The times., 1898-11-27
N0N-4REA9ING SOCIETY
A Western Idea That Is Rap
idly Winning Favor.
STARTED BY RAILROAD NAN
II One Must Drink, Strict Adherence
to Its Principles VIII Save Much
Money and Many CarOuse.
strong Hold Gained by the Orgnni-
zn:iOn in the East. -.ss.

| button about the size of silver quarter
| in the lapel of his coat, with the Letters
IN. T. c. stamped on it in bright blue.
| don't stand and stare at him and wear
| your brain round and smooth tying 10
| figure out what sort of new political bird
he is. That button has no political sisni-
| ficance whatever. 1t is the badge of
brand-new club called the Non-Trea. ing
| Club, says the New York Sun. II is a
| mans club, of course but all the womsn
who know about it say that 1t Is ve!y
| fine thing. And 1t ought to be. for it is
founded on exceedingly liberal principles
and the membership Is increasing witt
amazing rapidity.
The club was founded by E. 7. Monett,
| general Western passenger agent of tie
| New York, Ontario and Western Rail-
road. in Chicago. on September >. with
| one member and that was himseiT- ~
| December Mr.. Monett expects his b oss
| TO show a membership of 81 o1. NV
York has taken hold of the movement
under the leadership of j. +. Reec,. who
has been appointed secretary for this
State and has established headquarters
at 22I West 1a0th Street. Mr.. Rex is u
young man and for several years has
been victimized by the treating habit. lie
| is engaged in business at the corner CT
| Fifth and Lewis Streets. where trcati. Z
! is rather more compulsory tLan volun-
! tary and that's how he came To take en-
! thusias;ic interest in the Chicago oreani-
! zation. When asked TO talk about The
! Non-Treatins Club and its objects, M.
| Reece said:
First of all, make 1t perfectly plain
| that this is not temperance movement.
| There hare been many non-trea,ing clubs
organized heretofore. but they were form
! ed in the interest OF temperance and all
fell through. One reason for their not
succeeding may have been that they had
! no insignia and no rules, and people de-
string to Join could not get any iuforna-
tion about what they were expected to do.
| This club has been founded on different
| principles and has good, sound. common
sense for a foundation. IL all started i'll
this way MIR. Monett found that such
| a large part of his salary was spent in
treating that he determined to keep an
account Of what he did spend in that way
for one year. 1t turned out that he b-ew
| in just one-fiith OF what ne made by con-
stantiy using the phrase. Have one with
! me He is a man who believes thor
oughly that every one OF US was put
this earth for some good, and he thought
he saw way through sach an organiZa-
. tion to help men TO save their money
and preserve their physical and moral
soundness So he asked few of his
friends to join this club. and they gladly
consented, saying that they were all in
need Of just such A movement.
THE object of the club, which IS real
ly to do away with this pcrnic.ous habit
of treating, is very simple, indeed. as it
is stated on the card which is sent TO
each man who joins. X reads: When
you want drink. take 1t, and don't I'M
agine you will offend any one by not ask
ing eight or ten to Join you. The only
pledge that member makes is To wear
the button and make Il pledge TO himself
not to treat any one who is Il member.
When a card is sent to an acp icant
he is asked not TO detach the button t, Cm
the card if lie has any conscientious sCru-
pies, but to pass il TO some fsiend. One
of the Chicago newspapers got hold Ct
the fact that Mr.. Monett and a few of his
friends. all prominent business and pro-
fessional men, had organized sUcn a ub
and the newspapers all over the county
took IL up The result was that app lea
tions for membership began to pour in TO
him from one end Of the country to the
ether and ne was showed under with lei
ters, all expressing approval OF the
scheme. In few weeks 1900 names Were
enrolled. which result speaks for itself
and is an indication that the club hcd /;
favor with the large majority. Mr.. Mo-
nett didn't imagine for an instant that II
would spread beyond Chicago. but I've
enrolled over 3CGo right here in the city
in d few days
How did you come to be so vitality in
terested in the club?" asked the rep ,rter.
We'll. this neighboThood here where /
work is a great one fo- treating. Every
truckman and workman WHO comes IN
the place expects to be treated and ev-
cry time a man takes friend into sa-
loon he's expected to treat everyb- dy in
sight. I've been thinking for long
while that this treating habit Is inc-eas-
ing among men rather tan decreasing,
and it is all rot: it is false friendship
and il Is responsible for the making of
many drunkards. Have ona vita me is
a phrase many a man has used because
of the desire not to appear small. and y
frequently accepted more TO avoid giving
offense than because the beverage Itself
is desired. For instance. you and l go
into u cafe with the intention of hAv ng
one drink, perhaps two. We meet eight
or ten friends who insist upon cur join
ing them. We do so. and then you and
/ reciprocate. and -verysinan III the crowd
insists on everybody having one with
him. The consequence X that each man
puts eight or ten drinks under his belt.
and I'll bet Il new hat that there is net
one of them but would have.preferred the
one drink to eight or ten conse u i've
drinks. This thing repeated several time !
a day year in and year out will ruin a
man physically and financially, and it is
all fooiishness.
II read about the Non-Treating Club in
some paper and wrote to Mr.. Monett for
a button As | was the second man from
this State to seek membership he asked
me to act as secretary The other was an
up-the-State farmer And this is the plan
ne is adopting to organize clubs In each
State. He asks the first man who be-
comes a member to form club in the
place where he lives and TO spread the
good work, but / do not find my work
confined to New York by any. means.
Here are three letters which came in this
mornings mail, and they will give you
an idea of what hold the non-treating idea
is taking on all classes of men,"
The first letter was from the proprietor
of hotel in Edgeley, n. D., and was as
follows:
Dear Sir-Please find inclosed 4 cents
postage. for which mail to my address
one of the buttons of the Non-Treating
Club, and information, SO that | can start
a club here <u
This second one came from a young man
engaged in the insurance business at Lou
isville. Ky:
Dear Sir-I noticed an article in pa
per few days ago in regard to your club,
| and as result you will find inclosed 25
cents in stamps for which You can send
me half a dozen of your famous buttons.
1 tried this same scheme some three years