Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-31
A DRINKING CONGRESS.
A whisky jug in Every Commits

A whisky jug in Every Committee
Room.
This Congress, says Washington letter
to the New York World, is making a
place in history as the heaviest drinking
Congress of modern times. Liquor is sold
in every form in each one Of the restaur-
ants, and there is not committee room
without its demijohn or private cabinet.
The worst drinking, however, is on the
Senate side. There the monotonv of
legislative existence is absolutely terrific.
The Senate at best is nothing but a
club-room in these latter DAYS.
and its members have the habits and
manners of club men. Senatorial
courtesy and much social hobnobbing
have practically obllterated party lines.
A partisan discussion in the Senate at
present would be an impOssibilitv. When
Democrats and Republicans clink glasses
together a dozen times a dav, the keen
edge of partisan feeling is apt to become
blunted. l do not really believe that there
is such a thing as temperance Senator.
1t is very rare that any one of them gets
actually drunk, but $3.50 O'clock every dav
will find twenty or thirty of them, without
regard to party, in fuddled condition. al
though the public could have no reason to
suspect this fact from their grave outward
appearance.
The Senate has two conference rooms
set aside for the supposed private pur-
poses of Democrats and Republicans. In
old times these rooms were rigidly main-
tanned as privateSroOms for the pur-
poses for which they were originally
assigned. 1t would have been rare oc-
casiOn when a Republican would venture
into the Democratic room, or vice versa.
To-day these conference rooms are moth
ing but private barr0Oms attached to the
Senatorial club. | think that more Re-
publicans go into the Democratic room
than Democrats. The austere Edmunds,
the President of the Senate, is oftener
seen in the Democratic conference
room than the Chairman of
the Democratic caucus. There is special
cause for the greater popularity of the
Democratic room. A certain wealthy
and generous Democratic Senator out Of
his private purse keeps in this room a
stock of good liquors. He started this
some years ago for the convenience of
having something at hand to treat his
visiting friends. When Senators were in
the room they were always included in
these invitations. Gradually Senators
came to look to him as the
fountain for all their supplies. He,
being easy and gOOd-natured, has
drlfted into the habit of supplying about
half the Senate with their dozen or
fifteen drinks. Some of the Senators who
have drank so remorselessly at his eX-
pense for years occasionally say that
they will send up a supply of liquor to
the room to relieve him from the burden,
but they never do. The man who is will
ing to pay for other peoples drinks in
Washington will not meet with any OppO-
sition, however high OF distinguished
may be his associates.
The House people do most of their
drinking in the committee rooms, in the
restaurant and at the Congressional Hotel,
stones throw southeast from the House
wing of the Capitol.
The Supreme Court hasi its barroom, too.
This fact is not generally known. 1t is
between the Clerks office and the private
dressing-rOOm of the Justices when they
put on their ridiculous silk gowns. The
room is small, square one, fitted up with
broad, easy chairs, plain, horsehaIr
sofa and an open fire-grate. A little
block-iron tea-kettle hangs upon a crane
near the CRATE. This is used for boiling
water when hot grog is served to the court
after their arduOus labOrs of the day are
done. There is very smart cOlored boy
in attendance upon this judicial barroom.
His skill in mixing fancy drinks is said to
equal any of the artists Of The best bar
rooms of New York.