The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-01-17
TABLE ETIQUETTE.
Henry Ward Beechers Declaration of
Independence.


A gentleman who sat at the next table to
that at which Rev. Henry Ward Beecher
was seated at a hotel in this city is willing
to make oath to the statement that the dis
tinguished pastor of Plymouth church ate
with his knife. Send him copy of
'Don't. t."-Boston Saturday Evening Ga
Zette.
Mr. Beecher eats with his knife on
principle. The following, from The
Nee0 York Ledger of some years back,
gives Mr.. Beecher's views on this SUBJ
ject, and will be read with interest at
this time:
My DEAR MIR. BONNER: Among all
the declarations of liberty which Amer
lean mankind is so fond of making, it
seems strange that there is no league,
association, party, or other combina-
ton to defend honest men against
Worn-out 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 anG cool it there? Much re-
prOach has been heaped upon .'strong''
tea and coffee, which properly belongs
to hot tea and coffee. Everyone knows
how much the efficient action of chem
zeal agents is intensified by heat Scald-
ing tea is far worse than strong tea;
but to lie 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. Cotfee-cups,
in houses where the secret of drinking
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 manners to
pour coffee into your saucer.
The spirit of ''seventy-six'' ought to
rise with every aiflicting gulp of hot
coffee! The custom IS ' 9wanton and
cruel. 1t is tyranny over the inner
sword. l count it, therefore, 81 duty to
humanity to set at defiance the edicts
Of the liquid despot, hot drink.-For
the welfare of mankind refuse to burn
my mouth or scald my stomach. In
stitions of etiquette raise Il plea for
relief.
Meantime, endowed with courage
and armed with principle, rejoice in
pouring forth the fragrant liquid into
IL capacious saucer. and, before the
pondering eyes, to raise the beverage
to my lips. Superstition is rebuked
Health is justified of her children.
4
avow myself as an advocate for the
rights of the knife. Now, custom has
reduced it to the mere function of cut
ting up ones food. That done, it is
laid down, and fork serves every
other purpose. BY practice one gains
unexpected dexterity in using fork
for purposes to which it is i'll adapted.
The Chinese, in like manner, make
awkward chop-sticks rarely service
able, by practice little short of leger-
domain; but is that a good reason for
the use of chop-sticks? A fork, as now
made, is untitled to pierce any morsel
upon its tines, and yet they are sharp
enough to aiflict the tongue if careless
ly used. They are split so as to be use
less for liquids, and yet they are used
as if they were spoons. The fork com:
pels the manipulation to poke and push
and pile up the food material which
tends to fall back and apart; it is made
to pursue the dainty tidbits, in which
often the very core of flavor resides,
around the plate in hopeless chase,
and at length a bit of bread is called in
as an auxiliary, and thus, while the
slim-legged fork, in one hand, is chas-
ing slim liquid mouthful, a wad of
bread in the other goes mOpping and
sopping around to form q corner, and
between the two is at length accom-
plished what is called genteel feedingi
Meanwhile, q broad knife is fitted
for the very function which the fork
refuses and the wad of bread ill per-
forms. Tho reasons for refusing the
knife as an active feeding implement
are worthy of the awkward practice.
''lt is liable to cut the mouth no more
than a fork is TO stick into the lip or
tongue.
Ii men ate with razors there would
be some reason for avoidance. But
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 to
the mouth. We do not object 10 the
fork, but we demand Il restoration of
the knife from Punishment. We do
not desire to enforce its use, but such
a liberation as shall leave each one
free to use the knife for conveying food
to the mouth when that is most con-
venient, and the fork when that is pre-
ferred. Equal rights we demand for
black and white, for home born or i'm
migrant, for rich and poor, for men
and women, and for knives and forks.