The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-01-27
Whiskey In Congress.

A Washington telegram TO the phila.
deiphie Times, describing O disgraceful
scene In House 0f Representatives on tn .
1lth instant, says:
The simple war of words Is nothing Ia
the lower house of Congress. Billipqs.
gate 10 the common dialect of bullies and
excited, :li-tempered men In Congress as
well as in the corner groggeries. Men
call each other lars and scoundrels with
more impunity on The floor Of the House
because they cannot be hold personally
accountable there or elsewhere. There
was nothing of the character of the
Weaver-Sparks affair to-day. Mr.. Scales
simply said that Mr. Dlount aaid 90 and
90. Mr.. Blount said he did not. Mfr,
Scales vociferated that he did. vhercat
Biount brought his fist down upon desk
With o forcs that made things ring again
and substantially called Mr. GALES q
taisifier. A witty remark from o Nom.
Der brought both men 10 their senses
and broke the impending quarrel in q
ripple OF laughter. This was nothing.
1t was tho appearance Of Mr.. Hooker
upon the floor in an exhilaratinp
frame. Of mind that carried the day
for disgrace. Mr.. Hooker is fln.
ent and graceful speaker, drunk or
sober. To-day MIR. Hooker was drum
The right to get drunk is an inaliepable
right guaranteed by the Constitution
T. every American citizens, aad not for
feited because Of being elected to Con-
gresa. When member gets intoxicated
and interfores with the dispatch of public
buaines, it Is another thing. This was
the condition aud attitude of Mr. Hooker
OF Mlssissippi, To. o.day, during the debate
on the Indian bill. He felt we'll enough
at l o'clock to manage the bill himself.
Az he was ilowery and persistent. At
8 he occupied the floor most all the time
between drinks, surpassing himself in
rhetoric and confounding the house. at
4 he was maudlin. He offered amend
ments, made speeches, made points of
order, withdrew amendments, made
speeches, called for divisions aud was
wholly beyond expoatulation and ridicule.
Ho moved down TO the foot of the main
aisle and divided the time between step.
ping on MIR. Chittenden's toes and giving
elaborate instructions to the Chair. If,
vain tho Chairgently evaded him. In vain
his humlliatod friends went to him, one
alter another, and persuaded him to with
draw. ltunker wes unconscious Of the
disgusting spectacle he was making.
He insisted on being heard on every
point and was wholly unmanagepble.
For awhile members we're amused.
Then, they gathered around him, like
needless hoys about drunken man in the
streets: and laughed. Such sight in
tbs streets is sickening to most people. On
the floor OF Congress, as in this instance,
1T was doubly disgusting. This was soon
evident on the faces of members and in
scarcely suppressed hins from the galeries.
The hilarity on the floor soon gave way
to painful silence, and various ruses
were adopted to choke Hooker of. 1t
was not until the committee rose, as it
did while tho member from Mississippi
was i'll the midst of maudlin spesch.
that he was finally squelched. Then he
staggered back to his place and from
thence entertained his audience with occa-
yional whoops and attempts to assist tho
Reading Clerk in calling the roll. Tho
stern frown of Speaker Randall! had no
effect upon him. 1t was the more humil-
iating and disgraceful because the aub.
ject of all this 10 one of the most courte.
GUS and accomplished gentlemen on the
floor. Even while making this painful
exhibition Of himself his language waa
chaste, his manner graceful and his boar
ing ludicrously courteous. The Houue
bore with him patiently, although he uas
the cause Of extending tho proceedings
over the entire day. Owing to this OBJ
struction they failed to reach the funding
bill, rs was expected TO be done.