Evening journal., 1907-10-08
DRINKING AT
THE White HOUSE
Prohibition in District Of
Columbia Would Put 1t
Up TO Roosevelt
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
New York World. (sneciaID

New York World, Especially
WASHINGTON, oct. s-If Con-
gfess at the coming session prohibits
the manufacture and sale of alcoholic
beverages in the District of Columbia,
as now seems probable, President
Roosevelt will be in an embarrassing
position.
For tactical reasons the Prohibition
lists will tack their bill to an appro-
priation measure, so as to assure its
passage. When such an appropriation
bill comes before the President he
will have to decide, first, whether he
can afford to jeopardize the interests
of the branch Of the Government for
which the appropriation is promised,
by vetoing the whole bill in order to
get rid of the Objectionable clause.
If he decides he cannot afford to in
terpose a veto he will have to decide
whether he shall obey 1t and furnish
no wine to guests at the White House.
There is no power on earth that can
compel the President to observe any
law.
AS all writs in the District of COLI
umbia run in his name, it is obvious
disregardng a law. That he had dis
regarded it would be notice to ali peace
officers that he had decided not to en-
force it against himself
Laws a Nulity.
The President is not subject to arrest,
so all criminal laws, so far as he is
concerned, are a nullity, If he so Wills
it. The House Of Representative alone
al 60 fav Il 1fe
regard of any of them. Even If he
were impeached, he could not be made
amenablc to the penalties prescribed
in the violated statute because he
could pardon himself before the i'm
parchment could be sustained, and the
pardon would be legal
All Presidents of the United States
have set wine before their guests.
President Hayes and his family were
total abstainers, and, as a rule, there
was nothing alcoholic on the White
House table while they were there. But
he was one exception to his rule. That
was while the Russian Grand Duke
Alexis was the guest of the Govern
ment.
President Hayes was not the only
total abstainer who has lived in the
neither smoked, drank nor chewed. But
at all his formal dinners the customary
amount and varieties Of wine were set
before the guests. Presidents\I Harrison
and Mckinley were exceedingly alb
steminous men. Garfield was not long
enough in the White House to establish
any sort of reputation as an enter
tainer
Never Question About Wine.
Except when Hayes and Mckinley
came into Office there never was any
question as to whether wine should be
used at the formal dinners. Mckinley,
although a member Of the Methodist
Church, decided that the custom of
serving wines and liquors to the guests
was not to be disregarded. Although
he never made a public announcement
of his position, he took the ground that
Methodist discipline rules affected him
merely as an individual. not as Presi-
dent of the United States, who. as
such, would have to entertain persons
who would regard it as a slight, If not
an anront. to depart from the rule Of
good society that drink shall be offered
to guests. Mckinley held that the
offense against hospitality would be in
not permitting the guest to decide
whether he should or should not drink.
In the good old days" every Pres
ident had a supply of liquor at his
elbow wherewith to pledge the health
of a guest, and, in many cases, of even
the casual caller.
Jolly old Jimmy" Buchanan, al
though always arrayed like a preacher,
had a wink which was an invitation
TO have a drink from his black bottle.
.Old-timers say he had a barrel of
whiskey which was made during the
times Of the Whiskey Rebellion. The
guest. after being told about the age
of the liquor, was invited to help him
self. and Buchanan always turned his
back whenever he had as a drinking
companion a man he knew as a lover of
four or five fingers.
Andrew Johnson also had his black
bottle, and there is no question that.
at times, he drank freely. There is
nothing that shows that Johnson got
as drunk as his enemies said he did.
Men who worked around the White
House while he was in Office say the
report is absolutely false that when
pleas in behalf OF Mrs. Surratt were
made he was too drunk to hear the pc
tiioners.
Chester A. Arthur is the only man
ever in the White House who turned
night into day and knew when things
pertaining to dress and dining were
well done or otherwise. OF the Pres
idents within the memory of living
men, he is the only one that knew
good wine from that which passes
as all right with the average man. In
his time the art of eating and drink
ing received much attention at the
White House and the regular staff Of
cooks there frequently found itself set
aside for a chef from Cham berlin's or
some other restaurant where good
cooking was the rule, not the excep-
tion.
He indeed was an outsider who went
to the White House with a matter of
business and did not receive an in
vitation to drink. Arthur was the poll
ished man of the world.