The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1909-12-09
LABOR AND
THE SALOON
Discussed By Labor Leaders at Big
Mass Meeting in Toronto--by Rev.
Charles Ste1zle.

-Four thousand men and women crowded
Massey Hall on the first Sunday of the
American Federation of Labor convention
IN Toronto, to hear discussed the question
OF Labor and the Saloon. Probably one
half of the delegates to the convention
were present, besides large numbers of
trades unionists from Toronto and nearby
towns Addresses were made by John
Mitchell, John B. Lennon, Thomas L.
Lewis and James Simpson, all of them
speaking from the standpoint of labor,
and every one of them giving testimony
that the saloon is one of the worst enc
mics the trade union movement has IN
contend against. 1t was an unusual meet.
ing in every way-unusual in the nature
Oh the audience, and especially unusual in
the nature of its platform. Not one of
the speakers was a temperance agitator
In the ordinary sense. All of them were
men who have achieved distinction in the
labor movement. They did not speak as
noviees- Every man who spoke has had
national experience in the labor movement
and could speak with authority concern,
ing the question under discussion.
Among other things John Mitchell said
am not at all impressed with the areu
ment that If you close down the liouo,
raific, you bring about calamity; for wber
you shut up distillery, factory goes ur
IN IT'S stead, and when you close down G
saloon, you install grocery store Nc
man has right to spend cent upon him
self until he has first provided for hi.
aniiiy. The average workingman does no,
yet earn enough to give his family all the
comforts they deserve. I believe that. q,
the labor movement grows, SO will the tenn
Pcrance movement grow. The labor move
nient was not formed merely for the pur
pose of getting more wages and shorter
hours. The purpose of the labor nova,
meht IS to secure better standard of iv.
ing and to make the lives of men, women
and children happier and brighter
foilowing is quotation from Treasurer
Lennon 8 address: "The labor movemen+
sands for equal opportunities for men and
women; for the abolition of child labor
lor the increase of wages; for higher
moral standard. But what is the effect
OF the liquor traffic on the standard of liv.
ing7 Is there any influence going ou.
from the saloon that is helping to make
men and women betterf Who can deny
'hat the liquor traffic is driving women to
work in factories, in shops and at wash
tubs, who ought not to be there. Who can
deny that the liquor traffic is DRIVING into
industrial life boys and girls who sbopId
DC IN school or on the playground. The
liquor traffic tends to decrease WAGES.
never to increase them. The use of aIco.
mol makes workmen less skilful and dr;vas
them TO lower scales of employment and
reward. Every cent spent in the liquor
business is wasted. 1t brings no social
neneht and no moral uplift. I will fight
the saloon so long as the saloon fights the
people Too many men and women ara
gong down the stream of degradation for
me to keep silent To the trades unionist
there is no redeeming feature in the "a.
loon Never foul plot is organized to
lnJnre public rights and social well-beino
but the saloon is used for the job.''
Tom Lewis of the United Mine vo-lor,
declared; "In our constitution we have n
eiause winch forbids any member to sell
'htoXicants, even at n picnic That is what
we think of the liquor traffic. Because the
liquor traffic tends to enslave the neon,e
to make them satisfied with improper con.
oltions' to keep them ignorant, the leaders
Oh the trades union movement are called
upon to fight the saloon. We believe that
the trades unions are doing more for the
cause of temperance than any other insti-
tuition in the world
MIR. Simpson, who is one of the most
prominent labor men of Canada, said that
the labor leaders of Toronto were alive m
the menace which the saloon is to the
workingman. When the Toronto labor
temple was founded, clause was put into
,.s constitution prohibiting Intoxicating
liquor upon the premises.