The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-21
WHISKY IN THE CAPITOL.
Drinking Men in the Senate and House-The
Supreme Court Bar-Room.

L. G. Crawford, in New York World.
Both houses have very rigid regulations for
bidding the sale of any kind of intoxicating
liquor in the Capitol building. For years there
has not been the slightest prerense of enforcing
these rules Yet both houses prefer to let these
rules stand as a practical lie rather than to as
sumo the courage necessary to repeal a hypo'
critical formula which cannot be enforced.
Seventy-ive per cent. of the senators are drink
ing men. There are a few of this large percent
age who drink to excess. There are In the Sem
ate half a dozen, perhaps, who can properly be
classed as hard drinkers; yet they are of the
quiet and undemonstrative kind. There never
have been any scenes in the Senate of a dis
graceful character caused by drunkenness for
many years. When the hardest of the senate
rial drinkers are the deepest under the influence
of liquor, that fact would not be apparent to tine
casual observer in the gallery. The majority of
the senators who drink hard nave cultivated
their legs so that no matter how muddled may
be the upper story of these statesmen, their legs
remain sober and carry them about safely and
decorously. There are a great many temptations
to drink < IN the Senate. In the first place, it is a
very close cooperation club. It's members are
brought into the most intimate contact, and very
soon forget the party differences which ordi-
narily separate men of different political beliefs.
The senators are dlned continually. AT the din
ners IN their honor four or five wines are given,
in addition to the brandies and liquors which are
brought in at the close of the repast. The sena-
torlal gentlemen, as a rule, neglect none of the
items of food or drink upon the bills of fare at
these dinners. The natural result is that the
next morning they have an appetite which needs
a continued supply of some sort of drink to main
tain their physical tone.
1t is a very common thing for prominent SEN
ators who are literally and Hospitality inclined
to give little luncheon parties nearly every day
in their commlttee-rooms At these lunches
champagne Is always served in every committee
room. unless there is always kept in stock a good
supply of whisky. The private supply of liquor
about the Senate is very great. One or two of
the favorlte subordinateS in the Senate will keep
their places in that body until they die, because
they maintain private bars for the connection
of desirable drinks. In the Senate restaurant
there has not been for many years any
pretense of hiding the sale of liquor.
Whisky Is not even served in a tea cup as
it used to be some years ago. You can 60 into
the Senate restaurant, or the House restaurant
for that matter, and order what you please in
the way of wine or stronger liquor, If you have
the money to pay for it. The humbug and
hypocrisy of the whole thing are shown by the
fact that the very senators who make the ~fiercest
opposition to any modification of the restrictions
upon the sale of liquor in the Capitol are the
greatest patrons of the private supplies in the
committee-rooms. The majority OF senator's
have too much leisure upon their hands. The
Senate sessions in the main are very dull. Sen
ators have a fashion of getting together in their
committee-room for social chats. The result is
always more or less drinking. A great many
HOTe Lneu are UTOheu UOWu Dy Ills COnNIVldl
habit of steady tipping than by any so-called
overwork.
The Supreme Court, too, has it's bar-room.
This room is so hidden away from the public that
very little is Known of it, as only the justices and
their friends ever succeed in passing by the
guards and reaching it. It is next to the dress
ing -rooA~Uf the justices, where these ponderous
gentlemen go for the purpose of putting on and
taking off their rich robes of shining black silk.
This room is a plain one, with an entrance from
tho nInrlG nHiaL lncsdnc tho W. frnrn fhn drnco
ing room. 1t has a genial, open crate, over
kettle. with a nozzle huge, black and thick.
This is the kettle which has been used for
heating the water employed in mixing hot
punches since the days of John Marshall. There
is a smart yellow man in attendance in this
room who has a fine cabinet OF assorted liquors,
and who is an expert in making all kinds of
fancy drinks. The furniture is of the plainest,
the chairs and sofas being upholstered in black
horse-halr. But the room is so retired and so
well stocked with good things to drink that it is
one of the most delightful snuggeries about the
Capitol. Seated in front of this glowing fire,
with long pipes or good cigars, the rotund JUS
tees can watch the steaming tea-kettle as they
sip their grog or fancy drink. forgetting for the
time how far behind is the work of the Supreme
Court.
There is very little of the club sociability over
at the House to what there is in the Senate.
There is not such a large percentage Of steady
drinkers, while there is much less of the So
called sociability, and the majority of them do
not care to go down to the restaurant. Few of
them care for wine. The majority of the steady
drinkers of the House prefer TO walk over to the
Congressional Hotel, which is within a stones
throw Of the House wing. They prefer this
place on account of its freedom and its bar-room
atmosphere. which is so necessary for the devel-
opment of the kind of gossip and stories which
the drinking men admire.