THINKER'S ALMANAC - October 2

How does a speech about whiskey given by a Mississippi judge in the 1950s teach us about the power of language?

Subject:  Rhetoric and Equivocation - “If By Whiskey” Speech

Event:  Birthday of Judge Noah S. "Soggy" Sweat, Jr., 1922

In the 1950s, the state of Mississippi was a dry state, which means that alcoholic beverages were illegal.  As a young legislator, Noah S. “Soggy” Sweat, Jr. would travel the state giving speeches.  In the course of his public speaking, Sweat would frequently have a constituent call out:  “How do you feel about whiskey?”

To answer this question, sweat prepared a speech, which would become famous. 

Sweat’s “If by Whiskey” speech demonstrates the power of words to frame a concept.  It is an especially powerful example of political speech and how the connotations of words and a speaker’s tone can influence -- and even manipulate -- an audience’s perception.

Image by M. Platte from Pixabay

Shakespeare’s great character Hamlet said, “There is nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so.”  After reading Sweat’s speech, you might say “There is nothing good or bad but diction makes it so.”  In other words, it’s not just a writer’s logic or evidence that influences an audience; instead, a speaker’s word choice can be so emotionally charged, that connotation and imagery carry the argument.  

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.

Sweat’s speech is a satiric example of equivocation, the politician’s art of manipulating language and an audience so that it appears that he or she supports both sides of an issue.  The truth, however, is that equivocation conceals truth through the use of ambiguous language.  Master politicians, like Judge Sweat, use language to frame an issue in more than one way, giving everyone in the audience something they like.  For example, proponents of prohibition would latch onto the first half of Sweat’s speech, while opponents of prohibition would be captivated by the second half.

Recall, Retrieve, Recite, Ruminate, Reflect, Reason:  What does Sweat’s “If By Whiskey” speech teach us about the power of words?

Challenge - If By Prevarication: Practice your own ability to pander politically by taking on a controversial topic -- like whiskey -- that can be seen through two lenses, one good, one bad.  Use Sweat’s speech as your model.

Here are some sample topics to get you thinking:

If By Homework

If By Cats

If By Social Media

If By Taxes

If By Coffee

If By Education

If By Procrastination

ALSO ON THIS DAY:

October 2, 1869:  Today is the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, who said, "An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it. Truth stands, even if there be no public support. It is self-sustained.”  See THINKER’S ALMANAC - January 30.

Sources:

1- Logically Fallacious.  “If By Whiskey.”