The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-01-16
FEDERATED UNION Of
GREATER: NEW YORK
Invites Fraternal Consideration of
All State and Central La
Dor Organizations.
To the Hypocrisy, Criminality and
Political Degradation Fost-
cred by Prohibition Laws.

NEW YORK, Jan. 14-The Central
Federated Union of Greater New
York and vicinity, through it's CORES
ponding secretary, Ernest Bohn, has
transmitted to all State and Central
bodies, a communication solicity the
fraternal consideration of members
of organized labor for the following
Resolutions.
Whereas, The general depression Of
trade spreading during the last year
all over this country, has lately been
aggravated by an attempt, at times
successful, to spread local option and
prohibition laws; and
Whereas, 1t is an indisputed fact
that in all places where local option
and prohibition laws were enacted,
thousands of workingmen and women
who were earning an honest and de-
cent livelihood, were forced out of
employment and therefore increased
the number OF unemployed; and ~; *.
r. Whereas, Experience has demon
strated that local option and prohibi-
tion laws effect no moral good, but
on the contrary foster and compel
hypocrisy, criminality, political degra-
'dation and the plying of graft; and
Whereas, These thousands of lab
orers formerly engaged in a legalized
business, are deprived of the means
of earning living and therefore
forced upon an already over-crowded
labor market; and Z.
Whereas, While many classes of
laborers have been protected in their
employment and wage-scale by Ma
tional Protective Laws, and the
classes above mentioned are being
injured by tendency to effect Ma
tional and State legislation on local
option and prohibition lines; and
Whereas, The immoral influences Of
local option and prohibition laws only
tend to seriously affect and degrade
the already restless and depressed
moral condition of the suffering
classes above mentioned; and
Whereas, While we advocate and
respect the law we nevertheless feel
agitation that will in any way tend to
curtail or destroy our constitutional
rihgts of freedom and the pursuit of
happiness; and
Whereas, We claim that local op-
tion and prohibition laws where en-
forced destroy the only respectable
gathering places accessible to us for
social, economic and political con-
verse, and that we the humber
classes of citizens are entitled to our
club houses as well as the weather,
and now, therefore be it
Resolved, That we the Central Fed
Grafton of Greater New York and
vicinity protest against the introduc-
tion and passage of local, option and
prohibition laws attempted by the
agitation of it's present advocates,
recognizing that numerous trades are
directly and Indirectly disastrously
affected thereby as follows: Carpen-
ters, Cigarmakers, Engineers, Fire
! men, Machinists, Woodworkers,
Leatherworkers, Horseshoers, Tobac-
coworkers, Walters, Bartenders,
Cooks, Lun nchmen, Porters, Lumber
men, Icemen, Tilelayers and helpers,
Plumbers and helpers, Steamfitters
and helpers, Painters, Masters,
Clerks, Grainworkers, Brewers, Team
sters and others too numerous to men-
sASA, DO ~
Resolved, That where local option
and prohibition laws have been en-
forced legalized business and manu-
featuring firms have been forced to
| discontinue and to discharge all en-
ployes, with the result that while the
formerly legalized places were de-
stroyed, secret resorts were opened
and the supposed evil they were in
tended to correct was alarmingly in
creased.
Resolved, That we appeal to all or
ganized labor and the public senti-
ment at large, to oppose local option
and prohibition agitation wherever
the same is made and demand that all:
labor should receive not special rec:
ognition in making laws, but at all
events at least immunity and protec-.
t1on against what we consider i'm
moral and destructive laws, such as
local option and prohibition.
Resolved, That a copy of these res-
oiut1ons be forwarded to, all State and
Central bodies. y a,ls -