Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-08-31
band together in press clubs, DO not


most admirable. but when they come
around with drum and fife and fng from
their scaffoldings, from theIr factories.
then they are nihilistic, then they are COM
munistic, then they are barbaric, then they
are curse. II a man wants to stop work
let him stop work. but he cannot stop me
from work.
But now suppose that all the laboring
classes banded together for beneacent pnr-
poses in cooperative association, under
whatever name they put their means to-
gether. Suppose they take the money that
they waste In rum and tobacco and use 1t
for the elevation of their families, for the
education OF their children, for their moral,
intellectual and religious Improvement.
| what a different state OF things we would
| have in this country and they would have
| In Great Britain!
Do you not realize the fact that men
work better without stimulantP You say.
"Will you deny the iaboring men this help
which they get from strong drink. borne
down as they are with many anxietIes and
| exhausting work." I would deny them
| nothing that is good for them. I would
| deny them strong drink. II I had the power,
because 1t Is damaging to them. My father
said: II became temperance man in
early life because found that in the
harvest field, while was naturally weaker
than the other men, could hold out longer
than any of them. They took stimulant
and took none."
|
great fatigue-men who indulge in stimu-
lants. All our young men understand
that. When they are preparing for the re-
gatta, or the ball club, or the athletic
wrestling, they abstain from strong drink.
Now, suppose oil this money that is
wasted were gathered together and put in
to cooperative institutions. Oh. we
would have very different state Of things
from what we have now.
remark again, the laboring classes of
this country are to find great relief when
they learn, all of them learn, forecast and
providence. Vast numbers OF them put
down their income and they put down
| their expenses, and IL the income meets
the expenses that is all that Is necessary.
I know laboring men who are In perfect
fidget until they have spent their last dol.
lar. They fly around everywhere until
they get 1t spent. A case came under my
observation where aityoung man was
receiving 800 year and earned 1t
by very hard work. The marriage day
came. The bride had received $500 as an
put the $500 in wedding luipment. Then
the twain hired two rooms on the third
story. Then this man, who had most ar
duous employment, just as much as he
could possibly endure, got evening en-
ployment 80 he could earn few dollars
more and by this extra evening employ
ment almost extinguished his eyesight.
Why did he take this extra evening en-
ployment2 Was it to lay by something for
Il rainy day2 MOL Was 1t to get life in
surance so that II he should die his fe
would not be pauper2 MOI 1t was for
the one purpose of getting his wife $3.50
sealskin sacque l am just giving you a
fact l know. The sister OF this woman, al
though sho is very poor girl, was not to
be eclipsed, and so she went to work day
and night and toiled and toied and toiled
almost into the grave until she got $50
| ey-; Vail uavt
abroad all through the street. Most of the
people on that street were laboring, hard
working people, and they were not to be
outshone in this way, and they all went to
work In the same direction and practically
said, though not literally: Though the
heavens fall, we must have sealskin
| sacque!"
A clergyman In Iowa told me that his
church and the entire neighborhood had
been ruined by the fact that the people
mortgaged their farms In order to go down
to the Philadelphia Centennial in 1876.
First, one family would go, then another
family, and finally it was not respectable
not to 60 to the Centennial at Philadel-
phia, and they mortgaged their farms. The
church and the neighborhood ruined in
that way. Now, between such fools and
pauperism there Is only very short step.
In time OF peace prepare for war. In time
Of prosperity prepare for adversely. Yet
how many there are who drive on the
verge OF the precipice, and at the least
touch OF accident or sickness over they go.
Ah my friends, it is not right. 1t is not
honest! He that provideth not for his own,
and especially those of his own household,
is worse than an intldel. man has no
right to live in luxury and have all COM
forts and all brightness around him, TAX
ing his family with him at that rate
everything bright and beautiful and lux.
urious until he stumbles against tomb.
stone and falls In, and they all go to the
poorhouse. That is not common honesty.
I am no advocate of skinfilnt saving.
abhor It. But plead sor Christian provl-
dence.
Some OF the older persons remember
very we'll Abraham Van Nest, Of New York,
one OF its Christian merchants. He was
often called mean because he calculated
SO closely. Why did he calculate closely2
That he might have the more to give.
There was not Bible society or tract
society or n reformatory institution in the
city of New York but he had his hand in sup
porting It. He denied himself many luxu-
ries that he might give to others the neces-
stiles. He has been many years reaping
his reward in heaven, but shall never
forge, the day when l, green country
lad, came to his house and spent the even
ing and at the close of the evening as
was departing, he accompanied me to the
door, accompanied me to the steps, came
down off the steps and said: Here, De
Witt, is $40 for books. Don't say any
thing about It," 1t is mean or it is mag
nifcent to save, according as you save for
u good or bad object.
Iknow there are many people who have
much to say against savings banks and
life insurances. have to tell you that the
vast majority OF the homesteads in this
country have been the result of such lnsti-
tutions, and have to tell you also that
the vast mai ority Of homesteads OF the fu-
ture for the laboring classes will be the re-
suit OF such Institutions. 1t will be great
day for the working classes of England
and the United States when the working
man can buy barrel Of -four instead OF
-four by the small sack; when he can buy
barrel of sugar instead Of sugar by the
pound when he can pay cash for coats
and hats and shoes rather than pay an ad-
dltional amount for the reason that he has
to get it a charged.
know gentleman very we'll who has
over 1000 hands In his employ. I said to
him some years ago when there was great
trouble In the labor market, "How are you
getting on with your men7" "Oh," he said.
II have no troublei' "Why." said, "nave