Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-22
HOW LIQUOR FLOWS.
The Teet0tallers and the Tea Takers
Of the Capital City.
TEMPERANCE IDEAS GROWING.
Great Men Who Were Ruined by Tippling
and Others Who Were Not.
A SALOON WHERE HENRY CLAY DRANK


past month a number of church conventions
have passed resolutions criticising the use
of wines at the White House dinners.
President Harrison has been drawn over
the Goals and number of resolutions refer
ring to the charge that liquors were sold in
Vice President Morton's fat have been
passed criticising Mr.. Morton and at the
same time commencing Postmaster General
Wanamaker for his cold water feasts. The
excitement regarding the use of spirituous
liquors has pervaded the Capitol and
Speaker Reed has driven beer and wines
from the House restaurant.
There is a Congressional temperance So
ciety, which has been holding its regular
meetings during the session, and there are
some members of both Houses who believe
that we will eventually have prohibition
party. which will control the Government.
Among these is Senator Wilson, of Iowa,
who told me not long ago that he firmly be-
lieved prohibition laws would eventually
prevail Throughout the q nited States, and
another is Senator Colquitt of Georgia, who
breaches temperance on every occasion.
STATESMEN WHO ABSTAIN.
Ex-Governor Dingley, of Maine, is q
Prohibitionisr; Philetus Sawyer believes in
total abstinence, and Henderson, of Illinois,
Kerr, of Iowa, and O'Donnell, of Michigan,
do not drink drop. Cheadle, of Indiana.
says that during his canvass for Congress he
was asked what he would do when he came
to Washington. He had replied he would
keep sober, and he says he never tasted 8
drop of intoxicating liquor. Cutcheon, of
Michigan, has never touched drop in his
life, and Kerr, of Iowa, has been lifelong
cold-water man.
There is no doubt that temperance is
growing in Congress, but there is still room
for improvement. Every session dozen
new members come here who are not sccus-
toned to drinking. They fall into the
habit, and before their Congressional term
is closed they are ruined for life. One of
the funniest men of the last Congress- a man
whose name was in the papers as the great
wit OF the session, was not elected to this.
He had before he came to the House splen-
did legal practice. He acquired drinking
habits at Washington, and he has now de-
generated, though he is not yet 40. into
barroom loafer. One of the brightest men
who ever sat in the House OF Representa-
tives was James B. Belford, of
Colorado. He was making 500
900 a year before he was elected to
Congress, and when he came here he was as
bright as the silver of his own Rocky
Mountains and was as straight as string.
He got to drinking and Washington ruined
him. He reformed and re-reformed onlv to
break his good resolutions and sink lower
until during his last days in Congress he
was almost constantly under the influence
of liquor. He was a very brilliant man and
he could make better speech drunk than
most other men could sober, and no matter
what his condition was the galleries were
always ready to listen to him. After he LETT
Washington he went back to Denver and I
understand he has now reformed. When 1
saw him year or SO ago he said he was
making fortune at the law, was a Prehibi-
zionist, and that he never again intended to
run for Congress.
I saw in the House to-day a white-haired,
round-headed, short-bodied Judge who used
to represent Congressional district within
hundred miles of Chicago. He was highly
respected, and was only moderate drinker
when he came to the House. He had nice
family, and he was thought we'll of here.
He could not resist the temptations of
Washington, and he is now a drum kard. He
has had several experiences with the Provi-
dence Hospital, and have seen him on the
street in such q condition that thought he
must be having
FIT OF DELIRIUM TREMENS
at the time. He would shake his head and
mutter to himself, night the air with his
hands, and grab his leg as though there
were a snake or bee inside of his panta-
looms. In the House to-day he was only
half sober, and he drifted from member to
member receiving cold looks from all.
There is an American minister who gets a
salary from Uncle Sam, considerably higher
than that of a Congressman, who has been
laid up number of times at this same
Providence Hospital, and this hospital is
the place to which all statesmen are carried
when they become so under the influence of
liquor that they need medical treatment.
The authorities are very discreet, and no
one knows the names OF their patients, nor
do they publish catalogue OF their dis
eases.
do not believe that there is a greater
percentage of drunkenness among the Con-
gressmen and other statesmen here at WASH
ington than there is among any other body
of men outside of a Church synod the coun-
try over. The great majority OF public men
drink more or less. 1t is only the few, how
ever, who drink to excess, and as to our
Presidents, there has never been an instance
of anyone except Andrew johnson being
charged with taking too much whisky
while in the White House, and all OF them
with the exception OF President Hayes have
been moderate drinkers.
ALL TOOK THEIR N1Ps.
Washington was good judge of wine.
Jefferson paid S11. 1000 for drinks
during his life in the White House, and
Andrew johnson served up Tennessee
punch to his guests. President Arthur
had some of the finest wines in the world
on his White House table while he was
President. Cleveland drank beer at his
luncheon and always had wines at his state
dinners. John Adams and his son, John
Quincy Adams, notwithstanding the fact
that they came from Puritan New England,
served wines to their guests, and Madison
had a good wine cellar. Buchanan was
through his long residence abroad lover |
Of good wines and judge of liquors, and |
it is said that Frank Pierce had a number |
Of sprees at Washington before he became |
President.
Andrew johnson drank whisky straight, |
and when he was Governor of Tennessee he
mad a covered wasnbowl in the executive |
and it was in this bowl that he |
Kept the jug. President Harrison has |
always been a temperate man, and no one |
las ever seen him at a public bar. The de- |
nands of the White House are such that |
t is almost absolutely necessary to furnish |
vines at state dinners, and the diplomats |
rho have been accustomed to them from |
,oyhood would make a bad meal without |
hem.
MODERATION AND TEMPERANCE.
A great many of our statesmen believe
hat the use OF light wines aud beers tend to
emperance. II you will take France and |
rta1v Won will find loss drun kan naeu thava