The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-06-08
"SPEAK-EAsIEs" AT CAPITOL.
HOW OUR CONGRESSMAN GET
THEIR Triple.

THEIR Triple.
The Annual Wave of Temperance
Reform Does Not Disturb the Old
Hands-"speakeasi Maintained
in Committee Rooms and Some of
Them Fitted Up in Handsome Style.
Democratic simplicity" illustrate
ed by Black Bottles in Basement
Rooms.
Washington, June 6.-One of the
surest indications that an early ad-
journment of Congress may be expect
ed is the wave of temperance reform
now sweeping over the Capitol. These
waves come just about the time the
Senate and House cafes close down
business for the summer vacation.
Veteran congressman smile at the an
nual attempts of budding statesmen"
to make political capital of this over
worked temperance dodge, and then
they solemnly retire to their respective
committee rooms and take a smile"
from their private bottles.
1t is no secret that in almost every
committee room there is a speak
easy for the use of the chairman of
the committee and his friends. Some
of these establishments are more elab-
crate than others. A New England
statesman, who has served more than
twenty years in Congress, has a COM
pletely equipped buffet in his commit
tee room, disguised as a roller top
book case. On proper occasions he
can produce all the appliances TO mix
a cocktail, a julip, a lemon toddy, or
d peach brandy toddy and serve it
in fine style. The liquors cordial. bit
tiers, syrups and other ingredients are
in rich cut glass decanters, and glasses
of appropriate size are disclosed when
the book case" is thrown open for
inspection.
All of the Committee room
speak-easys' are not conducted
on such an elaborate scale as the one
described, but they are numerous
enough to prevent a drought at the
Capitol as long as Congress remains
in session.
Democratic Simplicity.
There are some "low-down speak
easies" in the basement committee
rooms and also in the terrace where
a black bottle, an ordinary glass tum-
prise the stock in store. These come
under the head of Democratic sim
plicity." AS a matter of fact, the liquor
sold in the Capitol cafes are, as a rule
seldom consumed by senators or repre-
sentatives. The casual visitors are
the principal consumers. The wines
and fancy drinks are usually served in
committee rooms. 1t is the general
practice of many years for wine lunch
cons to be served in committee rooms. |
The venerable Senator Hoar of Mas |
sachusetts, one of the most dignified |
and able members of the Senate, while |
not "tippler," indeed 1 believe he is
a total abstainer, has just rounded out
a series of elaborate champagne lunch
cons served in the Judiciary Commit
tee room. Senators Aldrich of Rhode
Island, Hale of Maine, Foraker of
Ohio, Wetmore of Rhode Island, Lodge
of Massachusetts and other senators do
most of their entertaining in their
committee rooms. No secret is made
of these symposiums, and frequently
the list of distinguished guests is given
out for publication.
EdmOnds and Thurman.
Congressional "speak-easies" are not
new institutions. They have existed
for more than a generation, and they
will probably continue for generations
to come Those who remember when
Edmunds of Vermont and Thurman of
Ohio served together in the Senate will
recall the joint "spI'k-easy" they ran
in the Judiciary Committee room.
Those two distinguished jurists and
statesmen had a perfect code of sig
nails by which they indicated to each
other across the chamber that the SEN
atorial proceedings were becoming dry
and that a motion to "irrigate" was
in order.
For instance, if Senator Edmunds
desired to make the motion he would
sit down low in his chair, with his
hands up to his face, as If in deep
thought. He would fix his eye intent
Iy upon the "old Roman" as Sena-
tor Thurman was sometimes called,
until the latter gave back responsive
glance. Then the signals were ex-
changed.
Edmunds would stroke his rather
conspicuous nose with the index I'm
gers of both hands, while apparently
deep in thought. Thurman in reply
would draw forth one of his famous
red bandana handkerchiefs and sound
a loud blast to indicate his willingness
to Join his distinguished friend In the
committee room below.
A further exchange of glances was
hardly necessary, for the signals were
we'll understood, and unvarylng IN
their significance.
Edmunds sat on the Republican side,
we'll around to the left of the presiding
officer, and Thurman sat in the front
row on the Democratic side, to the
right. There were no elevators in the
Capitol in those days, so the senators
had to walk downstairs to their com
mittee. Edmunds would go out the
east door and Thurman the west. De-
scending different stairways, they
would come together in the Judiciary
Committee room and smile" at the
regulations which prohibit the sale OF
intoxicating liquors in the Capitol
building.