The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1872-09-12
A TEMPERANCE MAN
ON GRANT.
HE DRINKS TOO MUCH, AND
SMOKES TOO MANY MILD
CIGARS
A REPLY TO SENATOR WILSON
DENIAL THAT GRANTS
DRINKS.

Honorabiy and Dear Sir: You have
thought proper to address me through the
public papers. therefore feel it TO be
my duty to reply to you in the same man
ner.
| We have known each other for the last
| quarter of a century Ms outspoken ad-
vocates of the prohibition by law of the
manufacture and sale, as a beverage, of all
intoxicating drinks. II was on this ac-
count that / called on you several times,
in the winter of 1872 with a view TO induce
you to accept the nomination of the ma.
tionsl Prohibition Party as their candidate
| for President of the United States. Our
| conversations related to public men, 10
public measures; and of course, to Presi-
dent Grsnt-who was then seeking, as he
is now, by public appeal to the American
people, to be reelected to the first public
office in the land.
In one of those conversations held in
your own room, open to the public in
Washington, without any intimation on
that subject on my part you, honorable
Sir, startled me with the remark:
president Grant drinks too much"
After moments pause you added IL
have told him so.
Another brief pause ensued when you
again added The President smokes too
much. He is poisoned through and
through. When / demonstrated with him
about it, the President said TO mel
smoke mild cigars. That may be, Mr..
President replied, blu, you smoke SO
many of them.
These, Senator Wilson, are the exact
words used by you on tina. occasion. You
cannot have forgotten them. 1t is of no
use for you TO deny them. Neither can il
be denied that Hon VIM. Z. Dodge, of
New York, and other gentlemen devoted
TO the Temperance reform have sought to
induce President Grant to sign the pledge
of total abstinence.
In giving this statement of yours TO our
countrymcn, Mr.. Senator, you have known
me many years, are well aware that am
actuated by no other desire than to Go
what can to aid the voters Of America to
arrive at right conclusions with regard to
their duty toward the men who solicit their
votes. Your statements to me, honorable
Sir, respecting the drinking habits Of
| Presiden, Grant are Of such "A nature as to
render il imperative that / should give
| them to the public. | have. therefore,
| given your statements to the press, in
answer 10 call made on me by gentle
man and man Of honor. You and Sir.
and the parties We both represent, must
abide by the result.
Allow me TO reply, in conclusion, to the
opinion you volunteer in your letter to
me as 10 the character OF the other facts l
adduced in my published letter to Mr..
Yerrington. Every one Of these facts, Sir,
is literally and strictly true. All of them
are furnished to me by gentlemen whose
words 10 one will dare dispute. One OF
them was handed to me by most disting-
uished United States Senator, who you and
l, Sir, know very well, in letter address
sed 70 him by scholar of known repute
in Cambridge, Mass. And you, Mr.. Sena
tor, confess to the truth Of your own state
meut TO me with regard to the well-knowI
drinking habits of President Grant, by ad
hitting in the letter to which l am nov
replying, thas he uses liquor, MS a beverage
= to such an extent that yon say you had {
mind to ask him to sign the total absti
hence pledge, and join the Congressional
, | Temperance Society.
1 l respectfully submit that, by these con
$ fessions, you have established my Who'll,
case.
avail myself of the opportunity to ado
that when any responsible citizen, directly
authorized TO speak for President Grant
publicly denies the truth Of the statement.
rs to his drinking habits made by me
names, places, and dates will be produced
am prepared to maintain the exact truth
of every word have stated.
remain, Mr.. Senator, your obedieni
servant,
r CHARLES WHEELER DESIsoN,
Secretary of the National Prohibition
Committee.
5 WASHINGTON, Aug, &c, 1872.