People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1892-08-12

The present Congress may be ex-
cused for being unusually sensitive
about illusions to the drink habits of
its members. First the Voice ex-
pose of the saloons in the basement
of the capitol and the patronage
given them by members of the two
houses. Then came Senator Vests
cutting allusion to the Worlds Fair
appropriation, which allusion we pub
lished July 81. But Congressman
Tom Watson, of Georgia, leader of
the Peoples Party in the House of
Representatives, last week contrived
to kick up the biggest muss yet with
his plain, direct, unfinching charges
hurled into the teeth of an angry,
Kissing House.
The circus was started by Con-
gresham Wheeler, on Friday of last
week, who, on a question of privi-
lege, sent to the clerk, to be read,
marked passage in "The Peoples
Party Campaign Book, 1892" COM
piled by Mr.. Watson. The passage
was as follows:
''The Congress now sitting is one Illus
tratiOn. Drunken members
have reeled about the aisles-a disgrace
to the Republic. Drunken speakers have
debated grave issues on the floor, and in
the midst of maudlin ramblings have
been heard to ask, Mr.. Speaker, where
was I at?"
The reading created bedlam, but
Watson was the coolest man in the
House. When he. secured a hearing
he said:
ST stand here to defend every line in
the book, and will do it against all
corners, whether from the North or
South. Kisses [ say that every word
in that book is literally true, and all
men who have been here, keeping their
eyes open and wanting to admit the
facts, will admit that these facts are
fairly stated.
Later on, after stormy discussion,
he continued:
''The only crime charged IN that para
|
at is that he got drunk at the barroOm
this Congress allows to be run in this
BASEMENT and the Record shows that
members came up here on a previous
day Of the session and admitted that
| they were drinkers at it, You have
planted the tree; why should you Won
der at it's fruit? You allow the con-
tagion why should you wond ansGStt e1l1e
| eickness p
The reference here is the scene in
the House a few weeks ago when
Funston, of Kansas, brought down
the Kisses Of the House on himself
by his attack On the Voice for its ex-
pose Of the drinking at the capitol
saloons. The result of Watson's
charges was an investigation last
Saturday. In confirmation of Wat
sons statements, Otis of Kansas,
Miss Dryer, Halvorsen of Mime
sofa, Butler of Iowa, Davis of Kan
sas, and Rem of Nebraska, testified
to various scenes of drunkenness
among the mem bers of Congress on
the floor. When Watson wished to
prove the existence of the capitol
barroom, Boatner, chairman Of the,
investigating committee, refused say
ing that that was "a matter of public
notoriety."
This is fitting close to the ses-
sion of our nations lawmakers.
And, yet, many testified that this
Congress was no worse than pre-
vious Congresses-rather better, in
fact. But what can be expected of
any Congress that legislates ON the
principle that whisky is a good
creature of God, and violates the
laws in order to place bar in each
wing of the capitol?
Our congratulations to Tom Wat
son and our assurances of admira-
ton for his exhibition of nerve. He
ought to be a Prohibitionist.
| Pow GOI0