Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-04-20
Let's Have Drink Something about
an Absurd American Custom.

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A temperance paper gets off the
following: -,
The ridiculous, absurd American
custom of asking is responsible for
seven eighths-- mind, we say seven
eighths, aud mean it too-of all the
liquor consumed in this country -
Abolish the custom to-day, and
where there are eight barrels of lio-
uor drank now, there would be but
one. We believe this, and believe ID
can't be gainsaid We appeal to any
number Of drinkers for their opinion
in 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 hat
effect. ot
What ridiculous piece Of folly it
is to go into place, if in tho mood
for liquor, and to ask five or six ac>
quaintences up to drink with Won ;
yet il is done all the time, and by
parties who perhaps want the money
for stockings but not to do it when
your acquaintance are about, is to
be looked upon as "small potatoes"
and few in the hill. Take the fol-
lowing rs an illustration of delight
full Fix liable to arise from this alb
surd custom.
You feel in mood for a glass;
You go for it. Meet a friend Just as
you are about to enter gin-mill,
and you task him." Enter, and ne
comes upon group of four or five Of
his friends who have just entered,
and are conversing for moment
You are introduced all round by
your friend, Where are you now
With dollar in your pocket and five
or six fellows on your hands, only
one OF whom you ever saw before,
and morally sonnd by custom and
impelled by false pride to ask thom
to join you in social glass.
You can't get out of it, they know
you come in for liquor, and as your
friend introduced you and didn't in.
wife, why you must do the honors,
and you say you are glad to see them
Gan Internal lie, by the way) and ask
them up. If you are known at the
bar, all right if not, you have to
borrow of your friend. How's that?
Perhaps 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 connec-
ton with liquor. Do we ask, coax,
prevail on acquaintance to 90 in and
have neckties. gloves or boots with
"a r "Come in and take bottle of
wine with me p men will say, and
take you by tho arm. and in you 60
do they ever say, Come in and have
a hat with me r. Are you continu-
ally urged to eat things Do they
ask you to take pocket>knives, lead
pencils hair~dye, tooth powder, pa
per collars or umbrellas with them
No, this asking" business is confn-
ed to liquor. 1t is liquor liberality.
a custom, rather, that extends itself
to no other article, if we except oys-
tiers and cigars, but in these it is linz
tied.
Take 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
ism t forced and bantered because he
don't drink more. The same with
Englishmen, Frenchmen, and all 9th
er people on the face of the globe,
except Americans You know how
it would be with six of the latter, did
they go in for lager. There would
be thirty-six glasses drank. or paid
for, if not all drank, because each
must task" the others. Humbug !!
Folly |"
Imagine case like this, did the
asking" business extend beyond the
confines of liquor. Two gentlemen
walking up Broadway. One is at
tracted by fine display of bottles
no, boots, shoes, etc., in a window
"Bob, let's go in and have some
boots" In they go. "Take hold,
Bob. What's your fancy?" "Thank
you, Tom, but I'm not taking boots
just now" ooh, go in. Take hold.
One pair won't hurt you" "No, ex-
cuse me, Tom" "Take something,
Bob. Take home pair of boots for
your wife. Don't see me do this
thing alone" Bob comes down and
takes pair of boots. It's no USE
Who could withstand Toms appeal ?