Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-10
LABOR AND TEMPERANCE

"HE oft-repeated assertion that
labor is opposed to national pro-
hibition is refused by the mem
bers of Lodge No. 574, Brotherhood
of Railway Trainmen, who, in a
series of resolutions adopted recently
roundly condemn those at Washing
ton who have been trying to line
them up with booze.
The railroad brotherhoods are
high type labor organizations. They
have been recognized as such for
many years. The members of lodge
NO. o74 say they are patriotic citi-
zens. The proof of this needs no
further demonstration than the num-
Der of railroad men who have gone
from Harrisburg to France, a very
large number of them as volunteers
and many beyond draft age. They
feel that they have been misrepre-
sented by both union officials and
government agents at Washinston
who have held that labor in general
Is opposed to prohibition and would
resent interference with the sale of
intoxicants.
The resolutions, in part as follows.
clearly set forth the position of the
lodge with respect to dry regu-
lations by Congress:
Resolved, That we. Lodge 574.
brotherhood of Railway Train
men. commend hioh1,- h.
ent service of President Samuel
Gompers along labor lines and
his loyalty and intense American
ism in the present national crisis,
yet we emphatically condemn his
mistaken judgment in his So
called testimony" before the
Agricultural Committee of the
United States Senate as untrue to
the real attitude of labor as
whole towards the use of intoXi-
eating liquors. While he prob
ably expresses the sentiments of
the $4,000 brewery workers, he
did not express the sentiments
of the 100000 railroad employees
engaged an the transportation. SER
vice alone. all of whom are for
bidden by rule even to frequent
places where liquors are sold.
Resolved. That we are amazed
General Burleson, and wonder
whether he would accept for
failure in the performance of
duty on the part of any employe
the excuse that he was IAN old
time Democrat" simply exercising
his right of personal liberty" to
take a drink.
Resolved. That we rejoice in our
American citizenship, and we
pledge ourselves to live up to our
motto of "benevolence, sobriety
and industry" and further pledge
our all, both physically and fnan-
cially, to our Government for the
successful prosecution of the war
to the end that liberty shall not
die.
Resolved. That we urge the
United States Senate and the
House of Representatives speed
lily to unite in passing a law en-
acting nationwide prohibition
during the war.
Labor is no untutored child, that
it's opinions must be pronounced
ready-made for it by this or that
union leader or party politician
Laboring men have learned to speak
for themselves. They are very will
ing to be led by President Gompers
or anybody else, so long as the lead
ing is done in conformity with the
wishes of the majority, but they bit
terly resent being lined up as advo-
Gates OF the bar room and its asso-
ciated evils. There are just as many
good thinking labor union men as
there are in any other walk of life
and the members of lodge No. 574
have voiced the sentiments of vast
numbers of such by asserting theil
independence of opinion and action