Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-04-15

ana ueCTeiIL people.
In his speech before an audience OF
100 workingmen, George B. Lenear,
treasurer Of the American Federation
OF Labor. recently poured forth ire
mendous broadside into SalOonism.
May | quote some OF his eloquent
words?
Wage workers have been the main
stay of the liquor traffic on the North
American continent, but, thank God,
the laboring men are going to knock il
out. The saloon produces nothing
which is benefit TO the working men.
nor indeed, to the human race. 1t is
a non-producer and exists and flour
ishes on the earnings of the hard
worked Every man and woman of
the wage earning world should be
against the saloon traffic from start to
finish. Think for a moment of the in
fluence of the saloon upon the matter
of wages. Suppose IL printers here
in Des Moines' get $21 a week. Six of
these take the money home Saturday
and spend It for food, clothing, books
and other things which are essential
to the right kind Of living. The other
six stop on the way home and spend,
say so cents, being the amount they
spend every working day at the sa.
loon. What does this mean? 1t
means net lowering of the wages of
So every week and. yet these same
liquor interests ask those same men
to sign petitions to secure a renewal
Of their licenses. Moreover, have you
ever considered the effects of the
liquor traffic on children? Do you not
know that some thousands of children
here In Des Moines are driven to toll
in tender youth by booze when they
should, like other children, be at
school The children of the parents
where hard-earned cash goes over the
bar are obliged to go to work at i'm
mature ages and are doomed to slave
all their lives because Of a lack Of ed.
ucation Actual statistics show that
in places where the saloons have been
put out of existence the attendance at
the public schools has increased from
Is to Is per cent while the regular at
tendance was greatly improved. Oh!
ow-woFkmen, the saloon stands for
ignorance. 1t never encourages educa-
ton. There is nothing in it for the
uplifting of man or womanhood It's
power brushes, despoils, destroys. 1t
Is our worst enemy. Let us wage bit
ter, relentless war upon an institution
which should never be permitted to
exist. You say that 1t has been long
In existence So has despotism but |
hat does not make it right. Slavery |
existed long and for ages man thought
4 was all right but It finally went |
Town beneath ascrushig blow. Let us
rise and assert our rights as citi-
'ens Of a. great republic. Let US free
,ur government from the disgrace of
.uch members who would not nor
,ould not be elected to the position of
iogcatchers If it were notp for the
domination of the saloon"
Such splendid appeals on the part
II these great leaders Of organized
abor have had their effect.
What do we find? Here is the
ecord: Is it not a splendid one?
The Order Of the American Railway
Conductors DEGREES: 1--WE are abso-
utely opposed to the saloon and it
8 Incorporated in our laws that a
nan can not engage in the liquor
raf1c and remain a member of this
q The Brotherhood of Locomotive En-
,ineers declares: I'VE oppose the
aloon to the extent that the brother
lood will not tolerate a member be-
ng in any way connected with the
liquor traffic"
The United Garment Workers re- !
ords: Our organization is entirely
opposed to the saloon and we refuse |
o take any person into our member
hip who is in any way connected with
he liquor business"
The International Seaman's Union
tates: I'VE continually enjoin So
riety upon our members by refusing
o publish advertisements of the sa- !
Don in our official organs"
The JCurneymen Tailors say "The {
Ulcers Of our organization as we'll
s the great majority Of our mem
ers are decidedly opposed to the sa-
oon."
The constitution of the American
'elegraphers reads: The use of al
OhOlic liquor as a beverage shall be e
sufficient cause for rejecting any
etition for membership"
The international Typographical
MON as, early as 1894 at its big con-
entiOn in Indianapolis declared for
the state and national prohibition Of
he liquor traffic" ny an unanimous
esClutiOn.'
The president Of the United Mine
Workers, Mr. Thomas L. Lewis. as
erts: IF you want to know where ..
he Miners of America stand uponI
he temperance question I'll tell you,
n cur constitution we have a clause
HIGH forbids any member to drink ,
ltoxfcants, even at picnic. That's ,
hat We think Of the liquor traffic. :
ONE people say that the saloon is a ,
ecessary evil. ! don't believe in that .
ind of a doctrine. Because the liquor 7
raffiC tends to enslave the people.
. make them satisfied with Improper
Cnditions, and keeps them signOrant,1 r
he leaders Of the trades union are Il
allied on to fight the saloon"