The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-04
DRINKING IN THE SENATE.
Modern Disciples Of BaCChuS Can Point
10 Noted Examples.
Aliens Unfortunate -Whis-
ky Is No Longer Free, but There Is
Still Plenty of It-Gorman Not in the
Hunor Monday.
From the Pittsburg ptspatch

breaks by public men for century. They
are regarded simply as evidences of the
eccentricity which is recognized as the
handmade of genius. MIR. Allen, by the
way, has denied the published stories,
but there were too many witnesses to his
unfortunate escapade, and while his de-
NAL will not be met in the Senate cham
Der and his exoneration, or attempted
exoneration, will stand alone in the Con
gressional Record, those who know the
facts know that the senator's statement
is. to say the least, disingenuous.
If Mr.. Allen had not denied, but, like
MIR. Breckenridge of Kentucky had sought
| justification in the records OF former
members of the United States Senate. he
could have pointed TO the names some of
of the most distinguished men who have
| helped to make the laws of thercountry He
| could have gone back with Mr. Breckin-
! ridge to Henry Clay or he could have
| quoted the reputation of Daniel Webster.
| Both of them were pretty steady drink
ers, and both were at times under the
| influence of liquor not only off but on the
| floor of the Senate. In fact, MIR Webster
used to find his inspiration when speak
ing IN a glass of gin, which he kept on
the desk before him. Byron drank gin
| duu lOuuu IL luSplI1uB'
USED PITCHER OF IT.
A good story is told of Webster and his
| gin. When the great statesman made his
celebrated speech on the compromise
| question he was not content with simple
glass of liquor, but had pitcher of it be-
| fore him. From this pitcher, through the
| medium of a glass, ihe frequently refreshed
| himself Isaac p. Walker, a senator from
Wisconsin, had been speaking the day be-
fore and had been entitled to the floor be-
fore Mr.. Webster, but, seeing the i'm
mense Assem- olage in the galleries, he had
| gracefully yielded, saying that he knew
that the audience had come to hear not
him, but tn senator from Massachusetts.
1t was Walker, therefore, who took the
| floor when Webster sat down. During
his speech he took from Mr. Webster's
desk the pitcher of what he supposed to
be water and drank part OF its contents.
He was so surprised that he sputtered
and choked, affording the Senate much
! amusement.
Mr.. Beck of Kentucky who died only
| few years ago, had a glass of colorless
Scotch whisky on the desk before him
whenever he made long speech. 1t was
OF Beck, you know, that they told the
story of the barrel of whisky in which he
and Mr.. Blackburn, after sampling the
| liquor, were quite sure there were
| emptied small nail and tiny piece of
| leather were found at the bottom.
GOT THE WRONG COLOR.
But, to return to Becks glass of lin
| spi-ation." The Kentucky senator could
never speak at his best unless that glass
| OF liquor was before him His favorite
| page used to bring it 30 him without
| orders whenever the senator rose to make
what promised to De an extended speech
| MIR. Beck would take sip of the whisky
when he felt his powers tagging. and.
pulling his coat sleeves above his cuffs,
| would plunge afresh into his argument.
One day the page who customarily brought
the senator's liquor was absent and the
| assistant sergeant-at-arms hurried one of
| the other boys to the restaurant This
boy asked for plain whisky, and the
waiter gave him some of the amber-col-
| ored variety. It's character was wholly
undlsgulsed, and when the glass was put
before the senator he looked EN- barrassed
| for minute, while the people near him
! snlckered little. But Mr.. Beck was too
! straightforln ard to attempt dissimula-
ton. He drank the whisky and went on
| with his speech.
| Mr.. Beck had one of the most com
| pletely equipped sideboards at the CAPT
toll; and that is saying great deal, for
| most OF the committee rooms were well
supplied with liquor Moreover, Mr..
Beck had messenger in charge of his
room who was an expert in mixing drinks
SO the sessions of the democratic caucus
| committee, which were held under the
direction of Mr.. Beck, were never very
dry meetings.
THE MAN FROM VERMONT
Next to Mr.. Beck Mr.. Edmunds of Yer
mont, had probably the best furnished
sideboard at the capitol. Mr.. Fdmunds
"a W. lxpYat ct
the room OF the committee of the judiciary.
But this committee room was one floor
below the Senate chamber, and, although
the elevator ran directly to the committee
room, Mr.. Edmunds did not find it always
| convenient to make tine trip downstairs
when he wanted a drink-which was
often. so he was pretty regu-
secretary of the Senate, Mr..
McCook, who kept bottle of very fine
bourbon in a closet. Mr.. Edmunds would
come out of Mr.. McCook's Office rubbing
his hand over his mouth in particularly
unctious way; and everyone who saw
him come from the Office knew just what
he had been doing there.
Mr. Edm unds was a very rernarkab bio
liquor-drinker Liquor never clouded his
mind. In fact, the more he mad taken,
the more clearly he seemed to under
stand the matter which was being dis.
cussed in the Senate, and the more read
lily did his mind grasp the technical posi-
blllties OF the situation For whenever
Mr.. Edmunds had been drinking up TO a
certain point of exaltation, he wanted
to throw obstacles in the way of debate.
A CHEERFUL OCCUPATION.
And as no one in the Senate was so
skilled in parliamentary practice as be, his
ingenuity in embarrassing the presiding
otncer and setting the deoaters at logger
heads seemed positively devilish When
Mr.. Edmunds was engaged in this cheer
fuI occupation, he always stood with an
at1ectation of humility with his head
bowed and his hand to his mouth: and
when he had succeeded 10 putting affairs
in an unpleasant snarl, he would sit down
and slide down in his chair until he liter
ally sat on the curve of his spine, all the
time smiling and chuckling to himself.
This little popularity of the statesman
from Vermont will not be forgotten very
soon by those who served with him.
One of the most sorrowful cases of ex.
cessive drinking which ever came TO the
knowledge of the Senate Officially. was
that OF Mr.. Riddleoerger of Virginia Mr.
Riddleberger was of a warm hearted gen
erous disposition. He drank regularly.
but not often TO excess. But toward the
end Of the Eiftieth congress. unfortun-
ately he espoused the cause of man who
had been named for a high Office in the