Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-01-09
WHOLE NO. 1866.
About Drinks and Drinking

PRESIDENT and Mrs Hayes still con-
tinue to exclude wine from their table
at the White House. Mr.. Evarts. the
Secretary Of State. has secured an ex-
ception 10 this rule at the diplomatic
dinners, although Mr. AMI Mrs. HAYES
will preside without glasses before
/ them.
i The French Statesmen use vino
moderately. and spirits almost never
They prefer their own light wines.
leaving champagne to the last; and
nearly all their public dinners are fin-
ished without speeches.
The cultivated English are far more
temperate than in former DAYS. AT
state dinners, which are costly and
luxurious, the ministry are proverbi-
ally frugal, though Lord Derby, tho
late Chief of the foreign office, was in
ordinately fond of sherry. Nobody
smokes in private house, unless it is
the billiard room.
But the English club men are gen.
orally hearty drinkers. There are
| over seventy clubs ia London alone.
Gambling is not as common as it was
in the days of Charles James Fox, who
often lost 81 900 night, while in the
zenith of bic Parliamentary fame, and
thought nothing of it, The Raleigh
in the Pail Mall is still believed to in
dulge in cards for money, but modern
John Bull prefers whist, brandy and
soda, and hot Scotch or Irish whisky.
Excessive dissipation is confined to
the London gin palaces, which abound
in frightiul proportion, where men
and women drink FIRE. water and bad
beer until they are sodden and it is
no infre9uent sight to see child
made stupid by the milk of drunke
mother.
But the Russians bear the palm.
They purchase most OF the costly
French champagnes, and they prefer
a mixed drink of their own-a fearful
compound-after dinner, which il
something like the English claret cup,
that Charles Dickens loved to "com
pose," with fiery liquids added,
President and Mrs. Hayes are not
altogether alone. They are doubtless
more rigid than other rulers, but
Queen Victoria is a model in her own
house, like the good Prince Albert,
and | happen to know that Gambetta,
Laboulaye, Leon Say, Louis Blanc,
Victor Hugo, the Orleans princes. and
the Bourbon psetenders are moderate
and careful men and it is but Just to
say toe same of the Emperor OF Ger
many, the Russian Gear, the young
King of Italy and the widower mon
arch of Spain.
Deep drinking is not 80 much the
custom as it was, at least let us hope
so. There is no better way to cure
the abuse than to make It unfashiona-
BILE. A good example is better than
an angry sermon. Gerritt Smith, who
died at a great age. (7s ! think. sat
IN Congress two years, from 1853 tn
1855, and was one OF the most genial,
generous and hospitable OF men, He
gave many splendid entertainments,
and never had a drop Of wine on his
table The jolly men were much
amazed at his course, but he never
apologized for it.
My other good friend, Horace
Greeley, was not so successful when
he became candidate for President
in 1872. He was an extreme temper.
ance leader, as pure as cool water,
even in bis blunders, but as much out
of place as Democratic nominee as
Bishop Simpson in the Vatican. After
he agreed to stand for that high office
the Southern politicians called on him
al Chappaqua, his county seat on the
Harlem road. and he benevolently
asked them to drink from lis famous
spring. They were surprised. but
submissive, until he offered them a
second dranght, at which Governor
- of Louisiana somewhat testify
declined, with the remark, "That this
was beverage he never internally
applied " The legend runs. that when
the party left the white haired editor,
the Governor sadly observed that he
had to drink several cocktails to keep
the nomination down. - Fornsy's
Progress.