The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-23
THEY WOULDN'T CAKE.
CONGRESSMAN AS A RULE ARE
NOT HARD DRINKERS.
A Former Manager of the Capitol
Restaurant Says Very Few Would
Object to Its Being Closed-Sto-
ries of Saturnalian Revelries Alb
solutely Denied.

New York Sun: Even though the
Morse bill prohibiting the sale of liquor
in the national capitol should become a
law said Thomas ]. Murrey, formerly
manager of the restaurant in the house
of representatives in Washington, very
little hardship would be experienced by
the members of congress. AS a matter
of fact the only sufferers would be a
very few bibulous officials, the visitors,
and the loungers in or members of the
third house.
THE perennial agitation of the con-
gressional liquor question and the many
false reports about the closing scenes in
congress have caused a great many people
to imagine that the average natlonai
statesman is a hard drinker. My four
years in the capitol as proprietor of the
restaurant in the house of representatives
gave me excellent opportunity for study
ing the social and convivial side OF con-
gressional life, and | can truthfully state
that all the stories about congressman
being hard drinkers are absolutely false
1T Stands to reason that among d
body of $50 men from all over the Union
there should be few who drank to eX-
cess. 1t is likely to surprise most readers
of daily papers to learn, however, thal
the hard drinkers never numbered more
than five during my four years oDSerVd-
tons. This is the more remarkable Wnen
We take into consideration the many IN
vitatiOns and the temptations TO drink
number of steady drinkers who INDUCED
in from two to four drinks day ana
never showed the effects of what they
drank numbered rarely more than %.
When there were night sessions or pro-
longed exciting debates a much larger
number of members would on sucn oc-
casions use stimulants, but they dld not
make daily practice OF dong so. ~,
Notwithstanding that the Morse bill
passed the house by "a vote of lO4 10 I, |
believe there will always be liquor SOLO
at the capitol and the care with Which
the average congressman looks after MS
reputation will always hold in check any
tippling procliVitieS he may bring TO con-
gresS with him.
THE closing hours of the F1fty-thlrd
congress have been pictured by NUM-
her of space writers as being most
debasing scene-in fact a saturnalia- NOT
withstanding the intense excitement and
the long night and day sessions, ln ltI
were only two members of congress VINO
could be clasSed under the head OF drunk.
and they did not get their nquor IN me
restaurant but in committee rooe1s.
Thinking that the restaurant would De
closed on that memorable Sunday, March
1895. parties interested in various pei
measures stocked certain committee
rooms with liquor and food IheSe peIllS
free the hangers on proceeded TO loao
nm quite extensively. the result Deihs
that there were a number OF people seen
at the capitol under the influence oi
liquor. These people We're hot allow $500 ~
al the doors but they kicked up a grea'
deal of noise and one or two rows, Gus
ing strangers to imagine they were OF
some Importance and might De congress
"A lived-up-to rule preventing strang-
ers from the privileges of the restaurant
unless accompanied by members WIZ
quickly put an end 10 all lhOst SUI 0S
about bibulous congressman;
MIR. Morse cannot be blamed Yer very
much for introducing the bill pronil o. Ile
the sale of LIQUOR in the capitol, LOT ne
IN tiae suffered personally from the bac-
n mas sial habits Of one member. Mr.
Morse Went TO Speaker Reed and det cons ms
planned that he was unable 10 get t I,e
Quantities to meet or act owing 10 the
Condition of the chairman. The speaker
toid him that should the committe eI pt
again called together for business od meI bc
NJ Hs7aS should take the chair, call the
Committee esI0r to order. and continue as chair
man of the committee