Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1901-10-05
WHY wORkINGMEN DRINK.

Why do workiDgmen patronize ths
saloons; why do they drink?
An answer is given to this much dis
russed question by Rev. George l.. Nc
Mutt writing for the outlook. 1t IL
briefly put that the saloons offer COM
forts not found elsewhere. What gives
added force to Mr.. McNutt's state
ments is that he speaks from expert
ence. He has been workingman ana
vas at one time ditch digger in Phil
adelphia. He tells the story from per.
sonal knowledge. He knows how the
saloon appealed to him and cit - sew
eral instances from his ditch digging
life that should be read by all men
working to save others lrorI the evil
vi drink.
"One raw. winter day. we-a gang of
half a hundred of more nondcscript no.
bodies-were digging gas ditch past
two Of the city's churches. The minis.
ters paused and watched us, conscious,
I'm sure. of the gulf fixed that separ-
ates man lthe priest from man (the
unknown ditchdigger). At noon, cold
and wet, many Of the men ate their
heavy dinner on the steps Of the
church. With others | went uptown
The familiar sign-'Nice hot lunch,
free all day. had most alluring effect
u the man with the spade, chilled to
the bone. If only some one had thought
TO have had ready on the steps. or in
eide. in the chu 'ch kitchen. steaming
hot cofee-'like mother used to, make
at cost-but that's another question"
Another experience is given Of when
the labOrer McNutt was in Cincinnati:
1T was winters Saturday night.
| Coming down John street from West
| Cincinnati | was so tired that | felt
| must rest. What could | do' Go into
u grocery or dry goods store and sit
down? 'Whatll you have?' I want
rest Get out! this is no tramp's
| roost. Brown duck or hodden-gray
asking a favor brands the wearer as a
tramp. Should sit on the curbstone
or go over in the park? But Jack Frost
was uncomfortably familiar that night.
| Joined a club. dropped into chair
w the stove and slept. No one shook
me with an exasperating, unsocial
move on. After half hour Of sleep
started up refreshed, paid my club dues
OF : cents at the bar. and got a glass
of soda thrown in. For $500 men Join
exclusive political and social clubs on
the avenues of the metropolis. For IS
and up some men join Young Mems
| Christian Association clubs. For j
cents the multitude of men. whom only
God and the saloon keeper and the
ward boss know, nightly join the one
democratic club in American life-the
American saloon"
Again in Baltimore he shows what
Sunday offers to the workingman:
Many workingmen are homeless. TIC
these the average American Sunday
and holiday Is something awful to con
template, The last two Sundays ant
Christmas of the old century my boys
and | will never forget. We were II
Ualtimore---a charming place for so
WHY ipih HtElo'SF Il Dih'' W w
stunned by white man seeking com
mon labor and caring to be sober OF
Sunday. ! made determined searcf
for an attractive place. not for clul
members only. but for plain men.
failed. questioned policemen and
rhilanthropists without avail. final.
~ found religious reading room
stripped. for sacredness's sake. of all
magazines and papers like the Youth
Companion. had just found an ar.
t!cle by DR.. GLADDEN. that ! wanted tC
read. when ! was called on to choos,
hetween going into religious meeting
or going out on the street. chose Tho
street. II was n relief when sleep cam'
IN that little iX7 room of the lodgins
house. bringing surcease from the sor
row OF being mere speck, a nobody
in a modern Christian city on Sunday
Christmas, the Tuesday following, wa
worse than Sunday. The saloons wer,
bright with holly and cedar. ringinl
with music and laughter. Is anyon,
surprised to know that the saloon
were crowded with worklngmen. sail
nrs, oystermen. factorymen, rough fel
lows, quite naturally, with fair shar
but no monopoly Of total depravity
Out on the hills there were feastini
and music and laughter and reunions
My horror Of the city workingman'
Sunday has been intensified by late
experience In the tenement house lii
of Greater New York.
MY l5-year-old hoy says: I cal
stand anything but Sunday; that |
something fierce"
No intelligent man can fail to gras
the diagnosis Of the case given by tb