The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-01-27

IN THE RESTAURANT.
the correspondent of the temperance
paper was a woman, he cried: Il don't
care whether she is a lady or what she
is. l denounce her just the same for
this outrageous misrepresentation of
myself"
Great excitement prevailed during
the delivery of the speech, and other
congressman, whose names were men,
toned in the article, were called upon
10 defend themselves, but they declined
to do so. Congressman Funston did all
of the talking, and he had the sympathy
OF his audience until he made that aliu-
sion to the lady correspondent, who
was well known to many people in
congress and in the galleries. The lady
afterwards said that she might have
been mistaken; but that man with a
cocktail before him was named to her
as Congressman Funston. After she
had been denounced in that violent
manner she declined to make any public
retraction or explanation of the case.
The other congressman named did
rot want to talk about it, because all of
them knew that the article told the
truth, and only the truth, concerning
what the lady had seen with her own
eyes as she sat at table in the restau-
rant taking lunch with lady friend
and making notes of things about
her.
The incident referred to manifested
the fact that public men fully realize
the growth of the spirit of temperance
throughout the country, and under
stand that they cannot with impunity
ignore that spirit and sentiment. The
statesmen OF the future must be men
of sobriety and free from alcoholic in
nuences. Some of the men now in con-
gress do not realize that fact, and un-
less they see a new light in the near
future they will be retired by the peo-
pie.
During the last session of congress a
joint resolution was passed by the house
of representatives forbidding the sale
and use of spirituous liquors in The cap
itol. The resolution went to the SEN
ate, but it was never acted upon by
that body. If it had ever been brought
to vote it would have been passed. No
senator would want to 60 upon record
as voting against the proposition to
abolish the use of alcohol under the
dome where national legislation is en-
acted.
The sentiment of antagonism to alco-
hol has grown measurably in this coun-
try since the civil war. Neal Dow, John
3 Cough and other apostles of reform
created and fostered public seb timent
by persistent and splendid efforts. But
the real work, the effective work, has
been done by the wives. mothers and
daughters of the nation. Progress has
followed the efforts of the organized
genius of the Women's Christian Tenn
perance union.
Some of the great men of the ante
bellum generation were almost habitual
drunkards. That is to say, they seldom
went to bed sober. It was customary
for nearly all of them, early in the after
noon, when the work of the day was
we'll in hand, to begin social drinking.
Many time and oft, senators and rep
resentatives with national regulations
would either stagger from the capitol
or be driven in cabs to their hotels. to
sleep off the fumes of the poison which
they had imbibed. No good could come
now of mentioning their names. Let
them rest in peace.
For several years after the civil war
the drinking habit continued. War al
ways lowers the moral condition of a
country. The veterans of the armies
were sent to congress. The people of
the north and of the south honored
their soldiers by sending them to the
legislative halls. Here they fraternized,
and it was while in their cups that
union and confederate soldiers buried
their animosities. Many a soldier hero
was seen night after night captured
and controlled by the demon of the
still. Men who would not surrender
on the battlefield would surrender to
alcohol.
Only within a dozen or fifteen years
in this city has the growth of the tenn
perance spirit of the country been no.
ticed in a marked degree. Gradually
Jne senators anu representatives nave
responded to the work of our temper
ance women. To-day it may be said,
without modification, that no man who
is known to be habitual imbiber can
go before the people and receive their
Endorsement and approval.
When the last session of congress adj
journed without passing the joint res
olution forbidding the sale and use of
liquors in the capitol, public sentiment
caused remarkable procedure on the
part of the sergeant-at-armso Of the SEN
ate. Although not himself temper
ance man, the sergeant-at-arms, realiz-
ing the strength of the temperance
spirit of the people, assumed police
jurisdiction over the capitol building,
as government reservation, and he
took it upon himself to order the keep
ers of the senate and house restaurants
to discontinue the sale of alcoholic
liquors. Some people said it was a
high handed procedure. but the SER