National Baptist world., 1894-08-31
TEMPERANCE.
q WISE REGULATION.
Strange Propositions from an Aosoc"'o


Arrange PROPOSITIONS from an Advocate
of Drink.
The Wine and Spirit Gazette IS
weekly paper, published in the city OF
New York. and devoted entirely tn the
subject embraced in its title-the tfahc
in Intoxicating liquors. 1t is oltter
opponent of prohibition, OF course.
Nevertheless, the last issue contains
the following editorial, under the
| heading: IA Wise Regulations"
The Phoenix Protective association
of this CITY, which is local branch OF
the organization of Surface Railroad
| Employees has seen fit to denounce an
order of the managements of the ROADS
cont bined under the Broadway syndl-
cate forbidding it's operatives to enter
a saloon during working hours.
sThe syndicate has perfect right to
make such an order, and the Protective
association assumes an untenable posi-
tion in opposing it. Employees sell their
time to their employers. They need
not sell it if they do not wish to do so,
but having sold it. it becomes the EN-
ployers' time, and their own no longer.
Therefore the employer has a right to
say where it shall and where it shall
not be consumed. Naturally the en-
plover requires that the time shall be
consumed in his service, not idled away
in saloons or other places removed from
his field of labor That is the CONNER
cial proposition.
''But there is another and a stronger
argument in this instance. Railroad
employees are entrusted with the care
of lives and property for which their
employers are responsible. The respon-
sibility is so great that it will admit OF
no unnecessary chance or risk. A man
who drinks once will drink twice. Two
much drink is apt to befuddle the
brain, rendering the man stupid and
careless or reckless and daring.
man in such a condition is not tit to
have the care of human lives or OF
property. Therefore the railroad COM
pany simply says It's operatives shall
not put themselves into such condl-
ton, nor even take the first step to-
wards it, while their time is at its dis
posal. At other times they are free to
do as they please"
Everyone will agree to both the
propositions laid down by the Wine and
Spirit Gazette. The first is, as it cor
rectly styles it, the Commercial prop
osition." The employe sells his time
to his employer, and the latter has the
right to say where it shall be spent.
The second, while strictly true in every
word is one which we must confess
surprises us to find in the columns of a
paper devoted to the liquor traffic. 1t
saws "a man who drinks once will
drink twice"-and every one knows
how fatally true that is! Then, ''too
much drink is apt to befuddle the
BRAIN" and man in that condition
sis not fit to have the care OF human
lives or property"
Quite true. But the principle has a
far wider application than merely to
railway employees. Is a man whose
brain is befuddled proper person to
stand behind an accountants desk,
for instance? Is he a proper person
to work at machine? If he be a
stonecutter, for instance, is his work,
while under the influence of liquor, of
proper quality, or does he accomplish
as much as though he were perfectly
|
swer be given if he were a painter, a
paper-hanger, carpenter, brick
layer, or employed in any other of a
hundred occupations?
There is no reason the line should
! be drawn on railroad employees, and
not on men employed in any other
operation. No matter what may be
, the work, it's quality suffers when
. the workman is drinking man. If,
: perchance. it be work to which this
: objection will not apply-as is the case
! with the coarser forms of manual labor
, the amount of work he performs in
1 a riven time is diminished, and he is
! not so profitable to his employer as in
a sober man.
There is an increasing disposition or
{ the part of the employers to give work
t onlv to men who do not drink. There
: are many lines of work already from
. which drinking men are actually
Z shut out, and the list grows larger
= every year The drinker is not sc
s GOOD. nor so reliable, nor SO profit
able an employe as the non-drinker
2 While this may be considered as also {
Y commercial reason, it is potent one
t When liquor organ admits, as mer
camille proposition, that an emplOyel
r has the right to require his men to a b
!, stain from visiting saloons or drinking
o during the hours of labor, it makes al
d admission which is a very strong on
/. against the liquor habit; and when i
4 goes further. and admits that an EN-
l. ployer has the right to require mel
!. not to drink because it destroys thei
/, sense of responsibility, it has given th'
O opponents of the drink ira ffic power
IT full weapon: for, if the traffic be abol
d ished. men can not drink. - Toled
J. Blade.
q ALCOHOL IN THE SYSTEM.