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The Commoner
W
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omnfv. ami. innfiv fimf tim rnnma prohibition .In flolorado received.
A--F ..v., v.ww.,, , I..I.V V..W xu.u . --- - -.,'.
frUtftthv HBlnnnk Wrttilrl ..rnnath And .1 aril rlad to'tfivfl VOU fttlV fn-
Zsamr.- . ' . .. ... -V v). v -. , s-Kritiiiiir:' A'li. ?riVi I-tii'.iii"
it"ixiu ino cracK 01 uoom anui luruiauou j. cun ou tui tmujeui, aim
be
OMK
efi?&
40 days more).
"Our law closing the saloons went
into effect just one year &ftb,' and wo
can como to a pretty fair conclusion
as to what actually did happen. In
the first place, thousands of work
ers were not thrown out of jobs, 'in
fw'; 4lro wasu,t even a' ripple pf
ttmtkirid. . (The -brewery workers
liavo lost one branch (the brewers).
There are no brewers employed in,
Colorado, and those either found
other employment else went to other
states to work at their trades. - But
the drivers, tho stablemen, the- bot
tlers, and the engineers, all nnn-
nected with the Brewers mwi Mon
sters' international, find just as much
work in their own Uno as,, before.
Tho bottlers work on soft' drinks
and the drivers deliver the goods as
before. Tho engineers are all em
ployed. So we find no unusual con
ditions hero. The plumbers and pipe
men have more members and more
men at work than oyer .before,- and
tho cooks and waiters are so aston
ished at what has happened that
they are all prohibitionists now.
When the saloons wore closed, pat
rons immediately began to eat in a
natural way, and tho culinarv trades
have benefited probably more than
any others. Tho musicians were
Wont to play engagements, in salodns,
now .nearly twice as many of them
are engaged in the moving pic
ture houses. (You can readily see
that there has been a shift of
employment in tho amusement ileids.
Wo now have a strong moving
picture operators' union, which was
not possible before because not so
xnanyporBonB patronized ie. moyies.)
And tho barbers they are all tickled
at tho increased" trade. Really, 'you
have no idea, till you experience the'
results, how much money was re
leased to. go into the legitimate
channels of trade as soon as the sa
loon keeper got off the Working
man's back. -Milk dealers' 'and' grty
c$ry stores are the most benefited by.
thin result.
' "We had about 600 "saloon's in
Denver a year ago, and when they
closed many of the rooms were
empty. Some were kept , open as
soft-drink parlors, ,but most of; t,h,em
were routed at once by other and
entirely different classes of 'business,
in many cases at a somewhat smaller
monthly rental, but the absence of
the saloon made it possible to v. rent
other rooms in the same block for
more money. This is so "palpable
that it is a wonder the owners never
saw it before. Many of the rooms oc
cupied, by saloons are yet empty, and
wi,ll. likely, remain empty for a long
time, as they are mere hovels and
not fit for anything but saloon' bums,
of which we have no more.-
"Some workers have loft Colorado
you are at liberty to use it any way
that will help prohibition.
"Having been a drinking man my-,
self for many years, I, likq a' great
amount of people, was against -prohibition,
thinking it would bo harm
ful in a general way. However, after
tho first threo months I began to see
tho benefits1 it was bringing to" the
'men of labor, their wives, children,
and dependents. More efficiency In
tho' men and far more happiness and,
contentment for everyone. And now,
after. 12 months, I am absolutely ot;
tjiprbpinion that prohibition is the
proper thing, and has come to Colo
rado to stay.
"Hoping this is a satisfactory re
ply to your question, and wishing
you and your colleagues on the labor
committee every success, I am,
"Fraternally, yours,
"CHESTER J. COMMON.
".1340 S. Downing St., Denver, Colo."
yVi C. Thornton, President Trades
- and Labor Assembly, Denver '
'Denver, Colo.t December 27,
JbOlG.-Mr. John G. Cooper, M. C,
PIouso of Representatives, United
States of America. My bear Mr.
Cooper: Yours of recent date, in re
my opinion on prohibition in Colo
rado, to hand.
"I might say primarily that I voted
against prohibition. In my humble
opinion the workers of Denver and
Colorado are a lot better off mental
ly, morally, financially, and physic
ally than they were when the state
was "wet," True, it hurt the trades
which depended on the liquor traffic
to keep them going, but it can be
safely said that business this year is
50 per cent better than it was last
year, and as a nnnaemienee .t-.hnnm
w . -,- aw,.. w vVvw.
'who were employed in tho liquor
traffic here gradually became en
gaged, in other more legitimate lines
of endeavor. You" can not gather
working neonlo at heart. I feel that
IjiajJ'Yender no greater ievicV to' my!
"HOT? U1U11 I.UAU IU WUJLA. HUU VULC3
for an amendment to the federal
constitution providing for national
prohibition of the liquor traffic.
together in this city a good-sized
'flnmnnnv' wlir lirrmlrl nrnnlntm
openly "for the return of the saloon.
It is gone forever in Colorado, and
forTmy part I say. 'Good riddance.'
We are all better off without it. as I
stated before, for it never did any
body, any good.
"Please give my regards to Mr.
Ben Hilliard, if possible. Also to
your colleague on the labor commit
tee, Mr. John I. Nolan, of San Fran
cisco, Call Tell him twent to school
With is wife. ' " '
"In conclusion, as the fellow said,
4I don't know which gang yer wid,'
but you asked for my opinion and
J ha, ye given .it to you, and anything
XurtherI cjui do for you, Mr. Cooper,
I am" youtV-tb command.
"WILLIAM C. THORNTON,
. !' 1766 Lafayette Street."."
Mr. Speaker, these lattnrn mm a
tfrqm. prpnlin'ent members, leaders,
on.account o? prohibition they por.-T-9 ; l mem?era- lGade.
sonally detest the idea of prohibition ?5 ,rg zer ' r unons '
anj would not stay in 'gay Paree' Jl'1 f . ?." large
- , .. . ? . JrJ . GltlfiR Of the. nnHrm wiifnii i.n.. ..
under that rule.
But Denver: has
cities of the nation which have v.
grSwn during the year both in pdpli- &7nSr T Uenefits f Pfoliibitib.h,
r ' .- . , ....... . . They do not ernrenB HiaikUm . i..
jawon ana materially. ao. i b lo.u a, nnf VrA; "1 7r 4 OOJ1
saS .without hesitation that ' a rlrv .tlmo.nJ:' hUt come as testimony of the
Denver has been of vast heheflt to actual results of abplisliipg . the li-
thSvWy; that i 4ry Cplorio 'has ?SFim-fl;i? 5 WR Wr-ot Pj)pu-
i.Ju ha ... i., 4a :m.. -tifix- '
I "Yours, fraternally, '',
"OTTQ F..THU.MV
ISuilding Trades', Council.
.lation, especially upon th welfaVA
of he Working men and .w.omeii.
Sympat,Uiaes With Workers
Ohestey j. Common, President Denver' fnl,0yer mf waa a small la it has,
..w Jh 4Vfc w uoaumie witn the
'Worklncf npnnln nt fiiw',.. .i.-. . .
SLocttl-Union No.. Do&w!f Colo' T hjive w 4uJL 2K.V. aMa
5MT' 191- - Mr.John Q. love for all of those .thVtoii I have
CopffGoiiressman, Hous,of Rep- no authority to speak for ortrafS
rWtUnlted btatM,.; , wash, lahor, but as a member of one of the
inSBEttDG Dear Sir: Vourvletter eren in1m . .Jr.JlfzB. le,0 $
j Mr. Speaker, I do not stand on the
'floor -oD this house and advocate the
adoption of national prohibition be
cause 1 live in & district that is
Without al66ns. - There' are aaltfbriai,
in every one of the three counties
which comprise tho nineteenth Ohio
congressional district nvhleh t imvo
.tho .honor to represent. Thero are
oyer 200 saloons In the citv in wHieh
I live, and many inoro scattered!
tnrougnout the three counties. But,
Mr. Speaker, I am for prohibition be
cause I believe it will be the great
est step toward the conservation of
our people that we havd ever taken.
I am for it from tho standpoint of
the preservation of the American
home, and, after all. the iinm ia tim
"sfbundation of all erovernmenf t om
for it because all over this land of
ours today there are tens of thou
sands of mothers down on their
knees pleading with the members of
congress for prohibition legislation
in order that our country may be
made a better, cleaner, and purer
place in which to rear their sons and
daughters. I say it is to the ever
lasting shame of the manhood of our
country that God-fearing Christian
wives and mothers must go down on
their knees and beg of. big, strong
men to stand for decency, morality,
and. good government. Mr. Speaker,
I have always regarded -the liquor
question as a moral issue, hut at this
time I have a firm conviction that
the hour is here when the great po
litical parties can not afford to ig
nore this question any longer, It is
sweeping .the -country by leaps and
bounds. As T have Stated previously,
over half the states of our union
have adopted prohibition, 85 per
cent of our country is drv area anil
65, per cent of our people live in' dry,
territory. Yes; the time has come
When the republican and democratic
parties must stand' on one side or
tho other of this great question.
I am glad that my name ft re
corded as a member of tho republican
party. During the last 60 years,
under the leadership of TWnnnin
Grant, Garfield, and McKinley our
"""""' " "iuuu wonaeriui prog
ress, and I want to see niy party
keep up the good work along " the
lines that it has done in tho past.
The republican party has always
stood for the higher, 'better, and
nobler elements in national life;
and at this time I want to express
my honest conviction tdxth repub
licans of this house and 'say that I
know of no. greater service von nnnw
Tonder to your God, your jcountry,
aim us people than to support the
resolution to submit to the: states an
amendment to the federal constitu
tion to prohibit the sale and manu
facture of intoxicating liquors.
t Mr. 'Speaker, at present there are
two measures pending before this
congresB with regard to thisqu.esti.on.
Qne of them is for. nrohihiHrm in ti.o
District Of . Columbia ami hhtTu
.is, to submit a constituftonal nmond-
uivy. xot .national prohibition. What
action xongrsss may take .at -this ses
sion UDOn thfiRft moaoiiK 14- tfe t'
possible to. s.ay at-Jthte tjme, Re
gardless of such aetion ...th flwif wni'
go on, and -wlien"we,are-aikVefi.nw
much .longer wll this htvcoutinue,
on -and tpn and .on . untU. wo nee the,;
-black fllmrlriTif "eiviA:i;ki -ZLJ-ti . i -.
of. ours, and in f ,i .T
and righteousness. ' purlt'.
. A STA;TUNG UXXERANCE
According to a dispatch rrom P.,
rogrod, the Grand Duke mZJ'
accepting the throne tZ'u
brother, declared that his accl,"'
(Was- subject to the -, acci!l"ance
Plebiscite, estabiish a f w J .
b-overnment. and new f ,u'm 0I
lnw T .1... v". :u"lamenlal
Vu ""i'""'rance is bo i
rT?bt .U?"U the a
laws. The utterances TsX''
as, throw doubt nn ., 8ta.rtlliig
city pi theJdiWatch7 7r ZT
manoffa, ot nil reiEninir . ?0
have hitherto been the .."cs'
champions .of it$S
Hohenzollerns have , Thc
conciliated pnblte taCS?tU,r
have the Hapsburgs P" g?
Homanoffs no such thing , ,
opinion existed in the old dayHd
even since the war created a Lm
j., ' V"U'A71C3 una the Zem.
stvos, the people's most direct S
resentatives, have been held fn C
and consequently antagonized. Tn.
deed the course of the war might
have been vry different, if the cz
and the autocracy had trusted the
people; but the bitter lesson of the
Japanese catastrophe went for
naught and every branch of the
fighting services reeked with mis
management and graft. It was an
almost universal -discontent with
this, state of affairs that enabled the
Duma to effect so sudden and com
plete a sweep.
What echoes will the Russian
revolution And in the Central em
pires? The question can not be
answered with the slightest approach
to exactitude, at' this i distance and
with the. vague data available. But
there is no lack of omens to indi
cate that, in Germany as in Austria
Hungary, the war is intensifying old
discontents. For example, the Ger
man chancellor has just said that
the Prussian franchise must be lib
eralized and a liberalization of the
Prussian franchise would shake, if
it did not shatter, the foundations
of. the Junker caste, upon which the
absolutist pretensions of the Hohen
zollern dyliasty rest. The new em
peror of Austria is thought to hold
liberal views, but a Hapsburg's lib
eralism is apt to be little more than
a pose. Yet neither the Hohenzol
lerns, nor the Hapsburgs will count
for much, if their subjects take their
cue from the Russian proletariat
which, after centuries of serfdom, ,
has risen in its might and sponged
the slate. ...
Among -the most desirable results
of a radical change in the three em
pires would be the abolition of se
cret diplomacy. It is far too soon
to allocate the blame lor me ind
ent war, but it is by no means too
soon -to say that the war would have .
been impossible if the Russian, Ger
man and Austro-Huiigarian masses
had-.known what their sovereigns
and their diplomats were doing, as
matter of fact, a few men had au
thority to make " treaties and keep
them in Pigeonholes till the fateful
hour-struck. Tha can never hap
pqn again, if the Grand Duko
ni.v fi.nno i borne out w
.events;, for- the Hohenzollerns ana
i trJ.i.w0 will vainly Prate .
ofdMpe rlg.;VVwh oncc. ..
shainnaye ruiiy aim. u --.,-
tea the principle, ., by repjdtotirt
thHomnoifs.r-TNe.yri"3 "
are soon
V,
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