Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-02-23
Social Drinking.

. A few weeks ago, notable com
pany of gentlemen assembled in the
ample parlors of the venera lie anC
much beloved William E. Dodge in
: this city 70 listen to an essay, by
Judge Noah Davis, on the relations
of crime to the habit of intemper-
ate drinking. The company was
notable for its responsibility, it's
number of public men, and the
further fact that it contained many
Who were well known to be wine-
drir kers-unattuched to any tens
persnce organization. No one could
have listened to Judge Davis's dis
closure of the facts of his subject
! without the conviction that it was
subject worthy the attention Of
every philanthropist, every polit-
zeal economist, and every wells
wisher of society, present, whether
temperance 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
astounding, even to temperance
men themselves, and there were
none present, we presume, who did
not feel that Judge Davis had done
rare favor to the cause Of temper
ance in thus putting into lis service
his resources OF knowledge and his
persuasive voice. How many were
convinced by the fac.s detailed that
evening that they usht to give up
the habit OF social drinking, we can
not tell. The probabilities are tnaG
none were 50 moved, for this habit
of social drinku.C, or rather the
considerations that go with it, are
very despotic. The idea that a
man can not be hospitabIe without
the offer of wine to bis guests
is so fixed in the minds OF most
well-to. do people in dis ci-,9 tu@t
they will permit no consider zion TO
with it. People IN ire !
country, in the ordinary walks OF
life, have no conception of the des-
potic character of this idea. There
arc literally thousand of respecta-
bic men in New York who would
consider their character and social
seriously compromised by
giving a dim c: to a company Of
ladies and gentlemen without the
offer of wine. 1t is not that they
care for it themselves, particularly.
1t is quite possible, or likely, in
deed, that they would be glad, for
many reasons, to Danish the wine
cup from their tables, but they do
not dare 20 do it. 1t is also true
hat such is the power of this ide4
upon many temperance men that
they refrain altogether from CIV ng
dinners, lcs5 their guests shonlI /
feel the omission of wine to lie a
hardship and an autra3e upon The f
customs of common hospitality. !
We have called these things 10
notice for a special reason. The
of wine~drinkers VINO
made up so large a portion of the
number that filled Mr.. Dodge'S
rooms on the occasion referred to,
must have been profoundly I'M
pressed by the revelations and ar
guments of Judge Davis. They S
could not have failed to see that by
.hese revelations they have been
brought face to face with great
luty, NOT, perhaps, the duty Of v
topping social drinking, and all re-
ponsibIe connection with it, but
he duty of doing something to
cal the fountains of this drink
Which has contributed so largely to
he spread of crime and poverty
nd misery. A man must, indeed,
e a bi ute VINO can contemplate the
acts of intemperance without being
moved to remedy them. They are
90 horrible to contemplate long at
time, and every good citizen must
eel that the world can not improve
ntil, in some measure, the supplies
f drank are dried up.
Our reason for writing this article d
to call attention to the fact that II
here is something about this habit I
f social drinking that kills the
,otives to work for temperance c
mong those who suffer by coarse
nd destructive habits of drink.
temperance is very rarely directly
,bored for, by those VINO drink wlne' '
IS a rule, with almost no exceptions g
t all, the man who drinks wine with .
is dinner does not undertake any