Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-03-29
SALOON AND The
MAN WHO LABORS
John T. Cunneen of Chicago
Says Liquor Traffic Is His
Greatest Burden.
AS PRODUCER OF POVERTY
Speaker Declares Toll In Human Life
is $4,000 in the United States
Each Year.

John 3. Cunneen Of Chicago spoke
under the auspices OF the Local OPP
Ition league to a large audience at
the old Central Presbyterian church
last night on the subject, "The Work
lingman and the Saloon"
"As We turn over the pages of his
tory, we read of the dire effects of
drink, both upon individuals and ma
tions," Mr.. Cunneen said. "Assyria
was a great nation until drink sunk
it down to rise no more. Egypt
If1ourtshed for years as q temperate
Enation. took to drink, and went the
lway OF drinking nations. Rome -four
Fished for 500 years as a republic,
land then lasted for 400 years as an
Eempire. VIII this nation OF ours last
1900 years? It would not if it were
ITO follow in the footsteps of Rome.
Rome 1ourished as temperate ma
tion. but 1t became a drunken nation
and then Rome fell.
1--WE see in our land drunkenness
increases until government records
show over 100000 arrests for drunk
Aenness in one year. AS drunkenness
increases. so do Righteousness and
poverty, the wealth of the people
passing into the hands Of the few,
1.-THE rich becoming richer and the
poor poorer. The saloon is worse
than war, famine and pesti1ence COM
lbined. That which destroys man and
wealth is Injurious, and that which
Ibetters man and increases wealth is
Beneficial.
Costs 1880, 100000 Annually.
Let US size up the liquor trade
1T destroys at least 10000 lives in
THE United States each year. All the
WARS, famines and pestilences COM
filmed do not destroy as many lives
las does the liquor traffic. The liquor
traffic costs the people of the United
States directly at least $1,50O,0OO,-
1000 each year, and both direct and
indirect costs amount to over two
billions All the wars, famines, pes
tilences, earthquakes and fires do not
cost so much money.
1.-THE claim that when working
men stop supporting the saloon they
will deprive themselves of liquor and
have nothing in it's place is ridicu- |
llous and contrary to facts. While /
at Dennison, Ohio, a great railroad |
center, ! was surprised at the num-
erous stores for the size of the city, /
and the large and splendid stocks OF t
goods. was told by one of the bus
mess men that they had to be well |
supplied, as the railroad men had |
money to spend and wanted good |
food, good clothes, and good homes.
1.-THE liquor traffic costs more |
money than is paid to the railroads
in freight and passenger rates. Com
pare the Insignificant few persons
lempioyed In the liquor traffic with
the vast army employed in the rail-
road business Of the country. The |
railroad men put the ban on the sa-
loon years ago. They are today the ]
best paid, best fed, best clothed, and
best housed workingmen and their
unions are the strongest and people /
travel faster and cheaper than ever.
Like Introduction of Machinery.
ITO maintain the saloon simply
because its closing will temporarily
throw a few out of work Is worse
than preventing the Introduction of
machinery, which threw some out of
work, for closing the saloon means
the diminishing of vice and greater
material prosperity for the people.
The greatest fighters against the
spread Of Christianity were the idol
makers, who said that Christianity
would put them out Of business.
''It would be better for a city to
permit dynamite factory, a powder
mill, and a smallpox hospital within
the city limits, abolish the fire linn
It's, let people spit on the sidewalks,
let the baker sell bad bread, the
grocer bad food, the butcher. bad
meat, than to allow a saloon in the
sity.
'It is said that the saloon is the
poor mans club. But what about
the poor mans wife and children
where Is their club? The saloon is,
m a sense, the poor mans club
It clubs him out Of his money, his
brains, health, strength and charac-
ter. 1t clubs him out of work, when
It has dubbed the strength out of
him to properly perform his labor.
AS long as the poor man makes the
saioon his club he will never be any
hing but a poor man.
Wealth Invested I'm Children.
''All of a poor mans wealth is in