The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-12-16
TIPPLING in THE /.
' WHITE HOUSE
Will Major Mckinley Forbid the Use Of
Strong Beverages?
WINES AT PAST STATE DINNERS
Nearly All the Presidents Have Been
Moderate Drinkcrs..One or Two
Had a Weakness for Stimulants.
Statesmen Who Have Obtained In.
spiration from the Flowing Bowl.

at the white house is possibly a lttie
premature. The president-elect mas
never been a total abstainer. Wnlie
temperate at all times, he takes drink
occasionally. At the same time III
most respects he might pass for
Puritan of the old school. Card games
have no seduction for him, and he does
not even play billiards. 1t is hkely
that during the next four years the
billiard table in the basement OF the
white house Will be retlreu from SUI
vice.
Mr.. Cleveland Is very fond of an oc-
casional game of billiards, and handles
q cue with some deXterity. He Is sala
to play a stiff game of poker. tnoush
never beyond a limit of 81. All ms ne
he has been moderate drinNer. ns
would rather have a glass OF Soou
whisky than the best port Of Madeira
and jug of hot stuff" is always
COMPANION of his hunting and hshlnS
excursions. President Harrison, Whi'e
not teetotailer, INDUCED very spar
insly in stmulants-a fact Which ana
not prevent him from shooting a pig
one day in Maryland by mistake for a
deer. Some people said that the wines
served at the white house under MS
regime were not up 10 the marx.
General Arthur was a connoisseur in
wines. He spent lot of money on
drnkables while in the white house.
his laNptlte amusement was C'NhS
dinner parties, for which the guests
were selected without regard to poll
ties and simply for their qualities as
Jolly companions. The natural SYM
pathy between the large cold bottle
and the small hot bird was Thoroughly
understood by this presidential cpl
cure, Not q few old timers. still lin
gerng 'on here in washington. smack
their lips when memory is recalled TO
those little banquets in the private am
ing room of the executive mansion dur
ing the reign of King Arthur.
Poor Garfield was fond enough or
high living. as well as of most other
good things of this world; but he sur
tered much from dyspepsia. and no
stimulants of any sort were served on
his private table at the executive man
sion, He furnished wines at state din-
ners and so escaped the criticism when
was bestowed so freely upon Mr.. Hayes
on account of his refusal to provide
them. In this matter Mr.. Hayes de-
fcrred to the wishes of his wife.
Though himself an abstainer, he would
hardly have made such ruling If she
had not insisted on it. His enemies ac-
cused him OF stinginess, though the
charge was obviously unjust. inasmuch
rs he spent great sums on refreshments
for his public receptions. the caterers s
bill for one such occasion being $4,000.
30 much as a bite of cake or glass o.
lemonade to guests at receptions
WIT OF MIR. EVARTS
one remembers the witticisms of
Nj. Evarts. secretary of state under
Hayes. VINO. remarked that water
flowed like champagne" at the White
House ,banduets. He did not hesitate
to express his disapproval of the pro-
hibition system at the executive man
sion. saying that the president had no
right to impose his eccentric notions
upon people who were being entertain
ed as guests of the nation. When the
time arrived for the first diplomatic
dinner of the administration Mr.. Evarts
had q discussion on the subject with
Mrs. Hayes. He represented to her
that the foreign ministers had been
brought up to drink wine instead of
water; il was n necessity to them.
The lady replied firmly:
1T is my dinner. and 7 shall serve
no wine"
But. madam" replied the secretary.
''it is not your dinner. 1t is my dinner.
lnasmuch as it is paid for out of the
funds of the state department"
1t is fact tnat this particular
spread is not paid for.y the other
state. dinners, out of the president s
own pocket. Mrs. Hayes answer is
not recorded. but it is certain that she
had her way ard that the luc<less dip
1omats got no wine.
General Grants weakness for the
cup that cheers has passed into his
tory but he never drank to excess after
entering the White house. Andrew
Johnson's spree on the occasion of his
inauguration was about the most in
opportune jollifcation a man ever in
dulged in. On the morning of the event
he reached the capitol some time in ad-
vance of the time for the ceremony, en-
tering unexpectedly. the room of the
secretary of the senate, Colonel John
w. FOrney. He looked pale and sick
and was accompanied by his physician.
The latter asked Forney if he had any
whisky. There was a black bottle al
ways kept in the secretary's room, and
Mr.. Forney went and got it. He placed
1t on the mantlepiece and set q tum-
bier beside it. Then Mr.. Johnson
walked over to the mantel and poured
out half tumblerful of the spirits,
which he swallowed at a gulD.
MIR. j. Il. MCCullaugh, now editor of
the ST. Louis Globe Democrat, chanced
to be in the room of the secretary of the
senate at the time, and so was an eye
witness. In telling the story to a news
paper man some time ago he said:
Mr.. Johnson soon became cheerful
and grew very ta!kative. After a time
he took another drink, though the doc
tor tried to disSuade him, filling the
tumbler. almost full of raw whisky. A
moment later 1t was plain to us that
he was. intoxicated. Meanwhile the
hour for Inauguration had arrived. IT
was but a few steps from MIR. Forneys
oliice to the senate chamber. where
Mr. Johnson took the oath. Evidently
he did not think that the ceremony
should conclude without his saying
something. He turned to the cabinet
s.r,I alx Il L.
body by pane in turn, making q series
of brief speeches, and ending in every
case with words something like this:
And am here to tell you. Mr. Seward
secretary of state, that I am a plebian
man OF the people, and l am proud oi
it," His talk was so incoherent as to
make it evident to all observers thai
the new president was drunk
johnson seldom drank to excess, and
stories have exaggerated his weakness
in this regard.
-.- IN EARLIER DAYS.
In earlier days refreshments were of
fered customarily at the white hous,
receptions, but that sort of hospitality
came to an end with Van Buren's term
The crowds We're too hungry and tn,
scramble for food too indecent. Th,
carpets an furniture suffered severely
During Andrew Jacksop's administra
tion the carpet in the east room wa.
totally ruined by punch that wa
spilled on the floor. The beverage wa
served in buckets, and those recep
tacles were sometimes upset. 1t wa
Jackson's idea to throw open the door
of the executive mansion to the peopl
in general, without special invitation
but the plan did not work.
President Madison was a light drink
er. When he had hard drinkers at hi
table he would dilute his wine will
water in order to keep up with them
In his administration the.e was mucl