The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-12-30
FOR DRUNKARDS'
FAMILIES
Movement to Prevent
Drunkenness on Part of
Heads of Families

Pittshurg. Pa, Dec. 3O-Christmas
Day, 1910. woman, poorly clad and
with face swollen with weeping, came
to the home of Mrs. Ste la Masters,
IN the fashionable East End district
of PittSgurg.
I saw your name in the paper and
| how you We're working to help people
made poor by drink" she said be-
tween sobs. II didn't go to my pas
tor because he couldn't do anything
m afraid, my husband wouldn't lis
ten to him. My husband makes six
| dollars day in the mills but he
| spends it all for drink and to-day
Christmas Day, just think Of 1.-THE
drove our six children out OF, ,f,t
street and beat me. He was drunk.
| Is there nobody who Will do some
thing for drunkards' wives? Can You
| help me?" She grew hysterical and
could not finish her pathetic story.
Mrs. Masters, w. c. T. L. and
church worker, club woman and suf-
| fraglst, to-day said she was taken
aback by the woman's appeal and she
| realized that the IA years of her work
| along charitable lines, had somehow
! failed to hit the mark. Right then
and there she made the resolve, 'I'll
| DO something for drunkards' wives and
| children
A short time later the Protective
| League for the Families of Drunkards
! the most unique organization of it's
| KIND in the country was formed.
Mrs. Masters laughed when she was
asked whether the league. of which che
Is president, had secured any swear
ing" off pledges.
We don't do things that way" she
said. Most pledges are jokes. They re
| made only to be broken.
First we appeal to the saloon-keep-
er and then to the erring one him
! self. If neither Of these two appeals
! does any good we go to the courts
! Our work is broad in scope. We
I have monthly meetings, but-we have
| no paid treasurer or secretary. Our
dues are only 25 cents a year. We
| banded ourselves together like the Cru
! saders of old and aim to do just what
our name implies protect drunkards
| families
During the past year we have help
successful in that many instances in
weaving away supporters of families
from the curse Of strong drink.
Fifty families sounds small and in
consequential, doesn't it? But isn't it
! a remarkable thing when one person is
assume things, or go by hearsay. Our
| members go into saloons themselves,
right up to the bar if necessary.
1--WE are the saloonkepers' friends
and they are our friends. We work
together. They know now that we
realize they have a legal right, at
least, to make their living as they
do, and the better class of saloonkeen-
ers welcome our aid in conducting
respectable houses.
Most saloonkeepers aren't bad at
heart and then we always have the
law to back us UP in our demands and
licenses are hard and expensive to get
if nrnfQSfS fled in 1inanSa
But we make no threats. We talk it
over with the saloonkeeper and give
him a chance to mend his ways. A
second offense means more drastic
methods
Here is how the league goes about
| its work, quietly and unassumingly.
A drunkard's wife or mother or
some woman of the family writes to
the league, asking for help.
One of the members looks into the
case. This woman detective gets the
names and addresses of the places
| where the husband or son spends his
| money for drink. Then she goes TO
| the saloon keeper and talks the mat
| ter over with him.
| If he refuses to act at the first an-
peal which usually falls on deaf ears,
| the league member tries a talk with
the drinker himself.
| If this fails a printed notice is given
the saloon-keeper warning him not to
sell to John Doe who is a person
of Incorporate habits.
| A copy of the liquor laws OF Penn
| sylvania goes with the notice and the
| saloonkeeper has learned by this time
| that failure to comply with the notice
means trouble getting a new license
| next year.
| A particularly hard fight was put up
on Christmas and New Years day last
year to close all places where strong
| drink is sold
| The court refused Mrs. Masters re-
quest on the ground that it could take
| no action within the bounds of law
| Nothing daunted, Mrs. Masters and
| her colleagues carried the matter to
| the liquor dealers association. The
| dealers were ready to promise if all
| the 'speak-easies, and one-man clubs,
barrooms and drug stores We're closed
| also"
| But the women haven't given up the
| tight and mean to accomplish their
| aim before another year.
While Mrs. Masters reluctantly ad-
mits cts rather UtOpian, she is push
| ing fight to have women barred at
all times from all places where strong
| drink is dispensed. The work is be-
ginning to attract countrywide at
tention and letters are pouring in, ask
| ing for information relative to organ
izing leagues in other cities