The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-07-24
Massachusetts, Radicals and the
Germans.

That satid and high toned politically neu-
trail paper, the New York Journal Of Commerce.
takes the following view of the persecution of
the Germans by radical Massachusetts,
The new liquor law of Massachusetts, appears
to be expressly intended to humiliate and annoy
the Germans. Had the law not prohibited lager
beer, the aggravating spectacle would have been
afforded to Puritan eyes Of parties of Teuyons
enjoying themselves over their favorite innocuous
drink, while heads of brandy pipes and rum
casks were being knocked in all about them.
This of itself would have been sufficient exasper.
alton for the gaunt and smiess advocates Of the
law Nothing is 30 maddening to your grim ia.
matte as the sight of another man laughing and
the proper supplementary statute Of the new Ii.
quor law would be decree making chuckleIor
grin penal offence. Being thus happily gifted
with the faculty of getting merry over so thin a
potation as lager beer, it was necessary for the
perfect happiness of the modern fanatics that the
Germans Of Massachusetts should be deprived of
that matchmaking beverage All the leading
hotels OF Boston are spared by the constabulary,
and these men get sullenly drunk on the heaviest
OF liquors in private rooms. But the patrons of
those places are not the humble Germans, whom
this law is designed to castigate, but Americans
Radicals good aud true, many of them doubt
less, if the truth were known. And then they
toss off their glasses in the solemn Yankee way,
as If they were taking castor oil, and not in the
jolly hilarious fashion of the Germans. The
Germans are Germans, and they will laugh and
grow fat; those are crimes for which Radical
Massachusetts will not forgive them. So the
Constables, blind and deaf to what is going on
In all the great hotels and through the best soc-
ETY., never fail to visit the clean-sanded ground
floors or Easements Of the German lager beer sa-
looms, disperse the sober inmates-German work
men and their fraus innocently disporting them.
selves after their daily toil-and rob the saloon
keeper of his stock Of lager, the poor mans whole
property. The heaviest items in the lists of
advertisements of liquors seized and forfeited are
lots of lager beer. There are dozens of kegs of
this where there is one Of whiskey, gin or rum.
IT the laws were justly and fairly enforced
against all parties, and not against the Germans
In particular, the proportion should be the 9th.
er way; for the Germans form but very small
portion of the whole drinking population Of
the State of Massachusetts. If after what We have
said, any one doubt the special selection of the
Germans for persecution by the latter-day yea.
lots, let him note that cider is exempted by the
law. This exemption is not for the benefit Of
those Massachusetts radicals who, while mex
pressibly ferocious upon the use Of other kinds
OF liquor for other people, demand for themselves
the right OF getting drunk, if they choose .onhard
cider OF their own make. Hard cider, as every
body knows who ever drank it, is more tipping
than lager beer. BY exposing it to freezing tenn.
perature, and drawing off all that remains I'M
frozen, potent liquor may be obtained-strong-
er than any of the wines of commerce. This
being native product and consumed almost ex-
olusively by natives, may be made and taken in
any quantity; while lager beer, beverage upon
which the regular drinkers never become intoxi-
Gated, is forbidden, and coniscated when found
because the makers and consumers are chiefly
foreigners, Germans, the class whom il suits the
radical party of Massachusetts, to single out for
their hatred and prosecution.
Our advice to the Germans of Massachusetts,
is-to leave that state at once, shaking the dust
off their feet, and come to this city. Here they
make and drink their national beverage in peace.
We welcome them as we do the refugees from
small-souled tyrants elsewhere. This is the
home of the exile and the stranger. This is the
city which, with larger wisdom than Massa.
chusetts ever dreamed of, halls every accession
to its composite population, seeing in each fresh
admixture of hardy, intelligent, industrious
races new guaranty of its continued supremacy
as the metropolis of the nation.
We are not writing in the interest of intern
pefance. No German was ever seen drunk on
lager beer. 1t is little more stimulating than
ordinary root beer. Its use has saved thousands
from the drunkard's grave. Those who habit
ually use it are sober, steady, industrious citi-
Gems. 1t is great mistake in the name of tenn
perance to inaugurate such crusade against
this harmless beverage