The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-07-30

knowing the cause how can he be ex.
p"cted to supply an adequate remedy:
And as the disorder is a serious one /,
not the patient, which is society. iusti-
fled in dismissng him and employing Il
more competent physician?
The prohibitionist ha, betrayed his
ignorance of economies by the errors
he has taught.
lie has contcnded that if the liquor
dragon could be killed general rise in
workingmen'S wages would follow. He
says that drink units many men for
work and renders others less efficient.
Agreed, But if the traffic in that
which renders men unfit to la Dor were
destroyed, then more men would be
thrown on the labor market to com
pete for Jobs. As the labor market is
already glutted how could rise of
wages follow still further increase in
the surplus labor? The Prohibition
list own premesc5 thus proves his con-
clusion wrong
His claims that GOOD times would fol-
low the general adoption of prohibition
is unfounded, because the liquor traffic
is not Il fundamental cause Of baltimas
His charge that liquor causes PROV
ertN, Is not borne ont by the facts eX-
ccpt in rare individual cases. More
often the case i, reversed poverty
causes giving away to the drink
we have the testimony OF that brilliant
woman. Frances Il. Willard. 1t has
been well established by the closet OBJ
servers and the clearest thinkers, that
/ poverty is caused either directly or
indirectly by social rather than individ-
ual causes. Society should bear the
blame which has heretofore been Laid
to the door of the individual.
The contention of some prohibitions
lists that the w0rkingmen support tn"
saloons is wauton insult to labor OF
course there is sense in which thi, il
true. Since the working elias, forms
the bulk of the population this elias
supports most Of the institutions Of civ
ilizItion, both good and bad. The
working class support, the government
and it supports the schools. 1t even
contributes to the support Of some o.
the churches. The very fabric of oul
civilization is held together by the
working class.
Bat the prohibitionist does not mean
his charge to be taken in this way
lie means that the working class, dis
tinctively and in Il particular sense.
supports the saloons. And in thi., very
sense it is Il baselcss falSehood and "a
wilful SANDER upon the class that has
borne the worlds burdens since The lie
ginning
1t must be remembered that the beer
has its counterpart in the "gentie-
men s. saloon in the ''re5pectabie' dis
trict. This "uptown' saloon may have
an art lass door; within there may tie
IA vision of carvings in rare wood, NAM
moth oil paintings, treScoed ceilings,
decorated walls, 9liStcn,ng cut-9!a -
cleaning French mirrors and incande,-
cent lights, and the liquor qualified ma!
be of the costly kinds: but it is IA saloon,
nevertheless, and it is not supported to
any extent 10y the man with the paper
cap and the dinner pail. There are ,a-
looms and saloons; and there are also
clubs and wine parties and balls Whel'
only society" is privileged to brutal
ze itself and still be ''rc,peCtable.
The Socialist hats the only solution OF
the veX,d liquor problem. " hat is
this solution: 1t was darkly limited at
in the closing report of the committee
of wise men which | have already re-
ferred to- The committee said: "Ther,
is no American legislation effective lt
remove the motive OF private profit
from the larllic.
The Socialist will provide this "e!-
fective" LEGISLATION when he gains con
troll of the reiuS Of government. lie
will proceed at once to "remove the
motive OF priva.e prUiit' from the
li0uor traffic IL, well 1t, from several
other kinds Of lileyltiuate traffic. Iht
"mUtive' Is the key to the whole >ltua-
ton. The liquor dealer Is not an angel,
but neither is be hend incarnate lie
j. an average man With about the same
Dron0itiou of faults auI +, uccin.nS var
the, that the rest OF Us Ppo-co7. ne
does not delight III lne crime duG mis-
cry that his business prOpagates. Bat
ne goes, into it Tor the prohl 10 he I al
lied And, bad IL, ne Is, / AN not GER
tain that he does not compare iavOra'
bly with some rautiug hIpocritea Who
even deny TO cbiiGhOod IL, nalur,-slNcl
OPPORTUNITIES III the greed Tor 'privato
profit.
The profit syst m. which is part and
marcel with competitor, j., Inc GROWING
curse oi thi, age. 1t l., iundamcntlA
and morally wruu-. and from 1t spring
all oar social AMI economic Ills. 1t
breed, the millionaire ana the tramp,
fplNtocrat and the paupcr. As Ion9 a.
the profit system last, slavery in some
form Will last. Tor it j, conditioned upon
-l,vnrv-t he * D lOitatiOn Of one man bN