The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-10-14
Reforming Young Men.

Preachers, editors, temperance societies
and Charitable orCaniZations-all kinds OF
personal forces are working to reform the
world
But all of them together cannot accom-,
plish one-tenth or one-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 lntemperance among the miners.
The might convert temporarily a few
/ ne temperate men would listen to them
kindly. The incorporate 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 intemperates
miner-then Temperance work in the mines
begins in earnest.
You may tell a man that his drinking
ruins his family and himself. lie knows il,
but still he drinks.
When the companies and his fellow
workmcn realize that the drunken miner.
through his carelessness. endangcrs all 9TH
ers-then the laws OF life step in and re-
form begins.
The incorporate miner may not listen
to the preacher. but he has got to listen tn
the man that takes his name off the payroll
and tells him he can't get on again until ho
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
be on the races
Good men and women NAV use ND their
voices III telling the young clerk that the
gambler is fool and must lose. that the
cigarette IN time is n certain poison, that
whisky cheats the brain and ruins life.
This talking and writing by the good il
not without effect. 1t saves some men
strong in character and open to argument.
But 1t only calls out the seif-confdent
smile or sneer of the average young clerk
who thinks that he can take care OF him
self.
When that young clerk is told 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 em-
| pIloyer 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 ont in time to reform, if
| he has brains enough to reform.
he ordinary reformer gets very few re-
suits until the last extreme. The terrible
| example is willing to reform-often because
The laws OF human existence fortunately
do not wait for the young man to become.
a terrible example.
They say to the NINE worker or the
you drink"
When the individual can't get / oney he
car, { drink. He does not have to take the
pledge; the employer takes the pledge for
him, saving, II pledge myself not TO pay
You while YOU gamble, smoke cigarettes.
drink or otherwise throw away your chanca
OF being decent man."
Those laws OF nature and Of our strugx,e
here, while they seem cruel are working
for our botterment.
1t Is to be hoped that more and more
employers will take on behalf of those who
work for tnem the pledge OF temperate liv-
payroll '
This may seem harsh, but it will be bet.
ter Tor all concerned in the end.
What the average young man needs is a
failure. a peremptory discharge, to make.
nm nm think seriously before it is too late for
thinking to do him any good.-New York
Evening Journal. =