The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1869-08-06
Lets Have a Drink''--Ana Alb
surd American Custom,

i hthttEEta0 G1letOH&hs
HEridiculous, absurd American cus-
tom of "asking" Is responsible for seven
eighths-mind, we say seven-eighths,
and mean 1t, too-of all the liquor con-
sumed in this country. Abolish that
custom to-day, and where there are
eight barrels of liquor drank now, there
would be but one. We believe this,
and believe it can't be gain-sayed.t We
appeal to any number of drinkers for
their opinion i'm the matter. To this
custom we owe our "drinking between
drinks" which some wag, with more
truth than poetry in his soul, said was
the only thing that hurt, or words to
that effect. iitV 4t- tW talre
What piece of ridiculous folly it is
to go into place, If in the mood for
liquor, and to ask five or six acquain-
tances up to drink with you yet it Is
done all the time, and by parties who
perhaps, want the money for stockings;
but not to do it when your acquaintance
es are about, is to be looked upon as
"small potatoes and few in the hill."
Take the following as an illustration of
delightful "flx," liable to arise from
this absurd custom: '.'lf,-'
You feel In q mood for a glass. You
60 for IL. Meet a friend just as you are
aboutto enter gin-mill, and you task
him in" Enter, and he comes upon a
group of five or six of his friends, who
have just entered and are conversing
for moment. You are introduced all
around by your friend. Where are you
now? With q dollar in your pocket
and five or six fellows on your hands,
only one of whom you ever saw before,
and morally bound by custom and i'm
PEELED by false pride to ask them to join
you in a social glass. You can't get out
of it; they know you came in for liquor,
and as your friend introduced you and
didn't invite, why, you must do the
honors, and you say you are glad to see
them ian Internal lie, by the way) and
ask them up. If you are known at the
bar, all right; if not, you have to bor-
row of your friend. How's that? Per-
haps some of the party might ask you
some other time, but the chances are
they wouldn't know you from a baked
apple. A most absurd, dead fraud, this
"asking" in connection with liquor. Do
we ask, coax, prevail on acquaintance
to go in and have neckties, gloves or
boots with us? "Come in and take a
bottle of wine with me?" men will say,
and in you go. Do they ever say, "Come
in and have hat with me?" Are you
continually urged to eat things? DO
they ask you to take pocket-knives,
lead-pencils, hair-dye, tooth-powder,
paper collars, or umbrellas with them?
| No; this "asking" business is confined
to liquor. 1t is liquor liberality, or
custom, rather, that extends itself to
no other article, if we except oysters
and cigars, but in these it is limited. q.
Take a party of six Germans, who go
in for their lager. They sit down, and
each one drinks what he wants, and
pays for what he drinks. He isn't fore
ed and bantered because he does not
drink more. The same with English
men, Frenchmen, and all other people
on the face of the globe, except Ameri.
cans. You know how it would be with
six ofthe latter, did they goin for lager.
There would be thirty-six glasses drank,
or paid for, II not all drank, because
each must "asko the others. Humbug !!
Folly! ---- IA a,-.. IN -. -
Imagine case like this, did the "ask-
ing" business extend beyond the con-
fines of liquor. Two gentlemen walk
ing up Broadway. One is attracted by
a fine display ofbottles--no, boots, shoes,
etc., in window. "Bob, let's go in
and have some boots" In they go.
"Take hold, Bob. What's your fancy"
"Thank you, Tom, but Pm not taking
boots just now." "Oh, get in. Take
hold. One pair won't hurt you" "No,
excuse me, Tom" ''Take something,
Bob. Take home a pair of boots for
your wife. Don't see me do this thing
Alone" Bob comes down and takes a
pair of boots. It's no use. Who could
Withstand Toms appeal?-[A Temper
ance paper. ...I. ..... ..... ....