The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1874-05-28
From the chronological Journal !
Was He Born So +?

In describing the death of the late
Richard Yates, a member of Congress
from Illinois, a writer in the Farmer City
journal says:
Poor Dick Yates went down into the
grave impelled by fatality that was un-
yielding. His difficulty was not one of
his own seeking. 1t came to him by
transmission, and he was no more respon-
sible for it than is the child born with
the taint of scrofula or the person who
finds his system pervaded with poison
communicated by the bite of rabid
dog. He was an inebriate from concep-
ton; he was doomed when he lay on his
mothers breast; and his subsequent
yieldings to stimulation were no more
than the outbreaks of congenital disease.
He fought the thing gallantly; he fought
it with all the odds against him; he
fought it as man fights against pulmo-
nary consumption which has fastened
itself upon him; and for these struggles,
for this fighting off of the final catastro-
phe as long as he did, he is entitled to
consideration and credit Despite these
facts despite that he died combating
the internal disease that was fastened
upon him before his birth, The AdUance
and The 4 dcocate religious journals pub
lished in Chicago do not hesitate to dig
up his poor body and put upon it con-
tumely and insult. "Drunkard's grave"
murdered by the appetite that disgraced
his life." and thus from them there
breaks upon the air duet which recites
only calumnies over the grave of one of
Hfe's most conspicuous unfortunates.
1t is worthy of note that from out all
the bitterness ofpolitics and partisanship,
there has not, in any responsible quar-
ters, been uttered a single word deroga-
tory to the dead statesman. His virtues,
his services, his struggles have all been
put in the foreground, with the kindly
hope that they would intercept the Wis
ion, and shut out the darker features of
his life. Il is the political press-a force
unsparing in its likes and dislikes, and
neither gives nor accepts quarter in its
savage conficts-which, with kindly
hands, spread the mantle of charity over
the life of Richard Yates"
The inirmity from which Mr. Yates
suffered for many years, is well known
to the public, and we would not say
word to add pang, save to inquire into
the facts above stated, as to the prenatal
influences which led the victim on to
ruin. Was he, indeed, an ''inebriate
from conception p doomed" while yet
on his mothers breast? These are aw-
full sentences, and should not be uttered
without the best evidence of their truth
Was his father a drunkard? Did his
mother drink habitually to intoxication?
And did the child imbibe fire water"
with his mothers milk Was this his
inheritance of woeY If so, he was,
indeed, more to be pitied than blamed.
AS an evidence that he fought the de-
mona perverted appetite-and that he
supposed that he had conquered, the
following address, extracted from little
book entitled Temperance in the
American Congress" is offered. Mr..
Yates said
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN-It was not nv
intention to address you at all until this
afternoon, and l feel the need of more
preparation before speaking to so large
an audience as this. The reason why [
did not propose to addres this assembly
was because having so recently associa-
ted myself with the Congressional Tenn
to me than any other circumstance which
has occurred in the internal concerns of
the country during my administration.
If l had to commence my administra-
ton again. with the knowledge | have
from experience derived the first ques-
ton which l would ask from candidate
for public favor would be, is he addicted
to the use of ardent spirits q
Inc man VINO is TO leglSIate 1Of great
country, to help make laws and constitu-
tions involving the destinies of millions
of human beings, ought to be a man of
reflection, moral principle, integrity, and
above all, sober man. Applause Go
into your Legislative halls, State and ma
tional, and behold the drunkard stagger-
ing to his feet or sleeping at his post, and
ask yourself the question, whether he is
not more fit to be called a monument of
his country's shame than the representa-
tive of freemen? Would it not be most
fearful to contemplate that i'll fated epoch
in the history OF our country when the
demon of intemperance shall come into
our legislative halls without shame, re-
morse, or rebuke; when he shall sit up
on juries, upon the bench and drunken
ness run riot among the people. Who,
then, will protect the ship of state upon
this maddening tide; who will steer her
in her onward course amid the dashing
billows; who spread her starry flag to
the free, fresh, wild winds of heaven ?
Watchman, what of the night We
have been engaged in mighty revolu-
ton Your army and navy have carried
your arms under Grant and Banks
against the Gibralters of the Mississippi
and opened that stream from its source
to its mouth, Under the gallant Joe