Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes but in the 1880's punching someone wasn't that big of a deal. They could have gone to the bar later and got drunk together and made legislation the next day. Underneath the House of Commons (and I believe somewhere in US Congress) was a bar, and after arguing in the Commons, everyone would go downstairs and get wasted. The 1st PM of Canada drank 12 ounces a day minimum. Imagine that. 12 hard drinks a day (!). Wha…
> Yes but in the 1880's punching someone wasn't that big of a deal. They could have gone to the bar later and got drunk together and made legislation the next day. Bollocks. Charles Sumner gettin whupped with a cane WAS a big deal and made national and international headlines. It was a direct response to Sumner criticizing slavery, and helped cement opinions in the South that they'd need to take drastic action to pre…
That said, that was probably a very divisive era.