The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-07
The Autocrat and Rum.

81 notice that all the people who speak
In favor of the amendment direct their
attacks against whisky and the saloon"
said conservative old citizen, but as
matter of fact the saloon and whisky
are not the issues at all. These words
are only dragged in to prejudice mems
minds and mislead the unsophisticated
upon very important question.
IF the attack were made upon whisky
and the saloon as 1t was in this city two
years ago I would take off my coat
to join in the fight, but when vinous
and malt liquors are included in the term
whisky I must certainly refuse to lend
my aid. 1 consider 1t an insult TO my in
telligence and a direct perversion of the
English language to speak of wine and
beer as whisky. Wine Is not whisky; beer
Is not whisky; buttermilk Is not whisky,
although there are many people, as re-
suit of what they have heard and read
within the last month, crazy enough to
believe SO.
But this trick Of calling all sorts of
drink whisky Is only a slight departure
from similar trick that was played upon
people some years ago when all drink
was called rum Oliver Wendell Holmes,
better known as The Autocrat at the
Breakfast Table speaks to the following
effect: "A person at table asked me
whether I went In for rum as steady
drink. His manner made the question
highly offensive, but I restrained myself
and answered thus: Rum I take to be
the name which unwashed moralists apply
alike to the product distilled from mo-
lasses and the noblest juices of the vine
yard. Burgundy, In all Its sunset glow. Is
rum. Champagne Is rum. Hook is rum
Sir, I repudiate the loathsome vulgarism
as an insult to the first miracle wrought
by the Founder of our religion I be-
lieve IN temperance, nay, almost in alb
stinence as a rule, for healthy people.
Among the gentlemen that I have known
few II any. were ruined by drinking. My
4 drunken acquaintanoes were generally
ruined bafore they became drunkards.
. Whenever the wandering demon
of drunkenness finds a ship adrift, no
steady wind in It's sails. no thoughtful
pilot directing its course. he steps on
board, takes the helm and steers straight
for the malestrom.s'
None but the ignorant are caught by
such claptrap as calling wine and beer
whisky, but 1t Is to the ignorant such ap-
peals are made. In my humble opinion
1t should be the purpose of the leaders
on both sides to get an Intelligent ex-
preston of opinion on the liquor question,
and this can only be done by setting out
plain. simple facts in truthful language.
Intelligent men will not be Influenced by
the ranting of .unwashed moralists' who
have not the sense or knowledge to dis
tinguish between a bottle of moonshne
whisky and bottle of claret wine.
LAS an illustration of the wisdom of this
liquor legislation 1 would draw attention
to section of the Fuller law, which for
bids the sale, gift or delivery of beer or
wine to any prisoner, but allows the use
of pure alcohol. Ye gods! Pure alcohol
would burn hole in a mans stomach like
a red hot poker, but that's good enough
for prisoner who is probably in prison
for violating the Fuller law. The idea of
forbidding the use of wine or beer and
allowing pure alcohol is sufficient proof
of how badly mixed a man may become
when he puts whisky on the same shelf
as wine and beer"