The times., 1899-03-20
LIQUOR sold IN TABl
LIBRARY OF Congress
Allegations Made Through the
Bureau of Reform. u
A Jubilee Mass Meeting Held by the
White RibbOners.
Rejoicing Over Anti-LiquOr LeRisIn-
tiOn in the Last COnEress-In-
temperance in the Navy.

The Woman's Christian Temperance
Union held jubilee mass meeting in the
First Congregational Church yesterday
afternoon to rejoice over the recent anti
liquor legislation in Congress. Every
church in the District contributed its quota
of white ribboners, and the rejoicing was
concerned principally with three things
the ban on canteens in the army and in
the navy and the Sunday liquor law pass
ed by the last Congress partly through ac-
cident, in the rush of its last few hours
business.
The proposal to present Congress with a
statue of Frances E. willard to be put in
Statuary Hall was also endorsed with
hearty acclaim. letter was read from the
Rev. Father Chidwick, lately chaplain Of
the Maine, in which it was declared that in
temperance is the worst fault of the navy.
Other addresses were made by Leslie
Moore, Superintendent Bailey, of the Cen
trail Union Mission, and prominent local
ministers from several pulpits.
Rev. DR.. Wilbur F. Crafts, Superin-
tendent of what is known as the Reform
Bureau made himself a feature of the
jubilee mass meeting, and of all those pres
ent he rejoiced most over the temperance
legislation enacted by the last Congress.
DR.. Crafts holds himself responsible for this
legislation. In secular life he would be
called lobbyist; in clerical life it is diff
cult to classify him. He is commissioned
to champion the interest of temperance and
the Reform Bureau" in Congress, and it
is said that he does it professionally we'll.
But his rejoicings yesterday were alloy
ed with a deep grievance against the Con-
gressional Library, in the restaurant of
which he declares liquor is sold under the
napkin and otherwise. In proof of these
representations he submitted to the mass
meeting jubilee yesterday affdavits from
himself and others, and also letters from
Senator Hansbrough. Chairman OF the Sem
ate Library Committee, and Senator Spoon
er which were not such good proof, but
were submitted in a spirit Of candor. DR..
Crafts affidavit may be considered the
most important of the documents thus dis
played, at all events it led the rest.
The second affidavit was from one Will
liam E. Johnson, of New York, who being
of sufficiently lawful age to buy liquor in
the Congressional Library Il he wanted to-
deposed as follows:
State of New York, county of New York. $:
/, William Z. johnson, of lawful age, first
being duly sworn, depose and say:
That ] reside in the city of New York, and
that early in the month of January, 1922
visited Washington, d. C., a business mission
While there | called at the restaurant in the
upper floor of the Congressional Library Build
ing for lunch. j ordered buttered toast and
bottle of beer. The waiter replied: ''I don't
know about the beer but I'll see." He went
to the man in charge at the desk and reported
something that | did not hear. Then he returned
to me and said: Its all right; but you'll have
10 go into the side room to be served" went
into the side room, where were some tables, and
another man drinking bottle OF beer In due
time the waiter came with my order, bringing
the beer hidden under a napkin. The man in
charge of the restaurant followed later. and asked
me to keep the bottle on the opposite side Of
the table from the door, that the patrons III
the restaurant could not what was going on
He explained that ''the temperance cranks might
catch on and make trouble" He further said
that he had fixed this room up for this purpose
Further on or about February $, 1892 | again
visited Washington. ! called at tins place for
lunch | walked right through the restaurant
into the blind pig department. There ! or
dered Welsh rarebi, and bottle of beer. Both
were served without question. but the usual
precautions were made TO conceal the transaction
from the people eating in the restaurant. In
both cases 1 paid the usual price for the beer
The following letters in reply to these
allegations are self explanatory and hot
altogether complimentary TO the inspira-
tion thereof The following was written
to the Superintendent of the Reform Bu-
reau by Senator Spooner:
United States Senate,
Washington d. c., March ., 1888.
| referred your letter OF the 22d ultimo TO Sen
ator Hansbrough who is Chairman of the Library
Committee who referred it to Mr.. Grsen, superin-
tendent Enclosed herewith hand you commun-
cation which explains itself.
Library Building and Grounds,
Office of the Superintendent,
Washington, ID. C., Feb. q, iss1.
Hon H. C IIansbrough, United States Senate:
Dear Sir: have the honor 10 return herewith,
and to make the following remarks upon the let
ter which YOU handed today from Rev. Will
bur f. Crafts Phi. D., Superintendent OF the Re
form Bureau. dated the 22d inst, and addressed
to Senator John C. Spooner. Mr.. Crafts state.
mcnts that liquors were sold in the Congressional
Library with full knowledge on my part, and that
when the Library was about to be opened the sale
of liquors had been promised, absolute false
hoods The restaurant has been in operation since
about January l. 1898. The sale of liquors, even
including beer and wines, never contemplated
nor promised by myself, nor had they been sold
or in any way dispensed in the restaurant, to my
knowledge down to the date of the letter referred
to- On the contrary, the rules of the restaurant
not only originally excluded liquors. wines, and
beer, but they have been reiterated several times
during the year.
1t is my purpose to continue the enforcement
of that rule through my of what is
right and proper, quite uninhuenced by the pecu-
liar methods OF Mr. Crafts. Very respectfully
BERNARD II. GREEN, Supt.
The facts stated in these affidavits
have been laid before the Commissioners.
and II necessary will be laid before the