SC1896_FF1_038

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Dollars & to be imprisoned 12 months: He suffered
the punishment, & was re-elected to Congress
while in jail, afterwards emigrated to Ky
was elected to the State Legislature from
Livingston County in 1802 & in 1803 was elected to Congress
beating Maj. David Walker by a small majority.
He was a man of Herculean frame
& constitution - could drink grog all the day
long without getting drunk; tell pretty good
rough anecdotes & take him altogether was
a good "electionierer". His having been a victim to
the Sedition Law, however, did more for him
than every thing else. His opponent was an
accomplished Virginia gentleman - a man
of respectable talents & attainments - a good
speaker, but old Lyon, generally got him
drunk before dinner time & in that way
triumphed over him. It was no objection to
a man in those days that "he drank".
I will not assert that it would have been an
insuperable objection to a candidate for
office if he "did not drink" for I don't
remember that there was any such character
then - but I can say with perfect truth
that a "temperance man" would not have
been likely to succeed at a popular election.
All tho' a great change has taken place, I am
not sure that they are very popular, at this
day. Colo. Lyon was re-elected to Congress in
opposition to Maj. Walker in 1805. I think
it was in this year, possibly in 1803, they were
drinking in a Whiskey Tavern at Somerset
in Pulaski County, at the July Court the day
was very warm & Walker fell early in the
action. Lyon got him on a bed in the room,
called for a fan, & sat by him & fanned him
requesting the people, as the day was very warm
to give him as much air as possible, saying
that the Major was an excellent man, but
unfortunately he sometimes drank too much