St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1879-06-28
WHISKY HADN'T KILLED
HIM.
A MINNESOTA STATESMAN's PLEA FOR
THE CUP THAT CHEERS AND
ALSO ISEBRIATEs.

In the Minnesota House of Rep-
resentatiyes, DR.. Riley recently op-
posed a bill which threatened the
dram-shops. the report says that
his speech SO covered the bill with
ridicule as to en- hanger its passage,
but the danger was averted by other
speakers. DR.. Riley, who it seems
is a small man. began by saying
that the bill would kill an bonora-
BILE and Legitimate industry-grape
raising. He then cited the miracle
of cana, and proceeded:
Now let us consider whisky and
alcohol-that good old American
drink. (Laushter.) 1 was horn in
Southern Illinois several years ago.
My father before me was Il distiller,
aud almost the first thing my eyes
rested on alter | was born was u
still. My father never sat down to
dlnner without Il bottle of whisky
on the table, and We all drank it.
Ever since l can remember l have
been in the habit of taking a drink
Of whisky, wine or beer every day.
If l have skipped a day have for
gotten 1t. Laughter.) They say
that whisky kills men and bloats
them. 1t hasn't killed ME, and I
ask any member of the House to say
II they think 1t has bloated me.
(Great lnushter.) don't look
bioated. (Renewed merriment. J
l am a physician, and 1 have no
hesitancy Ill saying that whisky is
one of the most vltalizing of stimu-
lants. When man receives an in
jury, the first thing a physician does
Is to give him little whisky for the
purpose Of putting his blood in cir
culation. Perhaps it may be neces-
sary to pass law to protect those
miserable drunkards who can not
protect themselves, but it is not
necessary to restrain others of their
liberty to take a drink when they
want or need 1t. Temperance may
be good thing, but it should not
be carried too far. This bill reminds
me- Of the man who was i'll the habit
of getting drunk every night. When
he had got comfortably full he would
mount his horse, e1cla ming, as he
did 50, God help mel" But one
night lie was not as drunk as usual,
and lniscalculuted his distance, fall
ing on the opposite side of his horse,
when he added to his prayer, but
not quite SO much!" (Great laugh
ter. These God-and-humanity peo-
pis had better take care. They will
be helping us too much.
Why, L have seen ladies at tea
parties. perhaps not drunk, but GER
tsinly very jolly from drinking tea.
And yet they come to this Legisla-
ture with petitions signed by all
those whom they could influence or
buldose into signing them-men,
women ami children to la" number
OF 10000. / have not cUunted them
and don't know how correct the fig
ures are; but surprising there is
that number, what does it amount
to? There are sou, Quo people in
Minnesota, and we are proposing to
let these 10000 override the other
10000. How long do you sup
pose this large majority viii per-
init this to 20 on? How long will
they stand dictition from the mi
norlty? Not very long, / can toll
you.
The Prohibitionists claim that
drinking tends to ilnpoverish the
people. For Gods sake do you be-
lieve that? Look at the Germans.
Many of them take piece of land
which could scarcely support hog,
and make il fortune on it. They
take their wives and children to the
beer garden and sit down and drink
their beer every day, and even the
baby in arms will stretch out to get
a taste of it. These people are so
healthy i'll my neighborhood that |
have actually been unable to make