Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-08-13
TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT NOT
MORAL ISSUE BUT BUSINESS
PROPOSITION.
DRINKING MEN ABSOLUTELY NOT
WANTED IN MANY OF
THE CALLINGS.
MANY RAILROADS ENFORCING
RULES TO THIS EFFECT
ON OR OFF DUTY.

| ON OK OFF DUTY.
| Inc temperance wave which swept
over the south last year has reached
the west, but its character has been
entirely changed, says the New York
Tribune. Instead of being a moral
wave, 1t has been transformed bv
the busy Westerners into a strictly
business proposition. Instead of be-
ing headed by ministers and Woman's
Christian Temperance union members
the big business interests, which en-
ploy great numbers OF workmen, are
the power behind the movement.
There are no pledges to be signed, no
blue ribbons nor white badges to
wear; no abstinence oaths to take.
Instead of these, there is the terse
order, IF you drink, you lose your
job"
The case Of the Northwestern rail
road. may be cited. Some time ago
employees Of that system presented
the officials of the road with a bound
volume containing the names of 49,
IOOO employees who had "sworn OFF,
and agreed never to drink intoxicating
liquor again. The pledge" had not
been required of them, yet the men
saw tEat the drinkers were being dis
charGed and were unable to get jobs
on other railroads.
Some months ago, when the Bur
lington road began cutting its force
because of the financial depression.
orders were issued to lay off the
drinking men, regardless of the length
of time they had been in the employ
, of the cOmpa1E
"A man cannot be drunk tonight
IaHd show up tomorrow ready to give
his employer his best work. saws
George w. LOOMS, assistant to General
Manager HCldrege of the Bur!iaeton.
| There was time when EMPLOYERS
lid not care what their met did
when off duty. But that time has
passed We know we cannot get the
best work out of man who drinks.
And we know that a drinking man
though he never drinks when on
duty, is not as safe as a man who
never drinks at all. 1t is not a mat
ter OF temperance with the Burling-
ton; it is a matter of business, pure
and simple. We have made a very
strict rule against drinking both when
on duty and when off duty
The American Express company has
also joined the movement against
drinking, whether the man be on
duty or off duty. The superintendent
of the western division, with head
quarters in Omaha, says:
eve find that almost every defal-
cation has its beginning in drinking.
If we find a man drinking when off
Iduty he is warned. The second time
he is discharged. If we find him
drinking on duty he is discharged.
The drinking, even when off duty,
often leads to gambling and other
bad habits, and the next thing there
is defalcation. Our men must not
drink, even when off duty"
The big packing companies in
'South Omaha, which employ 10000
IunskiIled laborers, have not taken
stand. At least no attempts have
been made to prevent the men from
drinking when off duty. The office
men and skilled workmen, however,
Iare not permitted to drink even when
not engaged on the companies bust.
mess.
Like the other railroads, the Union
Pacific has drawn close lines over it's
Iemployes where the use of liquors is
concerned, and all men found drinking
are discharged.
These employers insist that the
stand they have taken is not one
against drinking in general, but
against drinking by their employees.
The situation has scared the sa-
Iloonkeepers and brewers of the west.
Many Of them are being driven out of
business, and in their efforts to pre-
vent the nondrinking rule from
spreading are going to many ex-
Itremes. They fear the vote of the
probibitionists, coupled with the bust
mess sentiment, will drive them out
entirely.
The state convention of the Ne
braska Retail Liquor Dealers associ-
alton on June 3 went on record as be-
ling opposed to the saloon in politics
and formally disbanded any political
Organization existing among the sa-
lloonkeepers of the state. ResoIu-
tons were passed unanimously agree
| ing to keep out Of politics and not to
contribute one cent to the campaign
fund of any political party, no matter
what its platform and promises.
The convention also gave notice
THAT its members would fight the
dives" in the larger cities and. would
ask the annulment of the license of
any saloonkeeper found violating any
law whatever, especially Sunday
lclosing and selling liquors after
lhours.
| L6PIAND BIRD THAT STATED