Washington sentinel., 1899-08-12
NEW CANTEEN LAW.

While here recently Senator
Hansbrough, OF North Dakota,
made the statement that at the next
session OF Congress he would pre-
sent bill abolishing the army can
teen, and that the measure would be
so worded as not to offer any loop.
hole to prevent the enforcement OF
the proposed law. The Senator,
whose advocacy OF total abstinence
principles is OF recent origin, was
very bitter in his denunciatiOn OF
the Attorney General for the de-
cision which resulted in the con-
tinuance OF the canteen at army
posts. The Senator went so Tar as
to denounce the Attorney General
for what he claimed was an unfair
advantage taken in Interpreting
the law. He said that in framing
the measure to be presented next
winter he would see to it that
there would be no chance lett for
a nuIli6cation Of the statute. AS
the Senator is very young in the
So called "reiorm" movement he
may gain some interesting food tor
reflection in the reports OF the
commandants Of army posts
throughout the country, which re-
ports are on file in the records Of
the War Department, showing al
most a nnanimitY OF opinion in
favor Of the army canteen. These
reports constitute an interesting
contribution to the literature on
this subject, and as the testimony
contained in these papers is ad-
vanced bY men qualified to speak
on the subject, and whose motives
cannot be questioned, they are
worthy of note.
More than six hundred reports
were received at the War Depart
ment from army officers, and they
were so overwhelming in favor of
the canteen that Secretary Alger
announced that the agitation made
by temperance fanatics to influence
tue action Of the department with
reference to the canteen would not
be considered. While it has been
impossible to obtain detailed alb
stracts from those reports, enough
is known to justify the assertion
that the discontinuance OF the army
canteen would meet with the oppo-
sition OF at least IS per cent OF the
army officers, who are familiar with
the good effect produced at the
various posts by the moderate use
OF beer and other light beverages.
Ia speaking on this question re-
Gently a well known army officer
said: at will be something OF a
shock to temperance advocates
who stood behind Senator Hans
brough in his fight against the
army canteen to KIN ow that with
few exceptions the canteen is gen
orally favored by post command
ants. Among the reports which
attracted special attention is one
from Gen. T. M. Anderso n, who
recently returned from Manila,
and who informs the department
OF the benefcent and quieting IN
Auence Of the canteen upon the
soldier boys now fighting in the
Philippines.
This information may be new:
to the Rev. Mr.. Crafts, the Ne7C
York Voics, and other advocates
of prohibition. II can easily be
verified by a personal call on As
sistant Secretary Meiklejohn o
the War Department. There is NJ
doubt but that Senator Hans
brough in an attempt to bolster VI
his waning political fortunes il
North Dakota by cheap bid 10
the support OF the temperance ele
ment in that State will agaiR pre-
sent a measure abOlishing tn
army canteen. The War Depart
ment, however, will oppose It, an
the reports Of the army officers
when submitted to the committee
having charge of legislation OF thi
character in both houses Of Cor
gress, will no doubt result in tb
early defeat of any measure again