The daily gazette., 1878-05-04
Lets Have a Drink,
SOMETHING SENSIBLE ABOUT AN Ansup,
CUSTOM

SOMETHING SENSIBLE ABOUT AN ApsuRn
CUSTOM.
Inc following appeared in an Eastern
| ccniperahce journal some years apo II
old ~ 'o'ns httie
me ridiculous, absurd American cps-
tom OF asking" Is responsi BILE for seven.
elehths-mind, we say seven-eghths and
mean 1t, too-of all tie Huuor eonsnnad
IN this country. Abolish that custom to. ~
gay and where there are eight barrels of
hquor drank now there would be- hut
one: we believe this, and believe II
cant be gainsaid. We appeal to any
NUMBER OF drinkers for their opinion n
this matter. To this custom we owe our
'urinklng between drinks" which some
way, with more truth than poetry in his
Sou,, sa,d was the only thing that hurt,
What piece Of ridiculous folly it is to
20 ihto place, If in the mood for liouor.
and to ask Ave or six acquaintanc.s nm
10 drink with you; yet It Is done all the
uhe, ana by parties who perhaps want
the money for stockings but moi to do
IL When your acquaintances are about ia
10 De looked upon az "small potatoesD
and few In the hill. Take the following
as an illustration of a delightful "fx8
haoie 70 arise from this absurd custom:
You feel in mood for q glass. You 90
iqr IT, Meet a frend just as you are
sSout 70 enter gin mill and you task
MN in. Enter, and he comes upon n
group OF five or six of his friends who
have just entered and are conversinq for
2 moment. You are introduced all around
by your friend. Where are Won now
with dollar in your pocket and a We or
six on your hands, only one of whom
you ever saw before, and morally bound
Dy custom and compelled by false nride
10 ask them to join you in a social glass.
you cant get out Of it; they Know
you came in for liquor, and as your friend
introduced you, and didn't invite. WIN
you must do the honors, and Won say
you are glad to see them ian Internal lie.
Dy the way,) and ask them up. If you
are known at the bar, all right; If not.
you have TO borrow of your friend
Hows that Perhaps some Of the party
inlgnt ask you some other time, but the
chances are they wouldn't know Won
from a baked apple. A most absurd.
dead fraud this "asking" in come on
WIN nquor. DO we ask, coax, prevail
on acquaintances to 60 in and have neck
ties, gloves or boots with us? "Come in
and take bottle of wine with me :" men
VIII say, and take you by the arm and In
you go. Do they ever say, "Come in
and have hat with me ?" Are Won con-
tinually urged to eat thirgs? DO they
ask you to take pocket knives, lead pen-
ellis, hair dye, tooth powder, paper col.
lars or umbrellas with them No. This
'askiDg" business is confined to liouor.
1t is liquor hberality, or n custom
rather, that extends itself to no other ar.
ticle, If we except oysters and cigars, but
in these 1t is limited.
Take party of six Germans who 90
in for their lager. They sit down. and
each one drinks what he wants and pavs
for what he drinks. He isn't forced and
bantered because he does NOT drink
more. The same with Englishmen.
Frenchmen and all other people on the
lace OF the globe, except Americans
You know how it would be with six of
the latter did they 60 in for lager. There
would be thirty-six glasses drunk, or PAID
for, II not all drunk, because each mu,t
TASK" all the others. Humbug! Folly
Imagine q case like this did the "ask-
ing" business extend beyond the confines
OF liquor Two gentlemen walking up
broadway; one Is attracted by a fine
display Of bottles-no, boots, shoes, &c.
in window. "Bob, let's 20 in and
have some boots" In they 20, "Take
hold, BOB; what's your fancy?" "Thank
GU, Tom, but I'm not taking boots lust
now" "Oh, get it. Take hold. One
pair won't hurt you" "No, excuse me.
Tom" "Take something, Bob. Take
home a pair of boots for your wife.
Don't see me do this alone" Bob comes
iown and takes pair Of boots. It's no
peals