The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-06
THE SENATE RESTAURANT.
Senators Edmunds, Vest and Voorhees, Inspec
the Promises and Are Perfectly Satisfied.

Senators Edmunds, Vest and Voorhees, Inspect
the Premises and Are Perfectly Satisfied.
Washington Special to New York Sun.
The Hon. William Pitt Frye, senator from
Maine, did not come to town, to-day. to help
John Sherman to the temporary presidency of
the Senate, as was reported, but to support the
Ohio mans opponent, Gen John A. Logan.
There are reasons, indeed. why. as a strict sup
porter of the Maine law, Mr.. Frye should not
countenance the elevation of honest John Sher-
man to the high Office. 1t is a secret that the
senatorial family have tried to keep locked
up in their own bosoms successfully
until now, that the prohibition sena-
tor has been circumvented by the
committee on rules, and that the new Senate
restaurant-keeper, imported especially from
Maine by Mr.. Frye to break up the cold tea habit,
is not by any means an observer of the Maine
law. just how it all came about Mr. Frye will
doubtless find out before long. 1t looks now,
however, as though Mr.. Frye had been outvoted
in the mi on rules, which has charge of
the restaurant privilege. This committee is
composed of Chairman Frye, prohibitionist:
Messrs. Sherman and Ingalls,, conservative anti
prohibitionists; Mr.. Harris, old fashioned Dem
ocrat, and Mr.. Blackburn, radical Kentuckian.
All the members of the committee have been
here lately except the good Mr.. Frye.
The new restaurant-keeper Mr.. Page, late Of
Maine, has been busting about in his new quar-
tiers for several days. He is a keen-eyed, hand
some Yankee, with gray side whiskers and an
air of business. He has had the floors and
tables secured, ordered new plates and spoons,
and brushed things up generally. The fact that
from thirty odd senators, and that Mr.. Frye's
prohibition Of cold tea had not provoked a word
of complaint, led to an inquiry to-day by a
chance visitor.
Gan l get something to drink?" inquired the
casual customer, as he sat down at a table in the
cafe.
ooh, yes, sir; anything you like" said the po-
lite waiter, handing the visitor a wine list, a
card, and o pencil.
The customer looked in amazement at the
handsomely printed bill before him, which COM
prised a list of nearly all the intoxicants known
to the trade. The visitor coutented himself
with a bottle of ginger ale, and, as he paid his
check and bought a cigar, he ventured to sug-
gest inquiringly to Mr.. Page:
"You were appointed by Senator Frye, I be-
lieve?"
'Oh, yes" he said, "Mr. Frye offered me
the restaurant. He didn't like the way it was
kept"
''He's a pretty stiff prohibitionist, isn't he?"
"Oh, he pointed out the rule to me about spirit
nous liquors, but neverdelivere any temperance
discourse"
chow about cold teaRn
81 intend to serve guests from the card at the
table, but to sell nothing over the counter. You
can't run a frst-class bar by selling whisky over
the counter to every white man or darkey that
runs in, you know"
But you are not the prohibitioniSt you have
been represented to be?'
Mr.. Page smiled.
Has Mr.. Edmunds been dow here since you
moved inf"
"Yes, he was here on Monday. He went away
perfectly satisfied"
Have Senator'S Vest and Voorhees, inspected
the premises?'
Eyes, they were here last week. They left
perfectly satisfied"
well, has Senator Frye been in yet!"
"Not yet, but L expect him later in the day.
He'll be perfectly satisfied"