Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-10-29
CITY WORK|NGMEh
RALLY FOR ''DRYS"
The Rev. Charles Stelzle
Condemns Salosn Trade
Before Large Audience
LAYMEN ALSO
MAKE ADDRESSES

Lsboring men conducted the "dry"
mass meeting in the Queen Theatre
yesterday afternoon. They presided at
the meeting, were the orators and
had charge OF the meeting through
out. The meeting was for men only
and before the time for commencing
every seat was filled and hundreds had
been turned away for lack Of ROOM
Prior 10 introducing the presiding
officer, Caleb +. Burchenal. chairman
OF the Anti-License Committee told OF
the accident that had befallen Cover
nor Townsend and presented the Rev.
r. w. Trapnoll. who made prayer
soliciting the aid Of the Almighty Tor
the chief executive IN his bereavement.
Mr.. Burchenal then introduced Ever
EFT Jones, The presiding officer OF the
afternoon. Mr. Jones Degan the meet
ing with divine duplication, William
A. Smith offering the prayer.
Local speakers were then introduced
and spoke prior to Charles Stelzle Of
New York City who was announced as
the chief speaker Of the afternoon. But
Mr. Stelzlc, although a clever talker
and whose speech contained many
pthy points, did not arouse the enihus-
iasm of the audience 90 any higher
degree than did these Wilmington
shopmen.
George Closson answered some OF the
wet advertisements and his remarks
stirred the crowd 10 enthusiasm for
tho dry" cause
IIo was followed by George New.
comb, who, too, showed that address
ing a large crowd was not at all out
of his line, even though he might be
a machinist. BY the time Mr.. Stelzle
came TO speak. the 2,2O0 men IN the
audience were we'll aroused by the
dry" arguments produced by the
speakers.
Mr.. Stelzle told the audience that
what he had TO say 10 them, had been
gained. from personal observation, and
not from data from the Antl-Saloon
League, the Woman's Christian Tenn
preance Union or any agency opposed
10 license.
lie said that he had been raised IN
4 saloon HIS father having been first
a brewer and then a saloonkeeper and
That It was the saloon that had driven
his mother and the six children Ia the
family TO become residents OF an cast
side tenement. lie said he had never
taken a drink OF beer In his life, be-
cause OF his good mother.
lie commented on the argument OF
the VETS, that n this city went dry
the laborlng man would lose his Job.
Mr.. Stclze said that mechanic
feared the loss OF his Job moro than
he did going 20 he'll. Because OF this
the saloonkcepcr capitalized 10 and used
the argument 20 frlghtcn the labor,ne
man.
lie showed how money spent fOI
! liduor failed 10 employ as many mer
or consume as much raw material as
were employed and consumed In Other
trades. The difference, no said, IS foul
per cent. against liquor. lie contra
dlcted a statement made by wet
speakers that there were over mil
Hon mon employed IN brewcries and
distillerles According 90 the last gov
eminent census, ne said. that tho ilg-
ures quoted were about g. 600 and that
Of this number The only ones whose
livelihood depended upon IL amounted
to 1900. The rest were teamslers and
machinists and others who could do
other work.
10 YOU mean TO tell me that ]
could not get another job as a ma
he went on, III / had work
ell I'm brewery and lost my job E?
When IL came 60 handling machinery,
and using a wise and flle would II be
any different.
III tcamster lost his job and be-
gan hauling barrels OF flour In
stead of barrels Of beer, would he have
20 learn how TO drive all over again,
because the horses were pulling a load
OF flour instead Of a load OF beer?
statistics show that there are 10000
mechanics who are compelled to
change their positions every year, be-
cause OF machinery and other causes.
They make the change and there Is
never a ripple on the labor surface.
These 5000 could do the same thing
and it would only be for once.
Uncle sam closed the dlstllleries
but I didn't hear Of any labor panic"
Mr.. stelzle compared the statements
about food made by the brewers.
"a few years ago" he said. "the
brewers said that the salvation OF the
farmers depended upon them, because
OF the great amount Of grain they con-
sumed in making beer. Now since
there has been such an cutlery about
the need for grain for food. the brew
ers have said before a government COM
mission that they used but per cent
OF the grain raised.
Now take them at their own flg-
ures. II they use 4 per cent. and this
country has one million inhabitants,
and we send one million men abroad,
to fight our battles. then the grain
used by the brewers in making beer
would feed the one million fighters"
Mr.. Stelzle said the leading labor
leaders OF England were prohibition
ISIS and that the time had come IN
VIC history OF this country when a
man sentiments for or against drink
We're asked for before he could hone
70 attain any prominence In tho labor
world.
One OF the features OF the meeting
was the singing Of the pennsvlvania
railroad shops chorus.
Mr.. Burchenal again dened the ",ve,s,
TO debate the local issue or anv sinh.
ject connected With Il, and said n IVA,
the earnest hope OF the 'drys" that th
challenge would be accepted.
le GRANATT-JESTER
N Mrs. Annie May Grayatt OF Hight
l. Town Y l. and B. D. Jester. Of y