Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-08-18


spend in this country over 100000, ,000
every year for tobacco. We spend over
81, 500 ,000.0 directly or indirectly for
rum The laboring classes spend their
share of this money. Now, suppose the
laboring man who has been expending
his money in those directions should
Just add up how much he has ex-
pended during these past few years,
and then suppose that that money was
put into cooperative association, and
then suppose he should have all his
friends in toll. who had made the same
kind Of expenditure. do the same thing,
and that should be added up and put
into a cooperative association. And
then take all that money expended for
overdress and overStyle and overliv-
ing on the part of toiling people in
order that they may appear as well as
persons who have more income-gather
that all up and you could have CO.
operative associations all over this
land.
Trades Unions.
am not saying anything now about
trades unions. You want to know what
l think of trades unions. | think they
are most beneficial in some directions,
and they have a specific object, and in
this day, when there are vast monopo-
lies-a thousand monopolies concen-
trating the wealth of the people into
the possession of a few men-unless
the laboring men of this country and
all countries band together they will
20 under There is lawful use of
trade union. If it means sympathy in
time OF sickness, if it means finding
work for people when they are out of
work. if it means the improvement of
the financial, the moral or the religious
condition of the laburing classes, that
is all right. Do not artists band to-
gether in an art union? Do not singers
band together in Handel and Hadyn
societies? Do not newspaper men band
together in press clubs? Do not min
listers of religion band together in con-
ferences and associations? There is
not in all the land city where clergy
men do not come together, many of
them once a week, to talk over affairs.
For these reasons you should not
blame labor guilds. When they are
doing their legitimate work, they are
most admirable, but when they come
around with drum and fife and flag
from their scaffoldings. from their fac
tories, then they are nihilistic, then
they are cOmmunistic, then they are
barbaric. then they are curse. If
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 beneficent
purposes in cooperative association,
under whatever name they put their
means together. Suppose they take
the money that they waste in rum and
tobacco and use it for the elevation
of their families. for the education of
their children. for their moral, intel
ectual 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 stimulant? You
say, "Will you deny the laboring men
his help which they get from strong
lrink, borne down as they are with
many apXieties and eXhausting work p
would deny them nothing that is
,ood for them. ] would deny them
strong drink, If l had the power, be-
ather said: 81 became a temperance
nan in early life because | found that
n the harvest field. while | was natu-
ally weaker than the other men, l
ould hold out longer than any Of
hen. They took stimulant and took
lone"
Everybody knows they cannot en-
lure great fatigue-men who indulge
n stimulants. All our young men un-
erstand that. When they are prepar-
ng for the regatta. or the ball club. or
he athletic wrestling. they abstain |
rom strong drink. Now. suppose all |
his money that is wasted were gath
red together and put into cooperative
Oh, we would have a very |
ifferent state of things from what we
ave now.
Practice Economy.
| remark again. the laboring classes
f this country are to find great relief
rhen they learn, all of them learn,
orecast and providence. Vast num-
ers of them put down their income
nd they put down their expenses, and
the income meets the expenses that
; all that is necessary. | know labor
ntil they have spent their last dollar.
hey fly around everywhere until they
ct it spent. A case came under my
bservation where young man was
500 n year and earned it by
cry hard work. The marriage day
ime. The bride had received $500 as
n Inheritance from her grandfather.
he put the $500 in wedding equip
ent. Then the twain hired two
,oms on the third story. Then this
W liO llioSI |
ent. just. as much as he could possi-
y endure, got evening employment
, he could earn a few dollars more
nd by this extra evening employ
ent almost eXtinguished his eye
ght. Why did he take this extra
rening employment? Was it to lay
7 something for rainy day? No.
as it to get life Insurance so that
he should die his wife would not
, pauper? No. 1t was for the one
lrpose Of getting his wife $50
alskin sacque. l am just giving you
fact l know. The sister of this wO- )
an, although she was very poor ..
RI, was not to be eclipsed, and so
e went to work day and night and ..