The daily sentinel., 1907-04-12
What the Laboring Ele-
ment Spent for Liq-
uor in Twenty Years
Would Buy All of the
Capitalists Out.
STARTLING FACTS.
Regarding Various Great
PrOblems-0nly Half
of Worlds Natives
Have Houses

the other night Col. George w Balm
I gave statistics showing that there
are 33 per cent of the people of the
nation residing in cities, 81 per cent
per cent in the country but that with
in 20 years at least 10000, 900 more
people would be living in our cities
than there are today. This he, de-
clears, indicates that 1t is only mat
ter of time until they control the ma
ton, therefore the greatest care
should be taken as to who is put in
power in the municipalities. He re
ferred to the rottenness prevailing in
many city governments, and made
a plea for cleaner politics in the cit
les. He paid tribute to the life in the
country and pronounced the people
of the country to be the main stay
and balance wheel of the nation, Il
pity the boy who gives up the glories
of life in the country when all the
world seems his to go to the city and
find home in pent up lodging house.
The influence of Nature and and the
nearness of God surrounds the boy
in the country, the influences of hell
itself oftimes surrounds the country
boy in the city. There is no life on
earth so pure as the country life.
In speaking of capital and labor
Col Balm declared that today each
side is organized like mighty army,
watching each other with eagle eye.
The wealth of capital increases and
the wants of labor increase as the
days come and go. He declared that
labor makes up a larger world today
than ever before. The laborer sees
the capitalist living yonder in the
mansion on the hilltop while the lab
orer resides in the valley in the cab
in and oftentimes the capitalist owns
both the mansion and the cabin. The
laborer longs for the comforts that
the man whom he slaves for enjoys,
the capitalist is obstinate, hence the
friction"
In this connection the speaker re-
ferred to some of the faults of the
laboring men. He spoke of the ap-
palling per cent of the wage earners
who are addicted to drinking. Then
he gave some startling statistics
showing how wonderfully the labor
ing classes would profit If the use of
liquor was entirely stopped. He said
ut can be proven that the laboring
element of America spend for liquor
i'm one twelve-months an amount that
would be sufficient to purchase out
right 500 of leading manufactures
of the country. In a period of 20
years the laboring element spends
for liquor an amount sufficient to
own and control the whole maniac
turing world. Several years ago when
the great Pullman strike was on the
laboring element spent during 60
days of that strike an amount suf-
ficient to purchase the entire Pullman
works and company. In view of these
facts why don't the laboring element
let beer and 'whiskey alone and In
stead of having strikes simply pur-
chase with the money they otherwise
spend for liquor the manufactures
founderies etc, in which they are en-
ployed.
Col. Balm did not want to be under
stood as believing that a great ma
jority of the workingmen of the coun-
try waste their money for drink but
that enough of the mighty army of
workers did do so to make the above
estimates possible. He declared that
there was no man entitled to a higher
respect than the honest hard work
ing. horny-handed laborer but he had
but little sympathy for those kind of
men who made up crowd that par
AIDED the streets of Chicago soms time
ago with banners unfurled reading
"our Children Cry for Bread" and
| then marched out to public park
and drank 1,4OO kegs of beer that
day"
Col. Balm declared that there is no
demand for the man that drinks to-
day but there is greater demand than
ever for the man who does not drink.
Referring to the conditions of the
inhabitants of the globe he stated
that there are today 1.5OO.OOO.O 900
people on earth only about one-half
of these have sufficient clothing. 600,-
100000 live in houses; another
coo 100000 live in huts; 250,Oo0,0O0
have only the blue canopy of heaven
above them when they sleep and to-
day. 5O,OOO,OOO are starving to death
Speaking of heroism, the speaker
stated that "the hero of today. idol
lied by the country, may make the
least mistake tomorrow and be made
regular punching bag by the peo-
pie" Further on he said. Few men
can Withstand the world's praises"
The Price of Health.