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About The Wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-???? | View Entire Issue (April 8, 1910)
"NT" T A VOLUME 7 LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, APRIL 8, NUMBER 3, WMT UNION MEN SAY ABOUT LICENSE A 7 - V TT 1 i 7 7 VI U IV. 1 K Y Short and Emphatic Reasons Why They Favor Keeping Lincoln "Dry" The Open Saloon Not In the Interests of the Toilers Like Lincoln "Dry" Better Than Lincoln "Moist." Havelock, Neb., April 6. I am op posed to the liquor traffic because I believe it to be morally wrong and socially debasing. We voted it out of Havelock yesterday, and I am pray ing that my fellow workers in Lincoln will do as we did in Havelock. I am not trying to act as the censor of other men's conduct, but I oppose the licensed saloon because it is a men ace to peace, the fruitful source of misery, and crime, and without a single redeeming feature to commend it to thoughtful men. It is an evil in stitution, and I often wonder that a civilized people have endured it so long. S. D. SMITH, Blacksmith. Lincoln, Nebr., April 4. I am not a prohibitionist, but I do believe in lo cal option, and as a unionist I support the referendum in political as well as in union affairs. I am going to vote "dry" at the coming election because I have seen enough of what the open saloon does for the workingmen, and I have taken notice of the benefits se cured after a single year of "drouth." I believe in the widest personal liberty consistent with the rights of the whole people, but I am yet to be convinced that it is wise to license saloons- in order that some men may exercise their personal liberty at the expense of peace, good order, good citizenship, happy homes and wives and little ones. If ever I see a single good influence originating from the saloon .then I may hesitate about voting "dry." A. B. WOELHOFF, ' Painter. Lincoln, Nebr., April 7. I have so many reasons for voting "dry" this year that I hardly know where to be gin In enumerating them. Perhaps it would be Just as well not to try. There are many reasons for refusing to vote the saloons back in Lincoln, and up to date I haven't found a single logical reason for bringing them back. Econ omically the "dry" spell has been a good thing for the workers as a whole. Socially the workers are better off in Lincoln today than ever before, and I will not vote to bring about a re turn to former conditions. ' Of course I believe in personal liberty, but we have so mighty little of it in any civi lised community that it doesn't bother us. And it is all the better for us that this is so. I might give some perti nent reasons for voting "dry" this trip, but I'll not take time to do it. - O. M. PINE, Printer. IJncoln, Nebr., April 7. I never voted for license in my life. I am not a prohibitionist. I yield to every man the right to eat or drink what he pleases so long as his indulgence does not interfere with my rights. But I am not willing to open the saloon in order that he may gratify his appetite at the expense of the general public. But my chief opposition to the STELZLE ON At the end of a 70-mile automobile i ride against a Nebraska wind laden .with clouds of dust, Rev. Charles Stelzle, the machinist-preacher, mount ed the stage at the Auditorium last Sunday night and talked for an hour And twenty minutes to an audience that packed the big building to suffo cation. Rev. Mr. Stelzle spoke before the Y. M. C. A. at Omaha Sunday afternoon, taking for his subject, "A Square Deal." As soon as the ad dress was over he entered an automo bile with Rev. S. Z. Batten, J. E. Miller, E. J. Mockett and J. H. Mock tt, and started on the long and dusty ride to Lincoln. The auto dash was necessitated by reason of the poor train service, and it was successfully negotiated in the face of discomforts that would appall ordinary ,men. "Organized Labor and the Saloon" was the topic of Rev. Mr. Stelzle's Lin- licensed saloon is the license. I am unalterably opposed to the whole damnable license system as exempli fied in the liquor business. It is a bribe to the public, a sop to politi clans, the creator of a semi-monopoly, the creator of political corruption, an evil Influence in municipal govern ment and the producer of discord. If I had pay way I would wipe alcoholic beverages out of existence. But that will never be brought about. Alcohol will exist in varied form as long as the world stands, and just so long will men drink it. Education will con stantly decrease the average of drink ers, and in ' this work of education I believe the trades unions will take a leading part ' Remove all license fees and all revenue, and let the stuff be sold as freely as any other commodity, making the seller responsible for dam ages, Just as we hold responsible the sellers of any other poisons, deadly weapons or explosives. The ' condi tions prevailing in Lincoln during the last twelve months may or may not have some bearing on the fact, but I believe the masses of wage earners in Lincoln today are better dressed, their families better cared for, than during any other twelve months in the history of industrial Lincoln. And as an opponent of the license system I would be glad to have any one com pare the crowds that visit the Lincoln Labor Temple with the throngs that visit the labor headquarters in other cities where the licensed saloons pre vail. WILL M. MAUPIN, Printer. ; Lincoln, Nebr., April 5. I am not" a voter in Lincoln, being a "Kinkaider.'" But if I had a vote you may rest as sured it would be against allowing the saloons to return to Lincoln. Why? I know what the saloon does for the workers. I know what they might do for my own boys. And there are many other reasons, too numerous to mention, why I am against allowing the saloons to return to Lincoln. ALBERT T. PENTZER, Printer. Lincoln, Nebr., April 7. I will vote "dry." Spell it in capital letters if you want to. As soon as I hear an in telligent reason why Lincoln should again license saloons I'll take time to give my reasons for voting against license. W. W. FORD, Printer. Lincoln, Nebr., April 7. My reasons are my own, and they might not ap peal to others. But I am for a "dry" Lincoln, and I am willing that every body should know it. JOHN W. MOORE, Printer. Lincoln, Nebr., April 7. If I had a vote in Lincoln it certainly would be against licensing the saloons again. But I happen to live in Normal, there fore am not a Lincoln voter. I am der the auspices of the "Committee of i Fifty," having in charge the no-llcense campaign. Long before the speaker of the evening 'arrived every seat in the Auditorium was occupied, chairs were carried in by the score, and scores of .people stood until the close of the meeting. Farragut Post, G. A. R., accompanied by its fife and drum corps, attended in a body and the drum corps gave some military music that was loudly applauded. Professor Miller led in the singing of "America," and Rev. Mr. Lawrence invoked the divine blessing upon the cause and upon the audience. The exercises be gan before Rev. Mr. Stelzle arrived, and Rev. Dr. Roach was making some announcements when the speaker of the evening appeared walking down the aisle. A number of union men rec ognized the smiling face and some what dazzling "dome" of the famous Sunday JOHN B. y. General Secretary International Union of Cus- .,' torn Tailors and Treasurer of the American Federation of Labor, will speak on the subject- "Labor and the Mr. Lennon speaks only as a Union Worker, not as a Union Official, Thirty years in the labor movement gives him the experience nec essars to intelligently discuss the question. Workingmen Cordially Invited. v A band cdncert will be given before the address., Good Music. opposed to the whole license system, therefore opposed to the institution known as the licensed saloon. Its influence is bad; its presence a det riment .to the community. FRANK W ATKINS, Theatrical Stage Employe. e Lincoln, Nebr., April 6. You ask WORKERS machinist-preacher, and broke into ap plause. Little .-Miss Mary Tanner re cited a temperance piece, and imme diately thereafter Rev. Mr. Stelzle was introduced. "If I finish this speech," said Mr. Stelzle, "it will be the second tem perance speech I have made." This made some of the prohibition ists gasp, wondering what they had run up against. They had come with the understanding that they were to hear a preacher accustomed to mak ing temperance speeches. But they were not long left in doubt. Clearly and forcefully the speaker went at his topic, and he drove his arguments home with sledgehammer-like force. No attempt at oratory; no "picture painting"; no appeals to 'prejudice just plain statements logically mar shalled. Rev. Mr. Stelzle gave his first at 8 p. m. LENNON Saloon me to give some of my reasons for being in favor of a "dry" Lincoln. My reasons for keeping Lincoln "dry" are the same that I have for making every other town "dry." For twenty years and more I have sen 'my fel low workers come and go, and I have ben . in rather a good position to study the question from the stand- tention to the "personal liberty" argu ment advanced by Hon. Clarence Dar row n- the Auditorium a few hours before, saying: "Speaking of personal .liberty, any lawyer will tell you that .there .is no such thing as absolute personal liberty in the .United States. .We have liberty, according to the law, only insofar as we do not infringe upon the rights of our neighbors and fellow citizens. But as soon as a man interferes with the liberty of his neighbors he is landed in jail. "A man can't spend his money as he wants to, for the law demands that he first provide for his wife and family or whoever is dependent upon him. A man may not burn down his house, even though it is mortgage clear and his absolute property, for the law says he shall not endanger the property of his neighbors. A man.may.not do as point of men. i' oppose the liquor traffic because of its Influence on men. God helping me; so long as I live I Will never lose an opportunity ' to strike a blow against the whole dam nable traffic, no master in what shape it presents itself. I know what it did for me; I know what it has done and is1 doing for other men. It shall never again do it to me, nor will I lose an opportunity to curtail its work among other men, '.' i ED. HOWE, Printer. Lincoln, Nebr., April 5. Time is too valuable to spend in giving my reasons for being in favor of a "dry" Lincoln- My reasons are enough for me, even though they might not be sufficient for some of my fellow union ists. If you heard Rev. Mr. Stelzle you heard him give: some pf my rea sons for being opposed to the licensed saloon. I have others. ,'' W. P. HOGARD, ' Printer. ' ; "... 1 - Lincoln, Nebr., April 2. For busi ness reasons, for social reasons, for personal reasons and for about a mil lion other reasons, 1 am going to vote to keep the licensed saloons out of Lincoln. ' CHAS. B. RIGHTER, . Printer. Lincoln, Nebr., April 5. Make it just as emphatic as you can. '' I am for a "dry" Lincoln or a "dry" any other town. , But I am partlcularjy in terested in Lincoln. I am against the saloon, , ' everlastingly and eternally against it. I hare seen Jts effects- and felt them. -If there is never an other saloon in . Lincoln until I vote for license, then Lincoln will never again have to endure the curse ' of the open saloon. I WtALTER S. BROWN, i ..''' Pressman. Bethany, . Nebr., April 5. I live in Bethany and wock in Lincoln. If I had a vote it would , certainly be "dry." I am opposed to .the licensed saloon and proud to live in a village where the . traffickers in liquor can never get a foothold. As a wage earner I know what liquor does to my fellow workers, and I am opposed to flaunting it in their , faces and in my own face. , I hope to see Lincoln "dry" next year and every 'year thereafter. The open saloon is the greatest enemy labor has to face, and as one workingman I am going to do my best to wipe It out of existence. CAL DBMAREST, Stereotyper.' Lincoln, Nebr., April 6. I have seen what the open saloon does for my fel low workers. What it has done for them it might dp for my own boys, and I'm .not going to take an chances on that. I am going to vote against the saloons. More than that, I have a horse and buggy, and if I can help ANP he pleases with his children, for the law demands that they .he given at least a common school education. A man is compelled ,to keep his .house clean so. is a woman; he shall not be allowed to maintain .a breeding place for disease ,germs. . In .this state, a man 'may' 'not sell cigarettes .because, says the law, ,they demoralize boys. "And yet we talk about this great democracy of ours; why, the democ racy itself is the most complicated thing before the American people. ,A man may go out on .the prairie, and, if he is away from mankind, may come very near doing as he pleases, ,but as soon, as one neighbor setlea near him his liberty ,is cut in .two.. jlf,.a second neighbor moves .near ihim his liberty is again diminished. And so it .goes; and yet there are men who boast that they can 'do as they plaese.' "I know something about the saloon ' get any "dry" votes to the polis 1 am ready to keep' the old family nag ; going from early early morning un til the, polls close. The Lincoln of the past year has been the best Lincoln I ever knew. 1 am proud to record my self as one among the many union workers opposed to letting the sa loons back into this good city. F. H. HEBBARD, ' ' . Printer.. Lincoln, Nebr., April 6. I , never heard one sensible argument in favor of the liquor traffic I have heard and seen hundreds of arguments against it. The saloon is my enemy, and-, the enemy of every other work ingman. Not only that, but it is the enemy of society, the curse of the home ' and the greatest . menace to -American ; government. I will vote . against licensing the . saloon every chance I get . , ' , HENRY BROENING, - ; . Stereotyper. . . v. - X Lincoln, ; Nebr., April 5. My vote will be cast against licensing saloons in Lincoln. As a workingman I have been able to note the influence of the saloon upon the working classes. I never knew the saloon's influence to be good. For that reason I am op posed to it. ' SAM LARGE," . . Stereotyper. Lincoln, Nebr., April 5. Any time, anywhere, I am willing to tell any body and everybody how I vote on the license proposition. I -am op-' posed to the licensed saloon, and . I will vote against it. ' I have many reasons for my . position the ' chief ones being that I am opposed to the license system and know the open sa- loon to be the enemy of the working man. - FRNK CHEUVRONT, Stereotyper. T.y; ; Lincoln,' Nebr., April 7. I do not think it necessary to go to any length in giving my reasons for advocating a "dry" Lincoln and voting for it I am , Opposed to re-opening .the saloons, and . will vote against that sort of thing. The past year lias opened my eyes to a great many things. : J ,. W. L. MAYER, .. .. Electrical Worker. Lincoln, Nebr., April 6. Lincoln at the end of twelve months "dry" Jooks better to me than Lincoln ever did at the end of twelve months "wet" That is all I care to say. E. A. VATTERSON. " - Barber. ' Lincoln, Nebr., April 7. It js no body's business how f voted on the license question last year, but , I am going to vote against the saloons this year. I see more union men every day than any other man in Lincoln, I think. This gives me a good chance to note what a saloonless city means to the workers-rand the results please me. : (Continued on page 3.) business from .the inside. My .father was a saloonkeeper and the owner of a brewery and his brothers also .were saloonkeepers. Thus it is that I am able to speak oh. vhe inside and ,in fluepce of a saloon. have no sym pathy with .the pictures .used ..by so many temperance papers showing, the saloonkeeper as a. low-browed brute. I . have .known a great many of .them who were ordinary .business men .and like men any , other business. Of course,, some have been rightly de picted, as being lower than thelowest brutes, , but ,1 speak of many of the men I jhave known. However, J am not .here to . discuss personalities, ..hut, from the standpoint qf the trades unionist, to use .the privilege of ex pressing my own opinions. "I .have no favors to ask at the hands of the. church, but I want ..to Continued on page 2. x ; SALOONS t 1
