Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-03-17
BOTH SIDES OF THE PROHI-
BITION QUESTION
More About Labor's Position.
IBY PRESS COMMITTEE OF LOCAL

III
OPTION COMMITTED
John B. Lennon, president of the
International union and treasurer of
| the American Federation of Labor,
voluntarily sent a signed open letter
| to the Bloomington Paragraph in the
| issue of Saturday, March IA, in de-
Tense and in explanation of his atti-
tude on the local option question, for
which he had been criticised A few
extracts are hereby presented for the
consideration of all men, especially
labor men,"
| 81 stand unqualifedly, without any
Reservation whatever, against the sa-
loon business. | have never, in so far
as | am capable of Judging myself.
stood for any cause simply because it
was popular | believe the fact that
| have stood solidly for the trade
union movement for now good deal
more than so years is evidence OF the
1truthfulness of this statement. If |
lbelieve a proposition is right, If it
commends itself to my conscience, II
| am the only man in the community
that stands for it. then | will stand
Ialone. If am convinced that cause
is right, it is going to have my sup
port, and | believe without any reser-
lvation whatever that the saloon is an
Injury to community and that it is
fright. to eliminate them, and my eff
forts will be extended 10 the fullest
extent that | am capable of to bring
about that to me desirable end.
Il am especially against the saloon
because of my connection with the
labor movement. | have lived some
what more than half a century, and
have had some experience in that
length of time, and every bit of it
tends to convince me from year to
lyear more and more that the saloon
is of greater injury to the wage work
lcrs of the country than any other one
thing connected with our lives as citi-
liens and as men. | could go over
the roll of men who have been prom
linent and even great in the labor
movement, whose prestige and in
lfuence were destroyed by the exces-
lsive use of liquor. and it was the So
lcial or Illegal social features of the
lsaloon that caused them to go to that
leXcess. $
If a locomotive engineer is known
to patronize the saloon, he is looked
upon askance by the railroad compan-
les that employ him. If he goes often
and it is known, he loses his job.
What is true of the engineer is true
lof the tailor, the machinist, and every
lother craftsman. No matter how fine
a mechanic q man may be, if he is a
lfrequenter of the saloon and becomes
Intoxicated, he will find himself dis
terminated against by the employers
in that industry No man can deny
this that wants to tell the truth. 1t
i; not open to denial 1t is a fact
and | believe it can be removed to a
very great extent by eliminating the
saloon.
The saloon is not Recognized by so
lciety as a legitimate business. This
is so self-evident that scarcely word
is needed to convince anyone of the
Truth of the statement. If a mai
wants to go into the grocery business
he does not have to pay 5000 license
J fee year. If he wants to start sa
loon, that is the first proposition thai
confronts him, to pay license fee o.
5000. What is this for? 1t is for the
privilege of maintaining a bushes:
that is not recognized as being lie
ultimate one by our citizens generally
| Every citizen in this community is ;
lparty, or nearly every zone, to th'
granting of these licenses to maintain