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Judge
Noah S. “Soggy” Sweat
Sweat
was a judge, law professor and state representative
in Mississippi
and will be remembered most for his "Whiskey Speech"
delivered in the Mississippi House in 1952 when lawmakers were
debating legalizing liquor. Liquor was illegal in Mississippi
but the state collected what was called a "black market" tax on
it totaling millions of dollars. Sweat, who was elected to the
Mississippi House in 1947 at the age of 24, served one term and delivered
the speech during his last year in office. Reportedly
the speech took Sweat 2½ months to write and is
considered a classic example of political doublespeak.
"My friends,
"I had not intended to discuss this controversial subject at
this particular time. However, I want you to know that I do not
shun controversy. On the contrary, I will take a stand on any
issue at any time, regardless of how fraught with controversy it
might be. You have asked me how I feel about whiskey. All right,
here is how I feel about whiskey.
"If when you say whiskey you mean the devil's brew, the poison
scourge, the bloody monster, that defiles innocence, dethrones
reason, destroys the home, creates misery and poverty, yea,
literally takes the bread from the mouths of little children; if
you mean the evil drink that topples the Christian man and woman
from the pinnacle of righteous, gracious living into the
bottomless pit of degradation, and despair, and shame and
helplessness, and hopelessness, then certainly I am against it.
"But;
"If when you say whiskey you mean the oil of conversation, the
philosophic wine, the ale that is consumed when good fellows get
together, that puts a song in their hearts and laughter on their
lips, and the warm glow of contentment in their eyes; if you
mean Christmas cheer; if you mean the stimulating drink that
puts the spring in the old gentleman's step on a frosty, crispy
morning; if you mean the drink which enables a man to magnify
his joy, and his happiness, and to forget, if only for a little
while, life's great tragedies, and heartaches, and sorrows; if
you mean that drink, the sale of which pours into our treasuries
untold millions of dollars, which are used to provide tender
care for our little crippled children, our blind, our deaf, our
dumb, our pitiful aged and infirm; to build highways and
hospitals and schools, then certainly I am for it.
"This is my stand. I will not retreat from it. I will not
compromise."
"The banquet that night was being held at the old King
Edward Hotel. The senators, their wives, members of the House
and others were guests. Sweat said when he first gave the
speech, the crowd sat in silence. "When I finished the first
half of the speech, there was a tremendous burst of applause.
The wets all applauded the second half of the speech. The drys were as unhappy with the second
part of the speech as the wets were with the first half," he
said.
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