Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-04-18
Nninm aud Amtrifan.
WEDNESDAY, APRIE. is, 1899.
THE TEMPERANCE QUESTION IN
CONGRESS.

patches have stated, passed resolution,
with only two dissenting voices, prohibiting
the sale of liquors in the Capitol The
same resolution was the next day adopted
by the House. The following is Mr.. Nc
Dougairs speech in opposition to the reso-
luton
ANTI-TEMPERANCE SPEECH BY SENATOR
M'DoUGAL.
Mr.. President 1t was once said that
there are as many minds as men, and there
is no end of wrangling. / had occasion
some years since 20 discourse with rever-
end Doctor of Divinity from the State which
has the honor TO be the birthplace, l think,
Of the present President Of this body (Con-
necticut). While ] was discour2iEg with
him, lot Of vile rapscallions invited me to
Join them at the bar / declined out Of re-
spect 10 the reverend gentlemen in whose
presence j then was. As soon as the Occa-
sion had passed, / remarked 10 the rever-
end Doctor: "Do not understand that | de-
clined to go and join those young men at
the bar because / have no objection TO that
thing, for it is my habit TO drink always in
front and not behind the door" He looked
at me with a certain degree Of interroga-
ton. | then asked him Doctor, what was
the first miracle worked by our great Mas
teri" He hesitated, and | said to him.
was it not at Cana in Galilee, where he
converted the water into wine at the mar
riage feast?" ! asked him then: after the
ark had floated in the tempestuous seas forty
days and nights, and as it descended upon
the dry land, what was the first thing done
by Father Noah2' He did not know that
exactly. "Well," said ], "did he not plant
a vine?" Yes he remembered it then.
] asked him: "Do you remember any
great poet that ever illustrated the higher
fields of humanity that did not dignity the
use Of wine, from old Homer down" He
did not. | asked "Do you know of any
great philosopher that did not use it for the
exaltation Of his intelligence? Do you
think, Doctor, that a man who lived upon
pork and beef and corn bread could get up
into the superior regions-into the ethereal?
No; he must take nectar on high Olympus,
and mighty mead in Valhalla. ! said TO
him again: Doctor, you are scholarly
man Of course-a Doctor Of Divinity
graduate of Hale-do you remember Plato's
Symposium" Yes; he remembered that.
/ referred him TO the occasion when Agatho,
having won the prize of tragedy at the
Olympic Games at Corinth, on coming back
20 Athens was feted by the nobility and aris-
tocracy Of that city-lor it was proud
triumph 10 Athens 10 win the prize Of TRACE
DIV They got together at the house Of
Phmdrus, and they said: " Now we have
been every night for these last six nights
drunk; let us be sober tonight, and we will
start 4 theme'-which they passed around
81. A.. . how
drank their wine-or as men tell 4 story.
They started theme, and the theme was
loye-not love in the vulgar sense-lOve Of
all that is beautiful.
After they had gone through and after
Socrates had pronounced his Judgment about
the true and beautiful, in came Alcibiades
with drunken body of Athenian boys,
with garlands 20 crown Agatha and crown
old Socrates; and they said to those assem-
bled "This will not do; we have been
drinking and you have no" and after Alci-
blades had made his talk in pursuance Of
the argument in which he undertook 10 dig
nifty Socrates, as ] remember it, they re-
quired, after the party had agreed 10 drink,
ut being quite late in the evening, and they
had finished their business in the way of
discussion, that Socrates should drink two
measures for every other mans one, because
he was better able 10 stand it. And so one
after another they were laid down on the
lounges in the Athenian style, all except an
old person named Aristodemus land Plato
makes him the hardest headed fellow except
Socrates, stuck at IL until the gray of the
morning, and then Socrates took his bath
and weEt down TO the Groves and talked
academic knowledge. After citing this in
cident ! said 20 this divine: "Do you re-
member that Lord Bacon said that man
should get drunk at least once a month, and
that Montaigne the French philosopher, in
dorsed the proposition" Do these exha-
lations thaSbuoy us up above the common
measure of the brute-wine and oil-elevate
us-enable us 10 seize great facts-inspira-
tions which once possessed are ours forever,
and those who never get beyond the mere
beastly means of animal support, never live
in the high planes of life and cannot achieve
them? | believe in women, wine, whisky
and war. Let me add that the Reverend
Doctor said to me, "Well General, you are
right, but | cannot afford TO say IT,"
When the roar Of laughter with which Mr.
McDougal's harangue was received had sub.
sided, Mr.. Wilson replied:
"Mr President, desire to pass the reso-
luton. We had here last year, | believe, a
shop for the sale of whisky, and | under.
stand there are two in the Capitol now, but
not at this end oft. | think il is bad enough
TO bring liquor here in any form, whether il
comes into the Committee rooms, or whether
il comes in the form suggested some time age
by the Senator from Oregon, Mr.. Nesmith,
when he spoke of some persons who had
great capacity TO throw themselves on the
outside of a keg Of whisky. We all know
that in our day Old Bourbon has about a,
much inspiration as gin had i'm the days o
Byron. think, too, Legislators of this ceun
try can discharge their duties quite respect
ably without worshipping at that shrine, es
pecially in the Capitol of the country. i
they choose to do il, think they had bette
do il away from the Capitol and public
grounds ] hope that the COMMISSIONS
who has charge Of this building will see TO i
that the Capitol is no longer disgraced b,
the sale Of these articles; and il they ar,
brought here (as / understand they have beer
in times past) by officers of the Senate, anC
by others connected with the Senate an,
House of Representatives, and kept in tn,
Committee rooms and given away, land
understand that within the last three year
boys employed in the public service her
have been taxed 60 pay for liquor that mem
bers of Congress have drank ! think il i
time 10 put an end TO such things | an
content for one that we should not have tn,
mighty inspiration Of Old Bourbon, or gin
or wine. or any Of these things that tax;
mortals to the skies. Let ms he content 4
legislate as plain, practical public men, ant
leave the inspiration TO others"
senator Grimes Hendricks, Clark, Con
ness and Trumbull advocated the passage o
the resolution, and Mr.. Conness declared IL
the course Of his remarks that there can b.
no greater disgrace before God and man tha
persons sent here TO make laws for a natio
boasiing high civilization appearing in
state of intoxication. This his colleagu,
evidently regarded as personal, and he re
piled
ANOTHER SPEECH BY SENATOR MDoUGAI
Mr.. president: | DO rot know bu
that il would be well for the sober Senate
from California 10 indulge himself some
what more in generous wine, and i do nc
know but that il would be Of service 20 th
senator from New Hampshire Mr.. Clark
and | am sure il would have a kindly in
fuence upon the Senator from Massachuseti
lMr. Wilson,. l think all these propos
tions-all these regulations-all this styl
Of determining Liberties that ought 10 /
common TO all men, is wrong, and ! utterl
protest against it, | think il was well whe
We had our lunch room in the Senate Chan
her, where we quietly sat down and drank 8
our pleasure. The times have come to !
80 false that men dare not say what The
honestly think TO be the truth and the righ