The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-27
SPEAKER CARLISLE CHEW5 GUM.
The Tobacco Habit Is Being Checked,
1t is Said, in Congress.

1t is Said, IN Congress.
From the PbHadelDhia EUening Telegraph.
Speaker Carlisle chews gum. He keeps a
little package of tutti-frutti on his desk
when he is presiding over the house. For a
number of years he has been an inveterate
tobacco chewer The chewing of this weed
to such an extend involves an amount of
expectoration that might be incon venient
10 the pages and officers of the house who
sit around below him. For this reason Mr..
Carlisle refrains from the use Of tobacco
while occupying the char. He has got to
be almost as nveterate a cheWer OF delicate
ly Favored elastic paste. Gum chewing and
chewing of caramcls is becoming almost as
common among statesmen as with school
girls and debutantes in Washington SO
Getty
On one side of the main door of the house
in the corridor. is little stand where news
papers, cigars, tobacco, gum, and candy are
sold in small quantities. At any moment
during the session from one to half dozen
members may be seen about this stand stuff
ing little packages in their cOat-tail pockets.
| asked the vender to-day what it was mem
berS bought 50 much of. He said mostly
gum ard caramels. Members neither smoke
nor chew tobacco as much as formerly. Mr..
Kelly and Mr. Buchanan are largely reSpOn-
sDle for this tobacco reform. BY constant
and open protest Mr.. Kelly has made it
very embarrassing for fellow member to
undertake the task of vltiating the atmOS-
phere of the house with tobacco smoke; and
Mr.. Buchanan checked by formal resOlu-
ton, which was afterward considered and
and reported on by committee, the habit,
once very common, of splitting in the air
duct, that open up through the floor.
Comparatively few cigars are now sold to
members at the capitol stands ana many
members have abandoned the habit of
chewing tobacco. The vender told me that
he used to sell more tobacco than anything
else. Now it hardly pays to keep it on
hand Instead of it he sci alb Mt $50 S icks
of gum and ten pounds of caramals to the
members of the house each day Tom
Reed, the republican leader, chews gum
when he is not Chewing at the ear Of the
democratic party. He sits and works his
jaw upon this elastic cushion while listen
ing to Mr.. Mills or Mr. Breckenridge
When he gets up to reply, he stufS the
gum in the back part of ms jaw with his
tongue, and draws gall from its sweetened
haVOrS
MIR. Springer has broken himself of the
habit of talking all the time by keeping a
chunk of gum in his mouth. An effort is
being made, in a reiormatory way, to in
duce Mr.. Buchanan AMI Mr.. Taubee to
chew gum. 1t has worked well upon
others beside Mr.. Springer Mr. Cox is
said to chew little now, but his silence is
always regretted Mr. johnson of Indiana
soOthes his nerves by the use of tutti-frutti
He has had only about three attacks of
nervous excitement over tire bloody shirt
since he contracted the gum-chewing habit.
Mr.. Bliss is said to have contracted this
habit from constant association with the
young ladies of Washington He chews
about as much as any man in the house
Senator Hoar chews gum, and OCCASION
ally reads light romance. Next to Mr.
Reed and Mr.. Bliss, Tarsney of Michi-
gan is the greatest gum chewer in the
house.