The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-03-25

the taste and smell of whisky are offensive,
who are destined to become drunkards
merely through their generosity and desire
to please. They know of no other way OF
making themselves agreeable to their ac-
uuaintances, when they meet, than by ask
ing 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, march
ing up to bars by twos and threes, asking
each other "What will you take ?" and
gulping down dose of poison which brings
the tears to their eyes2 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 obi
ges all to recognize the right of each to
| disburse the price of dram for the com
pany. In most cases not one of them en-
joys it. They all feel the fiery stuff in
their faces and their eyes, clouding their
minds and rasping their threats. But the
one who has first paid is the slave of his
friends, and the conventionalities of the
village or the crossroads are as strong as
those of the city. s'You have drunk with
all 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 limited liability pledge as we have
mentioned would free these well intention
ed and thoughtless boys from the chains OF
this miserable and dangerous custom.
There are very few who would deliberate
ly go up to counter and ask for solitary
dram. This is only done when the habit
has become a strong one, and when the
hope of reformation has pretty well disap,
Ipeared.
The reform would also effect another
class of men who are despised and NAL
treated in the bar-room, but who always
form considerable proportion of its pub.
lic These are the impecunious and alb.
sorbent creatures known as "bummers,
!, who, having spent all their money for wits
ky, still haunt the scenes of their former
disbursements, in the hope of an occasion
al general irrigation. They are of the kind
an army officer describes as ornamenting
, the sides of bar-room he entered in Ar,
kansas. He approached the counter ant
asked for glass of brandy, and the whole
shabby dozen rose from their benches anG
lowed they d take sugar in theirn." Tit
number of people who never pay for {
J drink and yet are never sober, is very
large these solitary" drinking associa
tons would certainly tend to diminish it
1t is true that this is not thorough go
ing temperance movement, and we would
4 all agree that it would be much better fo
Q these young men to sign total abstinenc,
Z pledge and keep it. But it is neverthe
less, salutary idea, so far as it goes, anC
D there is nothing evasive or dishonest abou
it. The opponents of treating" on tn,
d contrary, occupy position which, although
! it is outside of the temperance movement
) strictly speaking, is highly advantageou
+ and praiseworthy. If they can do any
d thing to break the force of this senseles
n custom, they will accomplish as much goo,
n as if they attempted more. If no youn
f man in America drank except when h
j. wanted to, there would be far fewer oil,
S men to drink from the love of it.-N !
: Tribune.