The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-14
ssTHTS IS ON ME.v

Representative McIlhaney, one Of the
wise men Of the state formerly Of
Cameron, now Of Quay, is to hitch his
name to the stars by introducing and
pushing a bill to prevent that inter-
change of social courtesies and admis-
the bar and passing under the popular
name of trea ting. There is an unwrit-
ten law, to which all the devotees of
Gambrinus and Bacchus bend, that
compels the acceptance of an invitation
to take something" to be reciprocated
with return request to 'take another
with the recipient If there be but the
pair Of them, this results in both TAX
ing but one more drink than either
would have taken, but for this mandate
Of custom. But if there happen to be
several in the party, the law is not
fulfilled until each in turn has ''set 'em
up" and each has poured down as
many glasses Of whatever is taken as
there are reciproeating invitations. The
penalty for accepting treat without
giving one in return is the disesteem of
ones fellow associates at the bar a
reputation for being mean and stingy,
and a gradual cessation Of invitations
to join in the flowing bowl.
Naturally, when the number "stand-
ing treat" rises above two or three
each member begins, unless he is cop
10 xr,ho
that warm, champagny, old-particular,
brandy punchy feeling" stealing over
him, locomotion leaving the legs and
vibrating the tongue, and the condi-
mination that the police courts term "a
plain drunk" If this English custom
which our ancestors brought over with
the common law and sundry other
the staid, sensible habits Of the Teu-
tons put in its place, when every man
would make his glass of beer, or wine
or soothing cocktail, his own personal
aid to sociability, and take 1t as an af-
front If a companion should offer to
pay for 1t, the use Of these stimulants
would be productive Of far less harm
than under the English custom Of
treats. No man would feel under obIi-
cation to imbtbe more than he
wanted, and, as but few are possessed
by drunken souls in the beginning.
there would be little drunkenness with.
probably, no decrease Of drinking. The
German, untirs he has become spoiled
by contact with the domesticated Eng
lish custom of treating, brings to this
adjunct Of sociability that common
sense that distinguishes his race in
most matters. except, possibly. in the
matter Of sugar bounties and importa-
lions of Art3hrieah pork.
1t was Wisconsin, with her prepon-
derance Of GERMAN population, that at
tempted some years ago what Mr.. Nc
Infancy is about to try in pennsylvania.
An anti-treat lay was passed, but, in
the first case for hts violation that came
into court It was discovered that the
law was anendatory of a prior law
which hads, been. repealed meantime,
and the court Properly held that an
amendmentfof abdead law neither res
directed thf n5t4bund act nor gave
vitality to the amendment. So that bit
Of reformatory legislation went to the
lumber room to join the numberless
other similar utilities that repose and
gather dust there. Pennsylvania has
been so long lost to Democracy and be-
come so impregnated with paternalism
that it is probable that Mr. McIlhaney's
bill will find favor in the eyes of the
legislators, but we venture the pre-
diction that it will be no more effica-