Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1893-11-21
WORKMsN AND LIQUOR.
The Eporm Gus Amount the Former Spends
for the Latter.

banners ana MUSIC LHclT pfDCeSSlOhS,
made up of thousands of strong-armed
men, have marched through city
streets listened to addresses from
their leaders, and then spent the re-
mainder of the day in various holiday
pastimes. We are reminded that this
years Labor day has the darkest out
look that has confronted the working
Msn, rs a class, for years. The times
are hard, and though the signs OF re-
covery are hopeful, it is certain that
tens of thousands among the working
classes confront the probability of an
idle winter, with privation certain and
poverty possible. In this condition of
things. we desire to call the attention
of every laboring man and of every
friend of labor to some facts in the
la Dor problem that deserves attention
1t is truism that the real measure
of mans wages is what he saves, not
what he receives. The laborer is
worthy of his hire" and we desire his
hire to be as large as the natural laws
which regulate it will possibly allow;
but let the workman land every other
man) cut his garment according to his
cloth. If his wages are necessarily
small, in period of depression of busi-
ness, let his expenses be small too; let
him live within his means, and learn
how little, really, does suffice for the
ordinary needs of food and clothing.
Then when times improve, and his
wages increase, let him learn to save,
to accumulate money.
i f,p la 10 h1a 70 ~
the people of this country waste in
rum about two-thirds as much as it
costs them for the necessaries of life.
1t is estimated by writers upon such
subjects, that the people of the United
States spend each year for bread and
breadstuffs s5OO,O 600: for meat for
food, $500 600, 900; for cotton and wool
en- goods, $3.50, 600, 900; for boots and
shoes, 5000, 900, 900; for sugar and
molasses, $50, 600, 900; giving a total of
! 81 600, 900, 600.
We do not vouch for the accuracy of
| these figures, but presume that they
are, in the main. correct Now, the
! same estimates give the annual drink
bill of this country at 5000, 900, ,0oo
There are, it is said 500, 900 men en-
gagged in the manufacture and sale Of
rum. Estimating the labor of each of
these at only $500 a year, it gives
total of $3.50, 900, 900 Add this to the
drink bill given above, and the esti-
mate foots up the astonishing total of
| 81, $50, ,OG0, 600. That is 1,l50 millions
for rum, 600 millions for bread. meat,
! clothing, shoes, sugar and molasses.
] fS,- 10 &c
utterly lost to the men who buy it, as
! If it were sunk in the sea. 1t is not
/ foot food, it is not clothing, it is not
I shelter nor fuel. 1t not only is no BEN
| eft-it is decided detriment to the
men who buy it. And who are they
who buy it? Look around you and see.
| Count up the drinking men, fellow
worker in your shop, or store, or fac
! tory or mill, and compare their number
with the number of those who do not
! drink at all. You can thus answer the
question yourself.
What could be the result, let us ask
| you, thinking workingmen, if there
were not rum-hole where one of your
! drinking fellow-workmen could spend
| ais money? Think it over carefully
md answer candidly to yourself the
question. Suppose that there was not
. saloon in the land, not one place
liquor could be obtained as beverage.
What would then be done with the
money now spent for rum-which, as
we have shown above, is two-thirds OF
The entire sum spent for the necessaries
of life?
i f1nt ln nv
would be spent for better food, better
! clothing, for the drinker and his fam
! ily? That countless homes would be
more comfortable, the wives and chill
lren happier and in every way better?
: The abolition of this payment of such
an onerous tax upon the people as
that which is paid to rum, would be
true economy. 1t would mean, prac-
tieally, the addition of two-fifths to
the wages of the drinking class; for
such men generally spend all they
earn. An average of two-tfths goes
for rum, and the remaining three-ifths
FOR the necessaries of life. Is there
not an evil that needs prompt remedy?
And if the labor element should take
hold of this enormous drink-waste, and
! demand that the state shall prevent by
wiping ont the accursed traffic, by ex-
terminating it root and branch, would
! they not be able to accomplish it? Let
the labor legions unite their forces, to
this end, with all others who ere labor
/ ing to pulverise the rum power
! Toledo Blade.
NEW YORK LIQUOR DEALERS
| Specially Recognize the Democrat Party,
But Have Friends in Both Political
/ PARTIES"
/ Al tho Sfafe convanfinn of the