Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-11
ALL ARE FOOLS ONCE A YEAR
SAENGERBUND RECOGNIZES
PRINCIPLE AND CELEBRATES.
Twenty-Sixth Annual -Narrensit.
zung-Program Woven Around
the Prohibition Question

Carryin out the principal that every one
must be fool at least once year. and
uniting for the celebrat ton of one of the
time-honored customs OF the fatharland
the members OF the Washington Saenger-
bund and its friends assembled in Saen-
gerbund Hall last night for the twenty
sixth annual narrenstzung-''re OF
the FOOLS The large room was appropri-
ately decorated with Overarching bands OF
red. green. yellow and white. the colors
of Prince Carnival. with the central loops
at the chandeliers concealed behind grin
ming masks From the center of the cell
ing was suspended a gigantic fools cap.
and the carnival prince and all his assist
ants as well every person in the audi
ence. were required TO wear a miniature
replica of the great cap. The fools caps
of the Officials of the court were made
from beautifully varieSated silks. and
those of the members of the audience
from gaily colored paper twisted into
most fantastic shapes.
The whole program of the evening was
woven round the prohibition question. and
this was kept constantly in mind by a
brightly shining electric sign. THE Eff
fectS of Prohibition" in the center of the
stage. Carrie Nation was caricatu
and there were also impersonations of the
wv. c. +. l." and the "Anti-SalOon
League"
Members of Fool Tribunal.
''Hauptnarr'' Claudy was assisted by
the following associates of the fool tri-
bunal: Adolph Levy. Albert Lepper. III
Scheuermann. Friedrich Carl. Herbert
Levy. l.. Zwissler. p. Branstedt. W. Han
nemann 4. Joerss and court testers and
bailiffs Henry Nolda and George Storm.
The opening of the session found the
hall in utter darkness. with the exception
of few tallow lights dimly Illuminating
the stage, and the judges, who occupied
seats on the bench all in row. clad in
flowing night robes. and all snoring. Their
dreams were TO be seen and heard, and
were about the effects of prohibition i'll
tine District of Columbia. The nightmare
came to an abrupt end with the awaken
ing of the judges and a universal song of
thanks that lit was only dream. after
all"
The proclamation for the evening was
read by Frank Claudy. who has occupied
the bench in the fools court for more
than score of years. Christian Heurich
was the first culprit hailed before the bar.
The Judge accused him in no uncertain
tones Of being more concerned in the
promotion of true temperance than all
the other agitatorS combined. The car
nival prince announced that Simon Wolf
would he unable to attend and at his di-
rection Chief Jester A. Levy read a letter
Views of Simon Wolf
Among other things the writer saiu:
Have a good time while you vet may
the time will come, and possibly soon.
when the long-haired women of both
sexes will prohibit your innocent enjoy
ment. We are entering into a frenzied
phase of American. so called. steriliZed
morality. Laws punish. but never prevent.
rt~s4t
rights. the greater the obedience to moral
and legal obligations. In short prohibit
ton never prohibits. 1t creates another
monopoly-takes away the rights of the
many for the benefit of the privileged
few. and instead of the greatest publicity.
safeguarded by law. we will have night
mare of cant and hypocrisy.
Fools caps were presented to the car
nival prince by the AriOn society of New
York and by the Arion Society of this
city. President Rockar made the presen-
tHtion speech in behalf of the latter or
ganization. and he was hailed with
that he felt perfectly at home in the
midst of SO many fools One corner of
the stage was devoted to a Quarter-sec-
.iion of gigantic beer vat. and. like all
speakers who followed him. Mr.. Rockar
was compelled to address the audience
from the Top of the vat.
Gifts of Caps
delegation from the Columbia Turn
Verein was present, and F. f. Mann. sec
rotary. presented to the court the Turner's
FOOLS cap in a brief speech. Other soci-
cites which presented caps were the Beet
hoven Maennerchor of New York. the
Carnival Verein of Mainz Germany:
Maennerchor of Elizabeth City. and
others.
Representative Richard Barthoidt of
Missouri was placed in the beer butt and
ON arising TO the top he said he was proud
TO say that in spite of all the foolishness
going on in the country there were a few
sane men left in Congress who would do
their utmost to defeat prohibition.
Il want TO say right here of course. as
my individual opinion. there never will be
prohibition in the District of Columbia -
and he deplored the fact that the leaders
of the prohibition movement were not
present at the session to convince them
selves of the error of their ways.
Perpetrators of Songs Punished.
Anton Lerch was acclaimed az the au-
thor of the song The Twin which was
sung by the audience. A. Joerss was also
hailed before the court as the perpetrator
of a song.
Mrs. Hicks vice president of the ladies'
section of the Bund. as token Of the es-
TEEN in which Haupnarr Claudy is held
by the ladies. presented him with a bou-
Duet OF cabbage leaves. beets and radishes
DIR. Christoph Strack. editor OF the WASH
ington Journal German was charged
with being the author of song and had
10 sample fermented grape juice for a
punishment Adolph Levy. old member
Of the society. and perennial candidate
for some office or other. was presented
with q tin drinking mug by William Han
hermann on behalf OF the singers. Samuel
Gompcrs. president of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor. fools cap covering his
dome. was elevated in the tank. and told
everybody that prohibition did not pro-
hoit. that 1t bred hypocrisy and drunken
ness.