St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-05
REVENGE is SWEET.
Senator Keller Is Incensed at the
Scheffer Drunkenness Bill

REVENGE Is SWEET.
Senator Keller Is Incensed at the
Scheffer Drunkenness Bill.
Senator Scheffer has scored point in
his bill prohibiting drunkenness. A
majority of the senate are favorable to
1t, and so far as this chamber is con-
cerned no serious opposition has been
made against the measure. Senator
Keller is opposed to it, and in the COM
mittee of the whole attempted to amend
and secure its defeat. The first amend
ment was that the Fourth of July
should be excepted by the bill. This
was laughed down, and Senator Keller,
introducing another amendment, gravely
remarked: "Gentlemen, | would like
to inform you it is no trif1ing natter to
spread such laws on our statute book"
"Order, ORDER" interpolated Senator
Pope, and Senator Keller dropped into
his seat as if an electric current had
struck him and passed up through his
back. The amendment he desired to
propose read: Provided, that the pro-
visions of this bill do not apply to any
person or persons who shall become in
tOXicated at state election which shall
have resulted in the election of DEM
ocrat governor of the state" Laugh
ter.
Senator Compton, do not think we
shall run any risk in adopting that
amendment. More laughter.]
Senator Durant-I move an amend
ment excluding from the operation Of
the bill persons over the age of fifty
years.
This was also defeated, and raised the
agony i'm Senator Keller.
Nov, gentlemen" he commenced,
"you know what you are doing.
laughter Such laws as this are be-
hind the times-it is returning to the
Dark Ages. You are going to say to the
old man of sixty OF seventy, who en-
joys little of something, and once in a
while gets little tipsy, that he must
give up whisky drinking. He must
give up his glass of whisky, which pre-
serves his life, and drink cold water
and go to a watery grave. Loud
laughter.] If you have got little spite
against a man you can get him put be-
hind the bars, if this bill should pass.
If you were to put me behind the bars
| would get my revenge. l would not
want to be in the United States any
more" Renewed laughter.1
Senator Day-No measure introduced
this session has received such general
appreciation and approval at the hands
of the press and the people as this one.
''Chestnutsp' blurted out Senator
Keller, and the senate lost its dignity in
wild burst of laughter, in which SEN
ator Day could not help but join. He
continued: IF the gentleman desires
to make brute of himself and get
drunk he will find plenty of room out
side this country. This is bill in the
interests of practical temperance. 1t
tends to make drunkenness diSgracefHl,
and does not discriminate between the
high and the low"
Senator Bowen said when this bill
was originally introduced he was OPP
posed to it. 1t provided this, that the
penalty for drunkenness should be inn
prisonment only. He was opposed to
that. because he was not in favor of Sc
lecting this offense and making it more
odious than anything else. 1t was not
fair nor Just that man should be i'm
prisoned for lndulging to excess in in
toxicating liquors, while another man,
guilty of manslaughter, could get off
with fine. That was going too far in
temperance legislation; but as the bill
was amended, providing a fine or i'm
prisonment, he was in favor of it. He
could not see how any one could now
oppose the bill and represent the rights
of any individual or of the public gen.
orally. The man who got beastly drunk
was not entitled to any consideration,
and it should be made punishable by a
penalty of the kind this bill provided.
Senator Brown here got in terrible
thrust at Senator Keller, which highly
tickled the risible faculties of the SEN
ate. Senator Keller" he proceeded,
''says if this bill is passed and he is put
behind the bars, he would have his re-
venge-he would leave the United
States. Well, am sure the United
can stand it if the senator from Stearns
can" Loud, prolonged laughter.]
Senator Keller would say
Chairman HiXson-You have spoken
| three times.
Senator Keller-I can speak a hun
are in the committee of the whole.
| Proceeding.) will say as far as | am
| concerned | can take care of No. 1, but
| | say it's no use putting this law on the
statutes, because you cannot enforce it.
| The best citizen is the man who eats,
drinks and goes to church; like Paul
dido a little of everything. Laugh
teri can show you fifty scriptures in
! the good book where every one of them
took little drop and tasted it. Laugh
teri This bill is hypocrite bill. Re-
newed laughter.
| Senator Scheffer read letter from ex-
! Gov. McGill, who wrote: Like most
public questions, there are two sides to
| the temperance question, and you have
| got hold of side hitherto neglected. l
| believe the passage of your bill would
materially advance the cause of temper
| ance."
The bill was favorably reported to
pass, and, as amended, reads:
| Whoever voluntarily becomes intoXi-
Gated by the excessive drinking of in
toXicating liquors shall be deemed
| guilty of the crime of drunkenness, and
| upon conviction thereof shall be pun
| ished as follows:
Fist otfense by fine of not less than
| ten days nor more than $40, or by i'm
| prisonment for not less than ten, nor
| more than forty days.
| Second offense by Imprisonment for
not less than thirty nor more than nine
| ty days.
Third offense. and all subsequent Of
| lenses, by Imprisonment for not less
| than sixty nor more than ninety days.
CONGRATULATE BEN.