The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-03-01

Europeans say that the reason why the
Americans need Temperance legislation
more than any other nation is because Of
their almost universal custom Of treating
each other. This custom entails a sense
Of obligation which no man OF selt.respect
feels at liberty to disregard. 1.-The is treat
ed he feels that he must treat in his turn,
and il half dozen join in drink at bar
each participant feels as If he was under a
debt which he must discharge in the
course Of an hour or two, or as soon there
after as possible. And thus it often hap
pens that where European would only
take ono drink an American will take
several.
The Cincinnati Ga.ete traces much Of
the intemperance in that city, and in all
cities, to this custom Of treating all round.
Even where only two persons meet the Gus.
tom works to their mutual disadvantage
Says the Ga:ette:
The same coercion, with some variation
Of manner and degree, extends TO the drink.
ing when only two persons meet. II the
treat is not returned on the spot, the treated
feels obliged to return It at the first oppor.
nifty, although this may oblige him to drink
when he does not want to; when It NAV
be an untimely disturbance to his head ior
business. Thus in all ways the custom
oil treating tends to reduce all who in.
dulge at all to the habit Of hard toper. All
that have had any experience as gentle
and occasional drinkers are aware that sim
pie wine may betaken at dinnermoderately
with a gentle enlivening effect, or drink
OF spirits in the evening, when the work
Of the day is done, or upon a social oc-
'casion, without any perceptibly injurious
effect; at least that man and woman NAV
have this habit and live long, and appar.
emily have good possession OF their facul.
ties; whereas tho practice OF drinking in the
morning, or at any time before dinner. ia
particularly destructive, and in generaI Ia
a symptom that the man is far gone toward
sottishness, But he who allows himself TO
be treated can have no hours when he il
exempt from receiving and paying. Thus
he is forced to be regular drinker, and
forced upon the high road to the drunkard's
end.
All are aware that the pretenso Of gener.
osity in this custom is an ostentatious sham.
It is as much matter Of exchange as Inc
Oriental practice Of making presents, The
treater expects TO be treated In turn. Mem
tally he charges il up. II those in his debt
do not pay soon, he sets them down in his
mental account books as mean, and he
makes disparnging remarks on them. In
this way he who rarely drinks anything.
and still more rarely at public dfinkinr
houses, by happening to be where party
oil men are joined in a treat, has It charged
against him by the trcater, II not BY ali he
rest; and II he does not follow II up by
treating, he is set down as skinaint, who |
is temperate only to save his money, and |
who drinks II anybody will treat him.
Thus this ostentatious, ireehanded prac.
tice Of treating is only practice Of trade
which, in It's nature, runs to sharp practice
1t tends straight to deadbeatism, because
he who accepts the first drink Is to that
extent q deadbeat, unless he pays il bacl;
lttends straight TO untimely drinking ex.
cessiye drinking, steady drinking and sot-
fish drinking. Among all respectable peo. |
pie II Is a greater pressure to intemperate
drinking than their own appetites.