Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-04-10
| IB DRINKING HABIT
4 the Extent to Which 1t is to Be
Noticed in Congress.
THEY DON'T DRINK FROM TEA
Cas- Any More But Es,hsw Al Hypocrisy and
Drink WhisksyWhen They Want l. and Take
Water or Don't Take Il as They Please
Some Of Funsion's CharaC,sriShcI
sg.sal Tslsaran to ne sunday Rsqistsr.

grs-gl TslsgrGU % ne sunday REGISTER.
WAsuINGroN, April 9.-The days OF
-c1ld tea' have passed Cold tea is no
longer an et cetera Of Congress. But
wait. PrOhibitiOnistsi Make not haste 20
raolcc Plain every day whiskey, wine,
8aer. and mixed drinks have taken the
r.gce OF this far-famed Congressional bev-
craze. Ia other words, Congressman no
longer take their WhiSkey out OF teacups
There is this much reform; that the sin OF
rvr1cricy is not now as prevalent IS here
trOre But this Is not drunken Cen
--sss. nor, even in a conventional sense,
f~iruug Congress. IL is one rather Of
common place sO0riety with drink now
and then for digestion
The virtuous indignation Cf Mr.. Funs-
ION. of Kansas, 40 finding his name in a pro
hihiton organ, among those statesmen who
have been seen to take a drink IN the House
restaurant, must have been great sur
prise 20 his colleagues, especially those who
served long with him in the House. But
be explained the situation when he referred
70 the posi- ole effect Of such publications
up0n the primaries Of his district.
I,is out OF the realms Of respectable
journalism % discuss a mans private haO-
It's. when they are not ootruded upon the
public and do not AFFECT his public acts
But anvone who has long known Mr.. Funs-
ton at the Capitol. can afford 70 overlook
This breach Of journalistic propriety, when
tits the means Of bringing from the Kan
sas giant the information that he is man
% strictly temperate habits. Most any
thing that brings out this information de-
serves the grateful recognition OF those
who have known Mr.. Funston in public
Funston Is the giant Of the House,
physically speaking. He IS, perhaps, not
a.Hf . Araarrr Maulr FHnH
nearly So and towers high above every
one else in the body. He is not raw-boned
snd lank like Curtis, but is well-rounded
and heavy, with a voice that sounds ike
the cry Of the hippotamus. When be
speaks, even If Il happens that his Ian
guage is not rude and indeliCate, members
about him have an instructive impulse TO
put their hands over their ears. He speaks
somewhere down in the pit Of his stomach,
and as his voice rolls up through his
cspaciOus throat g gathers volume from an
accumulation OF echoes, like q cry in an
echo-haunted cavern. Someone has re-
ferred 20 Funston and Curtis as the Cy-
c0ps OF the House. Funston seems 70
have all the other peculiarities OF this
class Of giants, even 70 their re-
rlgnance to wine, Judging from his
recent declaration, and Curtis has an
advantage over him In but one particular,
that is having only single eye. But
though possessing two eyes, the Kansas
giant is POSSIBLY little blind 70 those de-
fects which. it may be presumed, as NOR
taI. be possesses. Hets not great states
man and law giver, and his voice is too
deep down 70 be the echo OF any runiohng
in bis head Sitting down he Is almost as
tall ss little General Wheeler is on uptoes,
and there was something very picturesque
In the scene when this little Ulysses
charged at him on the floor in the defense
of the little prohi0itiOnist lady, whO, II was
said. had written the article which the
giant took exceptions TO. II is not In his
great mental efforts that this giant appears
az bis best. He reaches the point Of gran
deur and savage sublimity when he rushes
I'm fury down the aisle to hurl bOlders into
the legislative sea, TO the inconvenience
aud ANNOYANCE Of divers frail crafts tiOat-
ing there.
liz will be a qualification 70 his constitu-
ents 20 know that be is not % be seduced
with sacks Of wine. Since he and Milli-
ken. two men from Prohibition States,
have proclaimed that they do not drink, it
may be assumed that the drinking habit In
Congress is falling of, and indeed this IS
the case. There is much more open tip
pf1p than ever before A very large pro
yuortiOn Of the mem bers of the house and Of
The Senate, without much ado about IT., 80
and take drink when they 1eel ike 10,
and take 10 openly. Liquors Of al
sorts that are In common use, are 70 be had
iu the Capitol and they are served openly;
but there is no loafng Of tippers in the
restaurant on either side, and I doubt X
any Senator or member has been seen on
the floor of the House or Senate, in the cor
\ r.dors OF the Capitol TO much under the in
4fuence Of liquor as to make il noticeable IN
|the least degree. 10 may be that some OF
I our statesmen have been at the Capitol this
session in an indiscreetlv cOuvivial conci-
ion, but thus far, nothing Of the sort has
attracted attention. There are q great
many men in Congress who never touch
LIQUOR OF any sort. But few OF these are
F.-.-. ..--f. .frsr.,- GzHee--