New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-03-21
THE ANTI TREATING MOVEMENT

yOuu It,
TIE ANTI TREATING MOVENENT
We hear of one manifestation of the tenn
perance reform which exhibits what is rare In
such movements, practical and reasoning
sense. In several Western cities ASSOCIATIONS
have been formed, the members OF which re-
strict themselves to one pledge, not to pay
for any other mans drink, and not 10
drink at any other mans expense. This may
seem to many very limited basis of associa-
ton but if this pledge were strictly adhered
to the spread of intemDerance would be I'M
mediately checked throughout the country.
The American habit of treating" Is
the origin OF much of the misery
and damage which come from ex-
cessive drinking. There are thousands OF
boys growing up to-day who have no lhher-
tied thirst for liquor, to whom the taste and
smell of whisky are offensive, who are des-
tined to become drunkards merely through
their generosity and desire TO please. They
know of no other way of making themselves
agreeable to their acquaintance, when they
meet, than by asking them to take drink,
and when the same invitation is given to them
they do not know how to refuse. Who has
not seen these fine, rosy, rather loutish boys,
at county fairs or political meetings, marching
up to bars by twOs and threes, asking each
other "What will you take 7" and gulping
down dose of poison which brings the tears
to their eyes ? When one has paid for the
drinks, each of the rest feels the obligation
resting upon him to return the courtesy, and
the rural etiquette obliges all to recog-
nize the right of each to disburse
the price of dram for the company. In
most cases not one of them enjoys it. They
all feel the fiery stuff in their faces and their
eyes, clouding their minds and rasping their
thrOats. But the one who has first paid Is
the slave of his friends, and the conven-
tionalites of the village or the crossroads are
as strong as those of the city. You have
drunk with Ill the rest, and now you must
"drink with me-" is contradiction IN logic,
but it is unanswerable in rustic practice
among drinking youths. The signing OF such
a limited liability pledge as we have men
toned would free these well-intentioned and
thoughtless boys from the chains of this mis-
cradle and dangerous custom. There are very
few who would deliberately go up to counter
and ask for solitary dram. his Is only
done when the habit has become strong one,
and when the hope of reformation has pretty
well disappeared
The reform would also affect another class of
men who are despiscd and maltreated in the
bar-room, but who always form considerable
proportion of its public. These are the i'm
pecunious and absorbent creatures known as
"bummers." who, having spent all their money
for whisky, still haunt the scenes of their
former disbursements. in the hope of an
occasional general irrigation. They are OF
the kind an army officer describes as orna-
menting the sides of barrOOm he entered in
Arkansas. He approached the counter and
asked for q glass of brandy, and the whole
shabby dozen rose from their benches and
"lowed they'd take sugar in theiIn." The
number of people who never pay for drink
and yet are never sober, is very large these
SOLITARY drinking associations would GER
tainly tend to diminish it.
1t is true that this is not thorough going
temperance movement, and we would all
agree that it would be much better for these
young men to sign total abstinence pledge
and keep it. But it is, nevertheless, salu-
tary idea, so far as it goes, and there Is
nothing evasive or dishonest about it.
In this it differs widely from that shame
full mockery which is repeated every
Sunday night at low haunt of vice in this
city, where a noted rumseller assists a few
light headed people in carrying on religious
exercises in his den. The house is filed with
crowd of the most degraded specimens Of
both sexes, who are informed that they can
sign the pledge with mental reservation that
they intend to keep it for year or week
or ten minutes. Of course there is enthusiasm
and applause until the meeting ends, and then
the proprietor begins his work of administer
ing refreshments to those to whom he has just ad-
ministered the pledge. 1t is to be regretted that
any one should be found so unthinking as to
join in this scandalous caricature of an excel
ent reform. The opponents of treating" on
the contrary, occupy position which,
although it is outside of the tempe
rance movement strictly speaking, is
highly advantageous and praiseworthy. If
they can do anything to break the force of
this senseless custom, they will accomplish as
much good as if they attempted more. If no
young man in America drank except when he
wanted to, there would be far Tower old men
to drink from the love of it.