Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-12-13
TABLE ETIQUETTE
Henry ward Beeeher's Declaration OF
Independence

Ward Beecher was seated in a hotel
in this city is willing to make oath to
the statement that the distinguished
pastor of Plymouth church ate with
his knife, Send him copy of Don't
Boston Saturday Evening Gazette.
Mr.. Beecher eats with his knife ON
principle. The following, from The
New York Ledger o. some years back,
gives Mr. Beechers views on this sub
jeet, and will be read with interest ut
this time;
My DEAR Mr.. BONNER; Among all |
the declarations of liberty which |
American mankind is so fond of max |
ing, it seems strange that there is no
league, association, party, or other (
combination to defend honest men |
against wornout or absurd customs /
For example, will any man tell me
why am forbidden by what is called |
good manners to pour my tea into |
a saucer and cool il therel Much re- |
preach has been heaped upon strong
tea and coffee, hich properly belongs
to hot tea and coffee Everyone knows
how much the efficient action of chemi- |
cal agents is intensified by heat, Scald /
ing tea is far worse than strong tea
but to be both scalding and strong is
an attack upon the human body which
no man ought to venture who has any
regard for health. But etiquette for
bids me to cool my coffee in any other
manner than by waiting. Coifeecup
IN houses, where the secret of drink
ing good coffee is known, should be
like the human heart large and deep,
and in such cases, the beverage will,
like true affection, cool very slowly,
Hence one who does not wish to wait
till the meal is over before drinking
coffee must either cool it in his saucer
or drink it hot, or wait and drink it
after breakfast, and all because of the
absurd notion that it is not good man
ners TO pour coffee into your saucer
The spirit of "seventy-si&' ought
to rise with every affecting gulpof hot
coffee The custom is wanton and
cruel 1t is tyranny over the inner
man. carried ON by force, if not by
/ the sword | count It, therefore, a
| duty to humanity to set at defiance
/ the edicts Of the liquid despot, hot
/ drink. For the welfare of mankind |
refuse to burn nay mouth or scald my
stomach. In behalf of mute devotees
of the superstitions Of etiquette | raise
plea for relief.
Meantime, endowed with courage and
armed with principle, | rejoice in
pouring forth the fragrant liquid into
a capacious saucer, and, before the
wondering eyes, to raise the beverage
to my lips. Superstition is rebuked.
Health is justified TO her children
Even more will be shocked when |
avow myself as an advocate for the
rights of the knife. Now, custom
has reduced it to the mere function Of
cutting up ones food. That done, it
it is laid down, and fork serves ev-
cry other purpose. BY practice one
gains unexpected dexterity IN using a
fork for the purposes to which 1t is i'll
adapted. The Chinese in like man
ner make awkward chop sticks rarely
serviceable, by practice little short Of
ledgermain; but is that good reason
for their.usel A fork, as now made
is untitled to pierce any morsel upon
its tines, and yet they are sharp
enough to atliict the tongue if careless
ly used They are split so as TO be
useless for liquors, and yet they are
used as if they were spoons. The fork
compels the manipulation to poke, and
push and pile up the food material
which tends to fall back and apart ;
is made TO pursue the daintys tidbits,
in which often the core Of flavor re
sides, around the plate in hopeless
chase, and at length "A bit of brea! is
called in as an auxiliary, and thus,
it is, while the slimlegged fork
in one hand is chasing slim mouth
full, a wad of bread in the other goes
hopping and sopping around to form
a corner, and between Che two is at
length accomplished what is called
genteel eating
Meantime, broad knife is fitted for
the very function which the fork re.
fuses and the wad OF bread i'll per
forms. The reasons for refusing the
knife as an active feeding implement
are worthy Of the awkward practice.
, 1T is liable TO cut the mouth no
more than a fork is to stick into the
1 lip or tongue.
If men ate with razors there would
! De some reasons iof aFOiuahct. Dut
table-knives are blunt-edged. 1t is
even difficult to make them cut when
one tries, and if they are properly
used the back of the blade will be
turned toward the mouth. We do
not object TO the fork, but we demand
a restoration Of the knife from Danish
ment. We do not desire to enforce
its use, but such liberation as shall
leave each one free TO use the knife to
convey food 10 the mouth when that
is most convenient, and the fork
when it is preferred Equal rights
we demand for black and white, for
home born or immigrant, for rich
or poor, for men and women, and for
knives and forks