The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1905-06-09
BOOZE AND BUSINESS.


State Senator Plunkitt of New
York is Tammany leader who has
never had the advantages of educa-
ton or social culture. He is a pro-
duct of the streets and got his learn
ing mostly cutfed and kicked into
him. His was the severe but etfec-
tive schooling of experience among
rough men. His political power is
due to the fact that he understands
and holds in line an enormous fol-
lowing of what is commonly known
as the saloon element
If any man living might reasona-
bly, be supposed to make liquor
drinking "A real aid to his success,
here is the man. Politicians are
generally supposed to be drinking
men, and Plunktt in particular is
one who might be expected to drink
his way to the hearts of his constitu-
ants and to have as lieutenats only
men VINO can do the same.
But here is what Plunkitt says
about it:
81 never take a drop of any kind of
Intoxicating liquor. | amt no ia
matte. Some of the saIOonkeepers
are my best friends and | don't mind
goin into II saloon any day with my
friends. Bat as matter OF business
| leave whisky and beer and the rest
of that stuff alone. It's matter of
business, too. | take for my lieuten-
ants in my district men who don't
drink. l tried the other kind for
several years, but it didn't pay.
They cost too much.
mo matter how well you learn to
play the political game, you won't
make lastin' success of it if you're
drinkin man"
A lot of mistaken people imagine
that political leader who doesn't
drink could never be popular with
salOOnkeepers.
That is Il grave error.
The most successful saloonkeepers
don't drink themselves and, more
than that, they won't employ bar
keepers who drink,
Looks queer-doesn't it? But its
fact. It's business.
The man who drinks is just as I'M
safe and unfit man behind bar as
he is anywhere else. And nobody
knows this better than the saloon
keeper, who sees more of the effects
of booze than anybody else. He is
the last man in the would to follow
or have faith in n hard drinker,
behind his bar or in front of it.
All wrOng-utterly-is the popular
notion that the man who succeeds in
the field of pOlitlcs-eVen saloon
politics-lnust drink with the men
he influences. TO be superior he
must be sober. 70 command real
respect and lasting confidence he
must always be himself.
None but callOw youth or drink
demented fool, has, on the morning
after, much respect for his drunken
mate, or for himself. In the lowest
of us there is conscience that comes
with the morning after, or, if not
conscience, at least physical reaction
and mental repulsiOn.
The affection, the wit, the wisdom
that seem to glow and sparkle under
the fever of drink are all ashes on
the morning after. He who is build
ing up influence that is to be lasting
must use more tangible materials
than the deluSions that come with
booze.
Soak in some more wisdom from
Plunkitt:
Look at all the Tammanv heads
of the city departments. There's
not II real drinkln' man in the lot,
although there is Il saIoOnkeeper or
two. Oh, yes, there are some Promi-
nent men in the organization who
drink hard sOmetim IS, but they amt
the men who have power. They're
ornaments, fancy speakers and all
that, who make fine show behind
the foOtlights, but amt in it when it
comes to directin' the city govern
ment and the Tammany Organiza-
ton. The men who sit in the eXrcu-
tive committee room at Tammany
hall and direct things are the men
who celebrate Oh apollinaris or
vichy.'
Is there anything the matter with
temperance as purely business
proposition?