The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-02-20
ELKTON, Md, FEBRUARY 20, 1897.
THE AMERICAN CUSTOM OF
TREATING IN LIQUOR
SALOONS.

SALOONS.
1t is the conviction of every intellige 1t
observer, that the downfall of large pro-
portion of young men who become drunk
ards, is directly traceable to the American
custom of treating.
Young and self-respccting men, who
would never dream of going into Il drinking
place alone, and taking drink because
they really liked liquor, can be readily
induced to take social glass as G matter
of courtesy with friend or a number of
friends.
OF course, having accepted the courtesy
OF a drink, the courtesy must be returned.
The exchange of courtecies must of
course extend down the line, and when the
last mans round is reached, even in a
small company of genial fellows, every
individual of the company will have
imbibed number of drinks, and be that
much the worse probably tipsy--from
what he has taken.
Unfortunately the custom in America,
has the sanction of responsibility and usage,
whether INDUCED in hotels or social clubs
If you accept treat, you must in turn
treat others.
There is no limit to the obligation, ex-
cept that of numbers and the size of your
purse.
Under the social pressure of this solely
American habit, it is matter of surprise,
how soon young man OF promise and fine
social qualities, will become the abject
slave to it,
When he first accepted the courtesy of a
social drink, the edge of the whisky almost
took his breath, and gagged him feariully
as he swallowed it in spasmodc gulps.
But he stood up to his drnk-f nearly
choked-because in his youthful imagina-
ton, it was "big" thing for youngster
to ''treat" at a respectable (?) public bar,
or before the glittering buffet of some en-
elusive club.
The hot liquor at first burned its way
down his sensitive gullet and he stood the
atfliction, he thought, as a test of his young
manhood, and he took his medicine for its
effect (?) solely.
Did he like liquor?
Certainly not.
He drank with Cholly. and of course
Cholly had in turn to drink with him.
That's American, not English you know.
And so, the unsuspecting youth before
he knows it, becomes, if young man of
leisure, IA habitual tippler, and if a young
man in business, tippler at his luncheon,
and after business hours.
1t is a we'll recognized fact among city
business men, that tipping at luncheon
time, and during business hours, has in
America become public menace in nearly
all business circles.
But it is an American practice, tolerated
and encouraged under the American GUS
tom of treating.
Now the custom so prevalent in America
is not of American origin. 1t is an i'm
ported folly, and upon good authority,
came from Scotland and Ireland.
But wherever it came from it is terrible
evil in America, and we are glad to see
influential men in our large cities organic.
ing against it.
New York city recently resisted the i'm
pOrtatiOn and introduction of the English
bar maid, as an extra temptation and
incentive for dissipation of the gilded
American youth, and in Philadelphia, q
movement is on foot against the "treating'
custom.
The movement it seems is national one,
and it promises to become general.
A gentleman prominent in the move
ment said he had been led to the study of
the question by having his attention called
to the uses of the decentralization of
young men. In this connection he spoke
OF betting rings at large lace tracks. The
present system of racing with gambling, he
said, was introduced from England, as
short time ago as 1877. He also spoke of
the gambling dens in Chicago, at the time
OF the Worlds Fair, and Of the manner in
which the city was controlled by the gamb-
ling interests Lyman j. Gage, who will
be Secretary in Mcltinley's Cabinet, caused
the overthrow of the Citizens Association,