The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-02-29
FEDERATION OF LABOR
BALTIMORE maryland
Takes Very Decisive Action in
Opposition to Certain Local
Option Measures
Now Pending Before the Legisla,
ture of That State, and Urges
Rational Methods.

The Baltimore Federation of La
Dor. in convention assembled, rep
resenting 100 unions and 10000
working men and voters set forth
the views of the Federation in the
following Preamble and Resolutions:
Whereas the Anti-saloon league,
a reorganization holding itself out
as an auxiliary agency of the Pro-
hibitionists, but which we believe
in reality to be cleverly-concealed
political movement organized by
high-salaried professional agitators
with funds largely supplied by vari-
Gus millionaires and special Interests
anxious to accomplish certain po-
litical ends, is now engaged in this
state in an effort to acquire polit-
ical power, and by campaign of
threats and misrepresentation is
endeavoring to force the legislature
of Maryland to pass a local option
bill for this city; and
Whereas, local option enables a
majority of any ward or county to
enforce prohibition, and as we are
unqualifiedly opposed to prohibition
and to the proposition that "a ma
jority can determine for a minority
what they shall eat and drink, and
as we deny the right of any COM
munity to thus Interfere with any
Individual in his. personal liberty
or in his right ITO pursue his own
good or his own happiness in his
own way, or to brand him as a
hypocrit cor lawbreaker simply be-
cause he minds his own business
and happens to patronize decent and
respectable saloons; and as we be-
lieve such legislation to be class
legislation and ! contrary to the
fundamental principles of free
government; and - ~2>;.>
Whereas the laboring men of
America stand for fair treatment
and square deal to all, and be-
Heve in temperance not only in
drink. but in act and speech as
we'll; and it is evident that this
local option movement endeavors,
by arousing the passions and pre-
JUDGES of the people, to deceive
thousands of those who have never
been inside. of a,saloon: into think
ing that every saloon is a den OF
iniquity and curse; and as this
hysterical and carefully an
ti-saloon feeling is unfair and un-
just both to the saloon and to those
who patronizes It; and as the. drunk
ard who brings grief and shame on
society is the victim Of his own
weakness and is not necessarily the
product of the saloon any more than
OIL the rich and Faristocratic club or
the family pantry or the drug store;
and as we believe that the decent
saloon has a necessary and useful
place in every large city and is to
a great degree the poor mans club
and as suchAis ais much entitled to
fair treatment as the club or, the
church or any other institution that
obeys the law and caters to, the
public demand; and H..
Whereas we believe that local
option, If adopted for this city
would do it incalculable: harm
would plunge us into bitter class
struggles; would make the saloon
a political issue and !. a source Of
constant turmoil; would increase
the tax burden; would throw thou.
sands Of our fellow workmen out
of ployment; Il would confiscate
mil Hons OF o1lars' worth Of prop:
erty which 1 Is entitled to the equa
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