Liquor Quotes



Note the observation about tobacco. Even then it was recognized as addicting despite the testimonies of tobacco executives who lied in Congressional Testimony more than 100 years later


The minister's remarks had major repercussions. They were made at a rally for and in the presence of James Blaine, then a U. S. Senator and the Rupublican presidential nominee. Blaine refused to disavow Buchard's remark. That refusal became a major campaign issue, and "Rum, Romanism, and rebellion" became a negative campaign slogan. Blaine lost to Grover Cleveland. The difference turned out to be a 1,000 vote loss of New York State whose large Irish Catholic population went against Blaine.


This historical quotation is surprising to us over a century later. We are surprised at the very large revenue from the then relatively low tax rates on alcohol and tobacco and many people who did not pay their taxes at the time. Also, the incredibly small appropriation for the military. WWI was only 4 years away. Generally, until the Second World War, the Democratic party did not advocate large military expenditures and the Republicans were more isolationist and opposed almost all defense spending. After WWII, the Republican Party flip flopped and became the champion of military readiness and defense spending.


He was Chairman of the Judiciary Committee and had sponsored the legislation enforcing Prohibition which was named for him as the Volstead Act. The American people soon changed their mind and flip flopped by passing another Constitutional Amendment nullifying the earlier Constitutional Amerndment.


Manava Dharma Shastra. Drinking alcohol was a very serious sin for the upper three castes. The lowest caste, the untouchables, were permitted to drink however. The theory was that alcohol pollutes the individual soul. Since the lowest caste man is already polluted, it makes no difference. This text is a part of the Hindu Holy Texts. Hindus believe that Manu was a prophet whose text is revealed or inspired.