Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-03-19
Social Drinking.
auditor.

paIlOIS VI lllo VouoTIDlo anu much De-
loved William E. Dodge of this city to
listen to an essay, by Judge Noah
Davis, on the relations Of crime to the
habit of Incorporate drinking. The
company was notable for it's respecta-
bility, its number Of public men, and
the further fact that it contained many
who were well known to be wine-drink-
ers--unattached to any temperance Or
ganization. No one could have listened
to Judge Davis disclosure of the facts of
his subject without the conviction that
it was a subject worthy the attention of
every philanthropist, every political
economist, and every wellwisher of So
ciety present, whether temperance men
men or not. These facts, gathered
from many quarters, and from the
best authorities, were most significant
in fastening upon the use Of alcohol
the responsibility for most of the crimes
and poverty of society. Some of them
were astonishing, even to temperance
themselves, and there were none pres
ent, we presume, who did not feel that
Judge Davis had done rare favor to
the cause of temperance in thus put
ting into its service his resources of
knowledge and his persuasive voice.
How many were convinced of the facts
detailed that evening that they ought to
| give up the habit of social drinking, we
cannot tell. The probabilities are that
none were SO moved, for this habit of
social drinking, or rather the considera-
tons that go with II, are very despotic.
| The idea that man cannot be Hospital
| BILE without the offer of wine TO his
guests is SO fixed in the minds of most
well-to-do people in this city that they
will permit no consideration to inter
fere with it. People in the country. in
the ordinary walks Of life, have no con-
ception of the despotic character of
this idea. There are literally thousands
of respectable men in New York who
would consider their character and So
cial standing seriously compromised by
| giving dinner to company of ladies
and gentlemen without the offer of
wine. 1t Is not that they care for it
themselves, particularly. It is quite
possible, Or likely, indeed, that they
would be glad, fer many reasons, to
Danish the wine-cup from their tables.
but they do not dare to do it. 1t is also
true that such is the power of this idea
upon many temperance men that they
refrain altogether from giving dinners,
| lest their guests should feel the omis-
sion of wine to be hardship and on
outrage upon the customs Of common
hospitality,
We have called these things to notice
for special reason. The company of
wine-drinkers who made up SO large a
| Sf hn hat
Dodge's rooms on the occasion referred
to, must have been profoundly impress
ed by the revelations and arguments Of
Judge Davis. They could not have
failed to feel that by these revelations
| they had been brought face to face with
a great duty,-not, perhaps, the duty
of stopping social drinking, and all res
ponsible connection with it, but the
| duty of doing something to seal the
| fountains of this drink which has con-
| tributed SO largely to the spread Of
crime and poverty and misery. A man
must, indeed, be brute who can con-
template the facts of intemperance
without being moved to remedy them.
They are too horrible to contemplate
long at a time, and every good citizen
must feel that the world cannot I'M
prove until, in some measure, the sup
giles of drink are dried up. ..-
Our reason for writing this article is
is something about this habit of social
winedrinking that kills the motives to
work for temperance among those who
suffer by coarse and destructive habits
of drink. Temperance is very rarely
directly labored for by those who drink
wine. AS a lule, with almost no excep-
tons at all, the man who drinks wine
with his dinner does not undertake any
work to keep his humble neighbors
temperate. AS a rule, too, the wine
drinking clergyman says nothing about
intemperance in his pulpit, when it is
demonstra bly, the most terrible scourge
that afflicts the world. There seems to
be something in the touch of wine that
paralyzes the ministerial tongue on the
topic of drink.
We fully understand the power of So
cial influence to hold to the wine cup
as the symbol of hospitality. 1t is one
of the most relentless despotisms from
which the world suffers, and exactly
here is its worst result. We do not sup
pose that very large number of drunk
ards are made by wine drunk at the
table in respectable homes. There is
percentage of Incorporate men made
undoubtedly here, bat perhaps the
worst social result that comes of this
habit is its. paralyzing effect upon re-
form-its paralyzing effect upon those
whose judgments are convinced, and
whose wishes for society are all that
they should be. 1t is only the total alb
stainer who can be relied upon to work
for temperance-who ever has been re-
lied upon to work for temperance; and
of Mr.. Dodge's company of amiable
and gentlemanly wlne-drinkers, it is
safe to conclude that not one will join
hands with him in temperance labor
with Judge Davis's awful facts sound
ing in his ears-Who does not first cut
off his own supplies. G. Holland, an
| ScYibner for March,.