The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1905-08-11
W. C. 7. U. COLUMN.

~ bEas By PslEka unis, Z
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
THE AWAKENING OF THE MAYOR.
Fs2reboe Condo Eillef, NoEazis- III
In Two ParI-FA-7 IL
[C0ntinued
When I think of all the work We
are doing. as a people. 10 care for tie
sufferers OF the drinking habit II r--
minds me or little story my Old
I friend, DR.. Banks. used TO tell. 1t
vas Of al Irish girl who vas en-
ployed in scrubbiLg when her mis-
tress entered the room. She had
left the faucet Of the water pipe
open and the water was steadily
flowing il aud covering the floor.
Bridget was busy scrUbbing. Why
don't you shut of the water. eX-
claimed the lady. a. she promptly
turned the faucet. An shure. miss,
it's meself that's 50 busy / haven |
had time. the water kapes me mop
ping so fast
Like the servant oirl, We have
been 80 busy mopping away at the
results Of the traffic We have not, As
Z i
put s stop TO the cause Of i all-the
legaliEed saloon.
at does seem strange, said James.
that | never thought Of i before Ia
I that light
The minister only smiled aud con-
rinued There Is Yet another view
Of this matter which appeals to lie
very much. and | thlnk 1t will I"
you. also.
i have here a government report
on the question OF Liquor and La
Dor. which you may have to study
81 YOUR leisure. You will notice
thst il 800 worth OF hardware, s24.-
IL 10 labor. In 500 worth OF clothing
81. A. is labor, while in 500 OF liquor
but sl.25 is labor.
In the slums of our cities the sa-
. looms are the thickest. Al average Of
less than 2s0 men. women and chill
dren to each saloon. Three beers a
day is much below the necessary
/ amount required from each family
70 support these saloons. In such
/ district where poverty and want
were apparent, the Rev. DR.. Kerr
caused the following circular 10 be
( distributed:
Men Of the Fourteenth Ward.
| look at this: Three beers a day for
one wear would bring into each of
your homes one barrel Of Flour. -
pounds Of sugar. ~ pounds Of corn
starch. 10 pounds OF maccarOui. 10
quarts Of beans. four twelve pound
hams. one bushel sweet potatoes.
three bushels Irish potatoes, 10
pounds of coffee. 10 pounds Of rasins,
I 10 pounds Of rice. ~ pounds of crack
I ers. LOO bars Of soap. three twelve
pound turkeys. five quarts cranber-
( ries. 10 buuches Of celery. 10 pounds
I Of prunes. four dozen oranges, %
/ good beeisteaks; but this Is not all
( there would be in one pocket of the
/ workingman' trousers 3 iiye-dOllaE
! bill marked a new dress for mother
[ and in another pocket a ,en-dolla-
bill marked To buy shoes for the
| children
Il have al article here by Bishop
NcCabe which | would have you
study carefully. H. asserts that the
working people spend annually $50
uU.uu for alcoholic beverages. II in
three years they would save what
they pour down their threats they
could have banks running in their
interest. with AL aggregate capital of
81 .3I $4,000. leaving net profit Of
Al least $l0UIpJ.ysu a year To De di-
yided among them.
This recalls 70 mind. continued
the minister, a little circumstance
related TO ME by a brother Clergy
man. H said that he saw a body Of
# - ire :
I through the streets Of Chicago car
ryiug banners inscribed. Our chill
dren cry for bread They marched
10 a picnic ground and drank ,+by
kegs Of beer.
These things seem 50 terrible. 90
exclaimed James. Why don't the
thinking people do something about
this?"
The minister smiled as he replied :
The people are becoming awaken
ed. more aud more each year to the
lenOrInity OF the economic phase Oi
the liquor problem. Ii Is being dis
eussed in the classes on social and
political economy. in our colleges
and universities. our best Journals
and magazines are publishing
lengthy articles by deep thinkers
upon this subject. and even the edi-
torials Of our newspapers comment
upon it.
Just yesterday ! read in the New
York Tribune this statement: The
liquor traffic costs more each year
than our whole civil service. our
army. navy. and congress. including
the river. harbOr and pension bills.
all We pay for local government. all
national, state and county debts,
and all the schools in the country
In fact, this country pays more for
liquor than for every function OF
every kind Of government
After pause the minister cOntin-
ued: Truly it Is impossible to -
innate the entire cost of the liquor
traffic III dollars and cents. The
wasted lives, the dethrOned reasons.
the wrecked hopes. the heartaches.
and tie infinite value of the human
souls which are lost cannot De reck-
Oned from an economic standpoint. -
Signing, the minister was for mo-
ment lost in thought, then. arousing
himself. he said: My dear boy.
fear / have tired you.
oh. no. not at all. answered
James, but | realize my inability 10
thank you sufficiently for the help
you have given me.
1T has been pleasure to me, as
sure you, my lad: and If you desire
you are welcome to any reading
matter have upon this subject"
With the minister's aid lie select
z ed several good books, and started
home with a much lighter heart
z than When he came.
I be AZ once began q thorough
study Of the economic phases Of the
Z liquor traftie- and, watching for al
oppOrtBne time when his father waS