The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1895-02-27
IoHN RunNs oN rE,rprnANcr.

The greater part and more interesting part
OF my hours talk with John Burns, the Eng
llsh labor agitator, was on the relation OF
the temperance movement, writes Charles
B. Spahr in the Outlook We had Just been
talking of the new attitude OF the church
toward social questions, and here | found
him somewhat Indifferent, plainly regarding
the change as more important to the church
than TO the labor movement. When, how
| ever, the conversation turned to the progress
OF the temperance movement in the ranks of
labor he suddenly became enthusiastic, not
only upon this subject itself but on the social
reform work OF the churches in connection
with 1t. Nothing could have exceeded his
praise OF what the Salvation Army, In partic-
uiar, is doing for the spread of temperance
in England. Its success in reclaiming
drunkards seemed to him the most wonder
1ul thing in recent religious history. Mr..
Burns has not only been a lifelong total alb
stainer but lifelong temperance ngitator
and, despite his secularism, he recognized
the religious work OF reclaiming lost drunk
ards as something beyond the scope of
municipal craftsmanship" Nevertheless
municipal craftsmanship and temperance re-
form seemed to him to have so many-sided a
connection as TO be essentially one. "Hos-
tflity 10 public-houses, he said Q quote from
memory. runs through our labor move
ment. Nearly every leader of the new
unionism is teetoatler, and among the
leaders in the old unions total abstinence Is
gaining an altogether disproportionate hold.
Even the men in the unions who drink them
selves and growl at the unsociability ofthose
who don't will vote nearly every time for a
temperance man to conduct the business OF
the union. This accounts for the dspropor-
tionate teetotalism among the leaders,
hut temperance is spreading among
the rank and file. During my boyhood,
and am hardly middle-aged, 1t
used 10 be charged that this. that.
fhn OF thnr labor lander haA 4
910, or even e20 to,changs the meeting place
OF the union from the Horse and Dragon to
the Pig and Whistle. Nowadays the owner
OF pub would rather pay to get rid OF
trade union than to have it meet at his rooms.
As matter OF fact, we are not meeting at
public-houses unless we can't help ourselves.
Sometimes We meet in rooms belonging to
churches, often in those belonging 10 CO.
operative societies, and, whenever we can,
In rooms connected with town halls. Nearly
every man who is prominent in the labor
movement Is opposed to the public-houses
The l6s officers OF labor unions who signed
the petition last year for the local veto Clocal
option) bill included practically the whole
brains and power of the labor movement
Not nearly all OF them were teetotalers, but
they had all got that far, at any rate. They
all know that drink is the chiet cause ofpov-
erty.
SAT the same time they all believe that
poverty Is the chief cause OF drink. Most OF
our labor-reform measures aim to reduce
drunkenness by making healthier living pos
sibie. This is true not only of the larger
measures, such as the shortening of the
hours of labor, but it Is even more directly
true OF our municipal reforms. We believe
that the construction of municipal halls ac-
eessible for public meetings in all parts of
the cities is direct blow at the public
houses. We believe that all our London
county council measures providing public
play grounds, gymnasiums, reading-rooms,
and the like are temperance measures. We
have now In London 500 free tennis courts.
The city furnishes the courts and the frame
work to support the nets. The players, OF
course, furnish their own rackets. Almost
any Saturday afternoon you may see John
Burns and his wife on one of these courts.
bslieve it is the healthy way to live, and the
young people who have these healthy re-
creations are not so apt to crave the pub
c. There are now so many of the courts
that 1t is rarely difficult 10 get a chance TO
play. For tho middle-aged men who don't
care for tennis we have provided quoits, fnd
for the old fellows we are about to lay out
several bowling green's -