The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-03-18
CONGRESSMAN RUINED
Capitol Drinking Saloons Make
Drunkards' Graves.
EFFORTS TO ENFORCE THE LAW.
Two Inte~ sting Old Men-Senator Palmer
and Ex-Governor Boutwell, = American
vandalism-some Think 1t Is No Crime
20 Destroy Government Property.

vandaiism-some Think 1t Is No Crime
70 Destroy Government Property.
WAsHINGToN, March 1s-[Special. i
Congressman Little of Arkansas Is the
leader of crusade in favor of enforcing
the law which prohibits the sale of intoxi-
eating liquors in the United States capitol.
While there Is little probability that he
will succeed in his mission, most people
believe the law should be enforced. That
1t Is violated every minute of the day any
one can see In both the restaurants of
the capitol that at the house end and In
the senate wing of the big white capitol
building, liquors of all sorts are freely sold.
No attempt at oonoealment is made and
these congressional liquor shops do not pay
a license fee to the District government.
They are maintained under the direct and
immediate patronage of congress itself.
PROBABLY greater amount of liquor is
sold every day in either of these places
than in any other saloon in Washington.
At any moment one may go TO the house
restaurant and see members of congress or
employees taking drinks. There is no bar,
but ii is only necessary for one TO sit down
at convenient little tables and order what
he wants. 1t is not even required that one
order articles of food.
Ruined by Drink.
Many employees of congress and not a
few members have been ruined ut these
capitol drink ing saloons. The writer
could name half n dozen members of the
house who in the past five years have liter
ally gone TO drunkard., graves on account
of the associations ant o.ibits formed here
l., LIT.
One Is continually meeting his friends and
receiving invitations to imbibe. This is
as true of the young men who serve the
house in various capacities as il Is of the
members themselves. 1t is not pleasant to
see score of men sitting about these little
tables in the middle of the day drinking
cocktails and straights Nor is 1t an edi
flying spectacle when members of congress-
who should be an example to others, drink
so much during the afternoon that they
are inoapacitated from attendance to their
duties. Yet such scenes are of daily oc-
currenoe. Fortunately there is not as
much drinking about the capitol as there
was in former times. but there is still en-
tirely too much, and 1t Is too public. 1t Is
impossible for stranger In the city to
take his wife or the members of his family
W
drinking bouts thrust before their eyes. 1t
is only now and then that anything gross
ly Objectionable OCCURS but in the opinion
of some members of congress such things
should not be at all In building owned
by the government and dedicated TO the
use of the national Legislature and the SUI
preme court.
Law Violated.
Tho 10 nr tho cu n loot "a vory nj nj hu
no one appears to care for Its enforcement.
The proprietors of the restaurants make
more money out of their bars than they do
out of their cafes. Probably If they were
forced to give up the sale of drinks they
would find it necessary to raise the prices
of their food dishes or sacrifice their profits
These congressional restaurants are exceed
ingly profitable, and there is always a
struggle to obtain the franchise The gov
eminent gives the rooms rent free, includ-
ing kitchens and storehouses. 1t furnishes
the light and heat free of charge. There
are no licenses or taxes to pay 1t is
charged that even the cost of repairs to the
ranges and other apparatus and renewals
of utensils are betrayed out of the contin-
gent fund.
On the floor of the senate few days ago
two interesting old men were seen in close
conversation. One was Senator Palmer of
Illinois, but few observers knew who the
other was. why" said one gentleman,
this proves the truth of the old saying
that fame quickly flies away. That man
is Governor Boutwell, of Massachusetts,.
He Is rs years old. Before he was govern
or he was in the state legislature. OF 80
governors who succeeded him in Massa-
chusetts only four besides himself are now
living. He was state banking commits
sioner. He assisted in the organization of
the Republican party. He was delegate
to the convention that nominated Lincoln
for president. He was member of the
famous peace conference which met in this
city during the war. He organized the in
ternal revenue bureau. He served in con-
gress and was chairman of the committee
that tried to impeach President Andrew
johnson. He was secretary of the treas
ury. He was senator from Massachusetts,.
He was an overseer of Harvard university.
He oodified the statutes of the United States
by appointment of President Hayes. He
represented the United States before the
French claims commission. And yet peo-
pie have to ask who he is
Senator Palmer was a member of the
peace conference too. 1t was there he and
Governor Boutwell, became fast friends
The two men are about the same age, there
being only few months difference. Like
Boutwell,, Palmer entered public life as
member of the legislature. He also after
ward became governor. He came to the
senate. What "a large part of the history
of the last half century in the United
States those two men could write from
their personal experiences and observa-
tionsl
Disgraceful visitors.
A peculiar phase of American human
nature Is It's proneness to vandalism. The
officials of the senate have discovered that
il Is not safe to leave the chamber open to
visitors during the hours the senate Is not
in session on account of the many acts of
vandalism committed. Pieces have been
whitfield out of the desks of senators, small
bits have been cut from the carpets, blot
ting pads and ink bottles have been stolen
Visitors are now permitted in the chamber
only under escort, and Sergeant-at- arms
Bright always details detectives TO watch
strangers OF course not more than one In a
thousand of the people who visit the capitol
would be guilty of petty theft or destruc-
ton. but who can tell which of thousand
is the guilty wretchS In the senate galleries
many leaves, twigs and spirals of the or
namental iron work which embellishes the