The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1892-10-07
SPOKEN TO THE EAR.
Broken TO tho Heart-Whilo Enacting
Laws. Law Makers Break Them.

SPOKEN 10 THE EAR, y
Broken TO tho Heart-While Enacting
Laws, Law Makers Break Them.
q It IS clearly the duty of every Cit
zen to uphold and obey the law. It
is absolutely obligatory upon law
trainers to do So Every congress
man and senator: taking oath OF
Office solemnly before the people. call.
ing God to witness at the bar of his
country pledges his sacred honor
and his manhood's intelligence to
support the constitution of the United
States and fulfill those obligations
which he has voluntarily assumed
and which constitute the highest call
ing and dignity the noblest Office
within the gift of the nation. The
late unpleasantness" resulting from
clean cut violation of decency, and
all the rules governing the abuse of
liquor in congress- brings promi-
nently forward some extraordinary
facts Feeling confident that much
was rotten in the state of Denmark.
some inquiries were addressed to Hon.
John G. Otis of Kansas an ardent
prohibitionist who has taken more
than superficial interest in the recent
Watson investigation. His reply
runs:
lin response to yours 9th inst.
will say. our investigation into the
law and rules governing the sale of
intoxicating liquors in the national
capitol. satisfied us that it was not
law or rule against the sale of spirit
Gus liquors in either wing of the
basement that was so much needed as
public sentiment that would enforce
the laws and rules now governing the
subject.
The written contract of the COM
mlttee on public buildings and
grounds in the house of representa-
tlves with the present keeper of the
house restaurant, in express terms
forblds the sale of spirituous liquors
upon the premises but as I under
stand no one has made any objection
or called the attention of the COM
mittee to the matter so the traffic
has proceeded without interruption
and unchallenged until the late in
vestigation was commenced. If you
will call at the committee room of
public buildings and grounds. the
clerk will furnish you access to the
contract with the restaurant keeper.
Every member OF congress would
seem to be responsible in some
measure for the liquor traffic carried
on at the capitol In the house wing
the rooms and restaurant are especial
ly under the charge OF the speaker
and the committee on public buildings
and grounds. But this fact would not
prevent any member from entering
protest against the traffic who might
feel so Inclined" JOHN G. OrIs.
Acting upon the suggestion con-
tanned in the foregoing. an Economist
representative called at the commit
tee rooms mentioned with the result
of finding the doors locked and the
clerks gone away for the rest of the
summer. An affable janitor further
remarked. that even when they
were on duty they did not come down
moro than once week" So the
clause of the lease governing the
house restaurant cannot now be cited
verbatim. but it does exist and it is
hourly violated. In the senate a
positive rule exists No. 1O7 which
runs: mo spirituous liquors shall be
sold. furnished or kept in the restau-
rant 3" which is hourly violated. From
1897 to 1870 a joint rule providing
that mo spirituous liquors shall be
offered for sale or exhibited within
the capitol, or on the public grounds
adjacent thereto prevailed, and has
become dead letter through viola
ton. The speaker of the house is
directly responsible for the existing
order Of affairs, Us he directly con-
trolls all such matters in his province
the vice president in the senate.
and. as Mr.. Otis SAYS. every mem
Der OF congress" It is not the pur-
pose of this paper to invade the realm
of mems private affairs nor to preach
personal salvation. It strikes at the
root of the eyil-the cause not the
effect Let the lawmakers either abol-
ish their own rules. and openly and
frankly affront temperance, good con-
duct and morals. clothed in the cour-
age of open viciousness or let them
cease to parade virtue when they
have it not" This is the charge
they have continuously. knowingly
and wilfully broken the law while en-
acting law. It is true and it cannot
be disproven.