The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-10-28
Reforming Young Men.

Preachers, editors, temperance societies
and charitable organizations-al kinds OF
personal forces are working to reform the
world.
But all of them together cannot accom-
plish one-tenth or -millionth part of the
work that is done by the cold hard law Of
supply and demand. the regulations forced
upon men by necessity, and by the modern
struggle to keep up.
Suppose a great many good men and
women went to Pennsylvania to preach
against intemperance, among the miners.
The might convert temporarily a few.
The temperate men would listen to them
kindly. The intemperate men would prob
ably never hear them.
But when the mine owners, acting in ac.
cord with the unions and with the unions
support, refuse to employ an intemperate
miner--then temperance work in the mines
begins in earnest.
You may tell a man that his drinking
ruins his family and himself He knows it,
but still he drinks.
When the companies and his fellow
workmen realize that the drunken miner,
through his carelessness, endangers all 9TH
ers-then the laws of life step in and re-
form begins.
The intemperate miner may not listen
to the preacher. but he has got to listen to
the man that takes his name off the payroll
and tells him he can't get on again until he
stops drinking.
And so it is in Chicago, where many en-
ployers have agreed not to keep on their
payrolls young men clerks and others that
drink excessively, smoke cigarettes or gam
bic on the races.
Good men and women may use up their
voices in telling the young clerk that the
gambler is a fool and must lose. that the
cigarette IN time is certain poison, that
whisky cheats the brain and ruins life.
This talking and writing by the good is
not without effect. It saves some men
strong in character and open to argument.
But it only calls out the self-confdent
smile or sneer of the average young clerk
who thinks that he can take care OF him
SELF
When that young clerk is tod that he
will not be needed after next Saturday be.
cause he bets on the races, because he
smokes cigarettes, because he is seen drunk
in doubtful company. and because the en-
ployer does not care for that type of man
then the young clerks superior smile van
ishes.
When he draws his pay. and goes home
without work, he actually knows that
gambling and whisky and cigarettes are
bad things.
And he finds it out in time to reform, if
he has brains enough to reform.
The ordinary reformer gets very few re-
suits until the last extreme. The terrible
example is willing to reform-often because
he can't get any more whisky anyhow.
The laws of human existence fortunately
do not wait for the young man to become
a terrible example.
They say to the mine worker or the
clerk; You can't work and get money if
you drink"
When the individual can't get !. oney he
can't drink. He does not have to take the
pledge; the employer takes the pledge for
him, saying, 81 pledge myself not to pay
you while you gamble, smoke cigarettes,
drink or otherwise throw away your chance
of being decent man."
Those laws of nature and of our struggle
here. while they seem cruel, are working
for our betterment.
1t is to. be hoped that more and more
employers will take on behalf of those who
work for them the pledge of temperate liv-
ing ard enforce it by rubbing names off the
payroll.
This may seem harsh, but it will be bet.
ter for all concerned in the end.
What the average young man needs is a
failure. a peremptory discharge, to make
him think serious'y before it is too late for
thinking to de- him any good-New York
Evening Journal.