The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-06-08
TEMPERANCE NOTES.
WHERE LABOR ERRS.
Millions Spent for Drink Which Might ID
Spent for Homes.

Spent for Homes.
The Chicago Tribune, in discussing
the May-day harangues to the throngs
of workingmen at the great meeting on
the lake front in that city, raises a
point which the Blade has frequently
discussed-that the drink habit is the
worst injury to the workingman. The
Tribune says:
while many of the speakers were profuse in
their denominations of the alleged injuries in
fiicted on labor by capital they had not word
TO say about the wrongs inflicted on labor by
itself
Not one OF them delicately limited TO his hear
ers that If they were 10 cut down the amount
spent by them yearly for liquor their expenses
would not be so great, and their ability TO earn
would be increased. Ifany one OF these orators
had put side by side the total amount OF addi-
tional yearly wages which the workingmen OF
Chicago would like TO get, and the total amount
of their yearly drink bill, there would not have
been very much difference in size between the
two items.
II a labor leader were to talk prohibition OF
course no one would listen to him, but IL he
were TO point out to his people what they would
gain by substituting moderate for immoderste
drinking they might heed him. II the lake front
speakers had seen fit they might have told their
audiences that many Of them had impaired the
value Of the labor commodity they have for sale
by too much drinking, thus lowering their wages
themselves and that they had suffered more at
their own hands and those OF the saloonkeeper
than those of the capitalist
II the orators had chosen they might have
said that the working classes had spent great
many millions for drink, while il they had used
half that amount to buy land instead OF liquor
wOull N n n
tured to dwell on this subject from fear that it
| would not be popular The labor agitator
| knows mankind, and is well aware that people
do not like TO have their own faults pointed out
| and prefer to be RECALLED with accounts Of the
| misdeeds Of others. Some English labor lead
ers have spoken out boldly; those of-ths coun'
try appear to be afraid to do So
| The statements above are so mani
testify true that no one will have the
hardihood to controvert them. Is it not
| just and reasonable that men, seeking
to obtain better wages or shorter hours
of labor-which is the same thing in
another form-should endeavor to rem
der their labor actually worth more? A
sober, steady man. not unnerved by al
coholic or any other excuses, can do
more work in given time, and do it
better, than drinking man. Is it not
fair that the labor unions should con-
slider methods of increasing the eff
cheney of their members, and rigidly
exclude from their ranks those who are
habitual drinkers? The Tribune's ar
ticle says:
when one of the speakers said addressing
| hearers
should learn English he had in view their in
creased efficiency il they knew the language o.
the country. 1t is pity that he did not go
step farther and ask each man present TO coun
| up on his fingers the number OF persons ht
knew who had made their labor inefficient ant
almost destitute OF value through excessive
drinking. That would be practical talk much
superior to these hacllneyed harangues abou
the 'capitalistic press, the 'capitalistc police,
and the approaching day when the world will b.
turned upside down"
AS we have often said, there arr
certain lines of occupation from which
drinking men are excluded. Many O.
the leading railways hold an engineer
conductor, or anyone connected will
the movement of trains, including
switchmen, bridge tenders, etc, liable
to instant discharge if he INDUCES il
drinking; and it is proper and reason
able precaution for the safety of lif,
and property. 1t would be just an,
reasonable for any labor union to max
, expulsion from its ranks the penalt
for drunkenness. There is no handi
craft in which habitual drinl1er ca
do as good work or as much work as
man who does not drink.
Probably the orators who attempt
advise the workingmen on May day an
similar occasions are cunning enough
. know that fattery is always more az
= ceptable than the cold truth, and az
upon the theory that the workingme
prefer to be humbugged by being toll
i. they are the victims of oppression a
q the hands of capital" But there
no intelligent and candid person bu
will agree that when labor union as
sumes the authority to say who may G
who may not be employed in any occl
: patton, and to dictate the hours of labo
and the wage rate, that it should b
q able also to certify to the employer tina
: the men who may be employed ar
o capable and intelligent, and that thei
r work, in both quantity and quality,wi
: be Of the best; and no drinking ma
can do tirst-class work, nor as much a
p if he did not drink. When organize
labor takes hold of this matter, it wi
q give a most powerful impulse to the e
| fort to pulverize the rum power.-Tol'
do Blade.