" And if intemper-
ance is the mother of poverty and crime,
Mr.. Evens argument is logical.
Jerry Simpson is right in saying we
must first cure poverty if we would
abolish intemperance.
Come with me for walk any even
ing, through the outlying districts of
our city, where live our working people.
/ will show you thousands of working
men supporting homes on $3.50 per day
and less. Men who toll hard all day,
eight, nine, ten and even twelve hours
per day. These are the men who pat
ronize the little corner grocery and sa-
loon. 1t is about the only place aside
from their poor homes where they find
a welcome. $3.50 per day will perhaps
buy food and other things needful to the
but it must be the cheapest
and coarsest. They live from hand to
mouth day in and day out 1t is utterly
for these people to dress well
and enjoy the social advantages offered
by theaters, lectures, balls and enter
tainments. $3.50 per day will not secure
this for them. They, like all human be-
ings. are sensitive, and have no desire
to display their poverty by mingling
among well-dressed people at public
gatherings, where they know they win
meet with q cool reception if not an
open snub.
Nine and ten hours hard labor finds
these men at their homes at night, ut
terly exhausted, and too tired to even
read the evening paper. Their phys
ical ard mental forces are completely
used up, and in order. to be equal to the
necessity of passing through the same
internal grind the next day, they must
have sleep and rest. They know little
recreation, and their lives are spent in
toll and sleep. Is it any wonder they
feel the necessity of some sort of stimu-
liant? Is it any wonder that, having &C
n...~,l . &.,%o g.. d~;uf~ oc,v,o booovv,o
wrecks?
The wonder is that more do not be-
come drunkards Realizing the hope
lessness of lives condemned to an eter-
nal grind of labor, with the only alter
native sleep, we marvel at the heroism
displayed by these self-sacrificing, noble
types of true men.
Now what is the ultimate object of
such men as Mr.. Evens, who are labor
ing for the suppression of the liquor
traffic? 1t is to bring about better
condition among men. They believe
that all the ignorance, misery and deg
radiation of this world is due to liquor
drinking, and they propose remedy in
abOllShlng the saloon.
Such men as Jerry Simpson believe
there is no solution of the question
short of altering our social conditions in
a manner that shall make it possible
for all men to find employment and Sc
cure better returns for their labor.
They believe that when this is done,
men will have the means that shall en-
able them to cultivate better habits,
and will live purer lives. Here we have
two types of reformers. The former
would suppress the effects of causes Ia
physical impossibility) and the latter
would go deeper and remove the cause
of evil effects.
We are inclined to side with the lat
ter, and SO it is we believe that "Jerry's
brain is working" in the right direction.
Change the conditions under which
men live, make it just and fair, SO that
-, hnw b. r.