St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-07-09
A NEWSPAPER HOAX.

4hO hiSSOAJ Va WV Ss -
lB. Hayes Temperance Associa-
tion."
washington Letter in the Cleveland Plain
dealer.
There was probably nothing in con-
nectiOn with eX-President Hayes ad-
ministration which attracted such wide
spread attention and which, coupled
with Mrs. Hayes abrogation of the
time-honored custom of serving wines
at the state dinners, did so much to
stimulate the talk of petticoat influence
at the White house as the notorious
Mrs. X. B. Hayes Temperance asso-
ciatlOn." The reading public believed
she was the patron saint of the associa-
ton, and the cold water societies all
over the country were as happy as
CLANS at high tide in being able to point
to mistress of the White house who
had the courage to lead the charge
against the wine cup: These persons
have never been diSilluSiOned, and it is
doubtful whether Mrs. Hayes herself
did not die in ignorance of the true
character of the association which bore
her name.
History affords no better example of
WIldG q ACW DCWSpdpCl hShs WhSh CIV
ing in unison, are able to fOiSt upon an
unsuspecting public than this same
Mrs. R. B. Hayes Temperance Associa-
ton. The true history of this society is
here written for the first time.
In 1877, when President Hayes en-
tered the White house, there were
working in Washington three newspa-
per men, John A. McCarty, Oh the local
staff of the Baltimore Sun; John B.
McNabe, on the local force of the Bal
timore Gazette; and Henry Noyes, on
the Washington Star. All were young
men of brilliancy and talent. McNabe,
like many others in his profession, was
a bon vivant. fond of convivial society,
and apt on occasions to look too often
on the wine when it was red. His two
companions were not only total abstain
ers but inclined to be rather cranky"
on the subject. They had been trying
to reclaim McNabe for some time, and
occasionally with such success that he
would make tentative efforts to re.
form. One evening after McNabe had
recovered from rather prolonged de-
bauch the three men were sitting around
the police station "a traditional custom
with night reporters) swapping yarns.
Finally McCarty and Noyes began eX-
patlating on the evils OF intemperance.
McNabe, rather to check a disagreeable
discussion than in spirit of serious
ness, proposed that they all join tenn
perance society. And then and there
was organized the Mrs. K. b. Hayes
Temperance association, with Noyes as
president, McCarty as vice president
and McNabe as secretary and treasurer.
That is all the society ever consisted of.
The next day McCabe, McCarty and
Moves spread the news of the formation
OF the organization to the winds. After
that the three members met at the po-
lice station every Thursday night to de-
wise ways and means for keeping the
society before the public. Whenever
there was any public question pending
was even remotely related to the liquor
traffic they would draw up resolutions
which were eagerly printed by the
press associations and the local papers.
In this way the doings Of the associa-
ton became mat ter of common gossip
all over the country, and it is said that
on one occasion Mrs. Hayes, who
thought it was bona fide society for
the suppression of intemperance, sent
them some flowers. And thus for three
wears the "association" went on resO-
iuting each Thursday night until Mrs.
HAYES went to Philadelphia III 1880 to
be present at the launching of John
Roach's steamer City of Pekin. The
next day the Philadelphia Press said
that Mrs. Hayes had, at luncheon
given in her honor the previous
day, taken a few sips of claret
punch. That evening the three
newspaper men met and pro-
decided to resolute that, whereas, etc.,
"the Mrs. R. B. Hayes Temperance
society," has heard with regret, etc.
(then going on to recite the alleged in
diligence of Mrs. Hayes in the wine),
"be it resolved" ETC., ''that we do now
disband."
This resolution, as usual, was given
to the press and was everywhere
greeted with storm of scathing criti-
cism. The members of the association
were called lot of marrow, bigoted.
presumptuous people," just as though
their name was legion. No one ever
stopped to inquire who or what they
were
This is the true history of the much
abused Mrs. R. B. Hayes Temperance
association" Of the persons who fig
ured in this famous hoax, Noyes is
dead, Mccarthy is financial secretary to
Senator Stanford, and McNabe is in
business in Alabama.