The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-03-29
Tho Handicap OF Drink.

a representative OF Iue Now IOtk fUic6
asked OF several business men, well known
and highly esteemed In New York COM
mercial circles, their views upon the use
of liquor by business men and their en-
ployes. The answers given byaN OF them
showed marked hostility to drinking habits,
end many Of them remarked upon the
change that has come to pass In the bust-
ness world In this respect within the last
few years. The old custom OF treating
that used to play 80 large a part In the
transaction Of large wholesale deals with
out-of-town customers, they all agreed has
largely disappeared. ia
Among the men with whom The New
York Voice representative talked was Henry
Clews, one of the most widely known ffnan..
cial operators in the city. Mr.. Clews said:
Drinking dwarfs mems abilities, makes
ti:em erratic, and interferes with good
judgment. It makes them see things With
II distorted mental vision and leads them In
todisastrous enterprises. Competition is 60
keen to- day that man must keep his head
cool snd his Judgment unlmpalred In order
to protect his own and his customers In.
teresta. Drink makes man see either the
brightest or the gloomiest side OF things,
which 10 dangerous. On the Stock sEx-
change to-day a man who drinks habit.
ually Is apt to be avoided. where few
years ago the fault Was overlooked. Busi-
ness to-day Is conducted on q different
basis from that OF twenty years back. It
was then thought that II man was COM
vivial and mnde friends, business would be
induced; and some of the houses In the
"Street" used to have drinking" part.
ners" to take customers out and treat
them; but such thing Is not known any
more. It Is no longer necessary for o
broker to open wine for his customers; IN
te 90 Io,. I'd Ho1 1uufk n
suspicion. Men are apt to think less OF
man for putting temptation in their way"
Mr.. Clews, who Is familiar with the social
custom Of the best families OF the city,
also expressed his opinion that the con.
sumption OF liquor In the homes OF wealth
has very materially diminished; and also
that "bar drinking" in Wall street has
within the last fifteen years decreased not
less than fifty per ceIt.
The subject was also brought up In con-
rersation with Mr.. Chester s. Lord, who,
mas for eighteen years been the managing
editor OF the New York Sun. Mr.. Lord de-
oldedly believes that newspaper man In
these days OF intense competition can not
succeed il he allows his powers to be Inn
paired by the use OF liquor. With regard
10 the condition OF affairs In the once OF
lbe Sun, he said:
"Intemperance will not be tolerated In
his Office on the part OF anybody. The
only men whom have been compelled TO-
let 20 during the last three or four years
ows their dismissal to intemperance."
President John Claain, OF the great
wholesale house OH. B. Clafin Company.
speaking OF drinking among employees,
said:
eve can not afford to keep man who
drinks habitually-no matter how good Q
salesman be may be. There Is q marked
change for the better In this respect
throughout the entire business section OF
New York, and think throughout tbs
country. Competition Is so active thar
eyery concern must be on the alert for
trade. and intemperance on the part o.
statesmen will not be put up with"