Washington sentinel., 1899-06-24
The Army Uanteen stands.

The Army Oanteen Stanus.
We have high authority for an
nouncing that the army cauteen
will not be interfered with as the
result OF law enacted at the last
Congress. That law lett it with
the War Department to abolish or
continue the canteen. An inquiry
was at once set on foot, and all
army officers qualified by exper-
ience or observation to throw light
upon the subject were invited,
through Adjt Gen Corbin, to COM
munlcate their views to the De-
partment. For several months
past, therefore, the testimony has
been accumulating, and Assistant
Secretary Meiklejohn, to whom
the matter was referred, has been
carefully and laboriously analyz-
ing it. He has made as yet no
public declaration in the premises,
but, as we have said above, we ieel
abundantly justified in asserting
that the canteen has come to stay
and that the reign ofthe post trader
with his retinue OF deadfalls, gin
mills. and agencies Of deoauchery
and disease has reached its end
OF course, it is hardly necessary
to say, that there is but one opin-
ion among army officers. The
record OF the canteen, which dates
back to 1889, furnishes oVerwhelm-
ing and unans1Lrable testimony to
its value as a restraining rt influence
and as a moral agency. AT
every post where the canteen has
been operated, drunkenness, dis
order, and del)aucherY have been
reduced TO a minimum, the guard
houses have been emptied, the sick
report curtailed more than one
half, and the standard of discipline
and efficiency raised in like pro-
portion. What the post traders
did, before the Inauguration Of the
canteen. is a matter OF history. We
know that enormous sums Of
money were paid for alleged PRO
lection" and we know that the
traders, despite this heavy tax upon
their business, made almost incred-
ible profits. In one case, that OF
trader at Fort Sill, seven-com-
pany post, it was shown before
House committee that he dot only
paid blackmail to his supposed
''protector," but realized a net pro.
fit of Sa5,ooo pr annum on his
liquor sales alone. With the post
trader, or rather following him,
there came in every instance a
swarm of dens and deadlalls ofthe
Viiest description, where poisonous
wniskey was sold and where every
torn OF vice and degradation -four
ished in rank luxuriance. Con
trasting those abhorrent condi-
tons with the bene6cent and NOR
alizing work Of the cante n, it was
to be expected that army officers
would appeal with one voice for
the perpetuation Of the existing
order. Through the operation Of
the canteen, the officers are now
enabled to regulate the sale ol beer
and light wines, the men are pro
vided with wholesome and com.
Portable places of resort, protected
against the demoralizing influences
ofthe old establishment, and, what
is OF almost equal importance to
them, they receive in the form OF
additional conveniences aud com.
forts, even luxuries, their share OF
the profits of the institution. When
we say that, since the beginning
OF the system, the canteens have
taken more than SG3.coo, 900 from
our soldiers, it is not difficult to
imagine the extent to which the
latter have pro6ted, both mater
tally and morally, by the arrange
ment.
From this point OF view, Assist.
ant Secretary Meiklejohn's task
was simple enough. But it is tc
be borne IN mind that, on the othel
hand, he has been beset by the or
ganized influences Of the liquor
interest and by the sleepless i'm
portunities Of the Prohibitionists
Either one OF these forces is for
midable enough in politics, but a
a combination they are calculated
to impress the most courageous O
public men. 1t MAJ strain credu
lity, even the most opulent. to Sc
up the picture OF the Prohibition
lists and the liquor men 6ghtin
shoulder to shoulder in commo