Evening star., 1926-03-14
Biease emphati-

Senator Cole l.. Blease emphau
cally refused to demonstrate yester-
day that liquor could be bought in
the Senate Office Building. as he
charged It could be in an address
before the District Policemen's Asso-
ciation Thursday night.
In fact, Senator Blease even de-
clined to be questioned about the
demonstration he voluntarily prom
seq 10 give and slammed the door OF
his Office in the face Of rep rter
for The Star who had called there
AT the Senator's invitation.
Not only senator Blease. but many
other Senators declined to talk about
a subject SO loaded with political
dynamite.
ONLY Senator Wheeler would talk
for publ. l.cat,on and he declared he
never had seen any instance Of
liquor being offered for sale in the
CAPITOL or the Senate Office Building.
Others just Won't Talk.
All others approached made 1t
clear that such a subject simply was
not to be talked about treeIy. Some
revealed their opinions conhdentlaily,
some said nothing, and stlii otners
talked OF i.nglish history or quo.ed
Scripture. Not one divuiged any defi'
mite Information about poouegoers.
When Capt. 5. j. Gnash OF the cap
itol police was asked II bootleggers
had invaded the Capitol, he replied:
Il think IL will be nne day tomor-
row II it doesn't rain"
senator B.ease tod the policemen's 3
ASSOCIATION that Liquor Is sold under
he very dome of the Capitol. in the
Senate and in the House Office Build
ing" Asked by a reporter for Ine
Star II he meant the statement seri'
ously. he retorted: 'Of course. ! mean
II. Come to my Office and will intro.
duce YOU to a fellow who Will sell
YOU LIQUOR there. Why. the boys come
around to my Office every day ana
ask me how much I want"
But the reporter didn't even get In
the Senator's private office. he had
to relay messages by the Senator
secretary.
The Senator's ire was aroused. he
feared this brash reporter wanted 70
get some successful bootlegger arrest-
ed and Jailed. The reporter was frus'
trated in all attempts to say that he
had no such designs; that he, in fact.
had no idea Of divulging to any one
the name OF the bootleGger, and that
he wanted merely to see~if a boot
logger would sell him pint within
the Senate Office Building.
Get out of my Office, senator
Blease shouted. You are less 81 n,
tleman than l thought. Get out.
He then waved his newspaper Iurl'
o,,sly in the face Of the abashtd q re
porter. slammed the door or MS OF
fee, and his loyal and efhcient secie
tary gently but firmly escorted MIN
out into the corridor. ,.
Said the secretary: Senator Biease
does not want to see you apous oN'
question any time"
Is a Dry.Wet Himself.
Senator Blease says he is wet:
h,,t that he votes dry because MS
constituents are predominately DRY.
one of the well known anc power
fuI wet" leaders supported the
Blease declaration. ANY man hV!ng
in Washington who can't go 70 .ei
ephone any hour, day or nignt' aho
order all the liquor he wants Is q =
fool" he said. "Of course nauor
sold here. 1t can't be denieo. boot
1seaers have established prontabie
hus;ness with little overhead and
have given service that has led ptopie
70 believe in them. Senators take
drink Just like other men,"
An ardent dry" Senator con
ceded that liquor may" be SOLD IN
the senate once Building. but the
impression that such bootlegging IS
done here on a wholesale scale is
wrong. have been here for seven
wears and never have seen any m
stance Of 1t, though that doesn't say
II is not DONE" he concluded.
A tovial Southern Senator quoted
incidents from English history 10
show that prohibition Is wrong. ten-
ing of the results OF the restricuois
emp owed on personal liberty by the
Puritans. But he had strictly moth
ing to say about Senators having
boot:eggers. a..
Senator Blease was upheld by tn