The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-03-30

ton is, human nature remaining what
it is how is the problem to be solved?
Arbitration, single tax, fiat money,
socialism, are all the meerest moon
shine. This deep seated desire. prey
ing upon the vitals of the social body,
can be cured by no quack remedies.
It is supreme folly to talk about
them; begging the pardon of our
friends above quoted. And yet the
adequate remedy lies right before
our eyes. Strange that nobody has
seen it. "God helps those who help
themselves" and be will help no 9TH
ers. Every man must take his own
part. If you want anything done, do
it; not wait for some one else to do it
for you. Cursing never did any good.
Organization is we'll enough, but it
don't cure the evil. Strikes up to
date have done much more harm
than good, to all concerned. Debbs
ism and Coxeyism is the veriest folly.
1t only tends in the end to reduce
laborers to worse state of slavery
than before. Poverty? Exactly! That
is the great evil complained of in
adequate compensation. But poverty
is the great cause of the thraldom of
labor; and whatever tends to increase
it, like strike, only aggravates the
evil and makes it more hopeless. If
the laborer has means he is indepen-
dent. If not, he is virtually slave,
and must work for what he can get,
or starve.
What then is the remedy? 1t is
expressed in one word-economy
As long as man spends his entire
income every day or every year, he is
at the mercy of his employer; and no
matter what wages he receives, he
cannot free himself from his thrall
dom, and nothing that society or the
government can do for him will help
him in the least.
Much is said about the money
power-the tyranny of capitalize
omnipotence of gold. Very we'll.
Then get some of it so that you also
can exercise portion of this power
be one of these money kings, even
though it be on small scale. There
is one sure way to get it-save it,
Economy is the watchword. Prodi-
gality is the bane of life. No matter
what your income, save portion of
it for rainy day. How few laborers
do thence the thralldom of labor
varice, meanness, dishonesty, are to
be condemned; but not economy.
But | shall be asked, how can we
save? We can only just live upon
our wages. Very true-as you live.
But what will support one vice will
bring up two children.
Last year the government tax on
beer. of one dollar per barrel, amount
ed to more than $30,000,0O0 That is,
so many barrels were consumed by
the American people-a half barrel
for every man, woman and child, and
very largely by the laborers; and
much of it bought by the single
drink, at the enormous prices charged
for it in that way. Besides all the
Nhiskey, and other intoxicants drank
by them. According to the official
records the aggregate of imported
and domestic, distilled and fermented
liquors and wints consumed in this
country in the year 1870, amounted
in valuation to the sum of ST. 1885,
491 1865. But as this was largely
sold by single drinks over the bar,
and especially that drank by labor
ers, the cost to the consumers was
doubled and quadrupled. There
were 100000 saloons patronized by
100000 daily customers, spending
$1,575000,000 during the year. The
whole numbers of persons engaged
in the liquor business was 100000.
For that year the total cost for flour
and meal, cotton goods, newspapers,
and job printing was only $4,000
600. In the twenty five years since
then, the liquor bill has more than
doubled. These are frightful figures.
Suppose all this money thousand
times worse than wasted, had all
been saved.
Then there is another vice, only less
in magnitude than this-using to-
bacco. 1t is filthy, destructive to
health, stimulating the appetite for
drink, and expensive. l have not
the figures, but it is certainly Sc
rious drain upon the wages of labor
Besides, tea and coffee drinking are
a great expense to the poor, and are
only a nuisance and a curse The
appetite for them is only an acquired
depravity, and their effects only evil.