The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-12-16
BOSTON sSTEA PARTY" IS ATTACKED BY ICONOCLASTS

Boston's celebrated ''tea party,' which was held 40 years ago to-day, Dec. 16, 1773, has lately been attack ed by twentieth century fconoc1asts. Not content with branding a myth the story of George Washington and the cherry tree, and casting reflections on Paul Revere, the famous equestrian hero, the idol-smashers have sought to
 prove that the tea party was in fact beer party. It was not the spirit of patriotism, but the spirits imbfbed in John Duggan's tavern, which anfrnat-
 ed the immortal sixty who, disguised
 as Indians, made a pot of tea of
 Boston harbor,'' if we are to believe
 8 member of the United States Con- gress who asserts that he has exam 1ned all the available evidence in ar irving at this conclusion. The at tempt to reduce the tttea party to the level of a drunken lark has naturally aroused much indignation, and a great
 mass of evidence in rebutta1 has been offered. It is alleged that John Dug
 have supplied the beer which fired the dI1hfAS1S L40IOO4s tO oS4S DA4LAoAA So- thority, was only seven years old at the time of the 'ttea party" and, ! moreover, was still in Ireland. MT. Duggan, who later sold liquid refresh n1ents to the thirsty of Boston-town was born in 1766, and did not come to
 America until many years after the tea incident. Admitting these facts, the allegations of the iconoc1asts, dis
 proved in one important particular,
 fall flat, unless it can be shown that
 another John Duggan conducted a
 thirst parlor in Boston. Whether in spired by indignation or beer, how
 ever, the result of the s'tea, party was the same Even if the rebe1l1ous peo- kp1e of Boston knew that the bogus redskins were inspired by beer, their feelings must have been the same as l those of President Lincoln on anoth- CT historic occasion. A committee of temperance workers appeared be-
 fore the President and made the charge that General Grant consumed large quantities of whiskey, where upon Honest Abe'' inquired if they
 knew the brand of liquor used by
 Grant, adding that he desired to se- cure several barrels of it to be con-
 stunned by other officers of the north ern armies. But doubtless this inci- dent, too, is but a fab1e-according to the iconocIasts. What a poor, tame, drab thing history would be if the idol smashers had their way!
 One year from to-day England and
 America will join in paying tribute to the memory of George Whitef1e1d, one of the most eloquent of pulpit l orators, on the occasion of the bi-
 centenary of his birth. Wh1teheId was born in Gloucester, England, Dec l 16, 1714. In his youth he was 2. re- ngious enthusiast, indu1ging in long
 lasts and manifesting his piety in oth- CT ways. At eighteen he joined the club in which the Methodist denom- ination took its rise, and became inti-
 mately associated with John and Charles Wesley. His extreme fervor and long lasts resulted in a severe ill., ness. Upon his recovery he took his degree from Oxford and then began
 an evange1izing tour, preaching be- fore immense nultitudes. The first sermon he preached after his ordina- ton as deacon was delivered with such extraordinary effect that it was charged that he had driven fifteen persons insane. He was urged by
 John Wesley to visit America and in 1 1738 he spent three months in Geor- gia. Tn 1740 he returned to Sa- vannah and founded there an orphan asylum and school. Later he toured TIT