News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1915-12-15
LABOR FAvoRs PROHIBITION.

LABOR FAVORS PROHIBITION.
Occasionally it is reported that some
representative Of the labor movement
has made statement rejecting upor
the value of prohibition. That such
statement does not voice the senti
ments of the rank and file of the la
Dor organizations is certain. Whole
bodies of labor unionists have gone
on record in favor of prohibition, and
men in high official positions in the
American Federation of Labor have
been most emphatic and outspoken
against the liquor business. The Ma
tional Brotherhood of Locomotive En-
gineers, representing membership of
10000, passed resolution in favor CT
prohibition, and the labor unions of
Pasadena, Cal, sent out to the unions
of the nation plea to work and vote
for the elimination Of the saloon, urg-
ing the benefits they had experienced
from being in dry territory. At the
convention of the American Fedora
tion of Labor held in Toronto in the
fall of 1914, despite the activity of a
strong liquor lobby, the argument that
the saloon is the 'workingmans club"
was emphatically repudiated.
In various ways and on many occa-
sions the evil influence of the saloon
has been recognized and pointed out
by the labor unions of the United
States. While the liquor interests
cnr1uht IN M
that there was some common inter-
est between trade unionism and the
manufacture and sale of intoxicants,
this suggestion is repealed on every
occasion when the matter is present
ed to the labor men in it's true light
and when the malign purpose of the
liquor interests is exposed to view
John Mitchell of the United Mine
Workers of America, and formerly
Vice-President of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor.
Who can deny that the liquor traffic
is driving men and women to work in
factories, workshops and wash-tubs
who ought not to be there, and boys
and girls fhto industrial life who
should be in school or on the play
ground? The liquor traffic tends to
decrease wages, never to increase
them. The use of alcohol makes men
less skillful and drives men to low
er scales of employment and reward.
Every cent spent in the liquor bust
ness is wasted. There is no redeem
ing feature in the saloon. Go any
where where its influence is felt, and
you see the decentralization it brings.
The saloon is the enemy of the people.
/ am against it and will do all pos
sibly can to put it out of business
John B. Lennon, Treasurer American
Federation of Labor.
Almost every labor union scandal
can be traced to the saloons. The
downfall of labor union officers who
get drunk, neglect their duties, en-
beZzle the funds of the union or sell
out the union, can be traced in almost
every case to the saloon. 1t means
disgrace to the union to have the
shortcomings of it's officers aired in
Lu6 COuIIS VI Llo lduu anu IU0 less OIL
it the better for the labor union.
Every labor union should fight the
saloon with all it's power-John f.
Cunneen of the International Associa-
ton of Machinists
If you want to know where the
miners of America stand upon the
question, I'll tell you. In
our constitution we have a clause
which forbids any member to sell in
toxicants, even at picnic. That's
what we think of the liquor traffic. |
Some people say the saloon is a
necessary evil. l don't believe in |
that kind Of doctrine. Because the |
liquor traffic tends to enslave the peo-
pie, to make them satisfied with i'm |
proper conditions, and keeps them !
ignorant, the leaders of the trades |
unions are called on to fight the sa- |
l.. Lewis of the United |
Nine Workers.