The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-05-10
SENATORS LEARN ABOUT MAINE LAW.
A Temperance Meeting In the Upper
Branch Of Congress.
Messrs. Frye and Hale Explain the
Workings of Prohibition.
The canteen system and the Recent
Supreme Court Decision.

WASHINGTON, May 9.-The Senate today
took up the annual pension appropriation
bill, the question being on the amendment
increasing the number of pension agents
which was agreed tc. The bill passed The
military academy bill was passed.
The army appropriation bill was taken up.
Among the amendments reported from the
committee on appropriations and agreed to
by theSenate, was paragraph approprIating
100000 for building at military posts for
libraries, gymnasiuns, amusement rooms and
canteens.
Mr.. Hale moved ali amendment pr oviding
that no alcoholic liquors. beer or wine shall
be sold or supplied to enlisted men in any
such building at any military post Mr..
German submitted tlat as the paragraph
had been struck out there was no prOpriety
In inserting such a piDYiSo. Ii the House
snould insist upon restoring the paragraph,
conference committee could prescribe the
conditions.
Mr.. Hale thought it as we'll to establish
now the proposition contained in his amend
ment. Ii the paragraph was restored to the
Dill the proviso ought to 60 with it. He doubt
ed whether any Senator would oppose it.
Mr.. Frye said the state of Maine had a
very deep feeling on this question. The peo-
pie OF that state tried to enforce a prohibi-
tory liquor Law, aud did enforce it very ell,
but If the sale of liquors was authorized at
one military post there, it would have a very
bad effect. The recent decision of the Su-
preme Court had excited that state very
greatly. 1t had tendency to destroy the
prohibitory law il it did not actually de-
stroy 1t. Ii the United States opened the
doors by that decision to such violators Of
the ,prohibitory law. and then, In addition to
that. authorized liquor to. be sold on its own
premises, the state of Maine might as well
give up the prOhibitOrv laws,
Mr.. Allison remarked that he understood
the present Secretary of War had given Or
ders that in .prohibitory states no liqaor
should be sold at military posts.
Mr.. German said that while be believed in
temperance and practiced it absolutely, it
was not possible to enforce 1t on everybody
else and not wise If it were possible. Such
extreme legislation had resulted in the re-
cent decision of the Supreme Court, which
was regarded, by lawyers and laymen as
most extraordinary.
.h Mr. Gockrell Tsaa g AGAINST the post trad
ershlp system, and argued that the whole
system might be safely left to the Secretary
OF War. He thought the prohibitory law Of
Maine woul0 not find in the canteen system
q thousandth part of the opposition it now
found In its own citizens. He had recently
heard temperance orator speak of the pro-
hibltion law of Maine as effective, and say
no liquor was sold there. The very day be-
lore ne had read in the Voice, ,theP Prohibition
organ OF the United States, an account of a
city In Maine with diagram of it, showing
the location of "a places where liquor saloons
were running openly and notoriously.
Mr.. Hale said Mr.. COckrelPs argument in
1aVor OF the canteen system as against the
post leadership system was so strong that
ne belived it would be established as a part
OF army llfe Therefore the adoption of the
amendment would certainly do no harm and
would enable the Senate conferees to carry
IL into the conference and have it incnrpora-
ted in the bill. He did not set up as an ul-
ira and extreme prohibtionist or temperance
man, but he would not be truthful if he did
not admit that the prohibitory law of Maine
and the temperance sentiment there based
upon 1t, had in very great degree driven
the grog shops out of that state. In the
small towns, hundreds of them, no intoxica-
ting liquors were sold, privately or publicly
In the large towns and cities it had been
found impossible,as it was likely to be- faP9d
anywhere t9 eYdtagrFTTTed YdtagrFTTTed an immense benefit
from the prohibitory law.
Mr.. Call spoke of Mr.. Hale's amendment
as tritiing with very grave question.
Whatever promoted practical temperance
was, he said, good thing. Whatever was
a mere sham, looking in the direction Of ex-
treme and impracticable efforts, was only
retarding the advance of sound morality and
temperance.
Mr.. Cockrell moved to amend the amend
ment by. striking out beer and wine. After
relps amendment to the amendment and re-
suited in no quorum voting. The Senate at
8 o'clock adjourned. Il aving Mr.. Hale's
amendment to the army bill and Mr.. Cock
relrs amendment to the amendment pend
ing.