The times., 1899-04-09
LInuor. MT the Cnnteen.

1t is evident that the President means
TO accept the opinion of the Attorney Gen
eral as to the limitations of the amendment
to the Army Regulations concerning bev
erages at the army canteens. The argu-
ment Of the head of the law department
appears to be clear and conclusive. II
Congress had intended to prohibit the sale
of liquors at the canteens. there are words
in the English language By which its
meaning could be made plain and unmis-
taxable. The amendment having been left
open to the construction of Mr., Griggs. it
seems unfair that the President should be
bothered and threatened because he abides
by the decision of his law minister.
There is reason to doubt il Congress
would have adopted a measure TO deprive
the soldier of the right to drink beer. 1t
is necessary TO place many restrictions on
the personal liberty OF citizen who enters
the Army, but they should not exceed the
requirements of the service; there should
be no further interference with the SOL
dier's habits than is essential to the pur-
pose for which he is employed. That he
should not drink to excess is a matter of
course. II is the custom of very many
however, to drink beer in moderation, and
the habit cannot be considered detriment
to their efficiency as soldiers.
Undeniably every rational effort should
be made to prevent drunkenness in the
Army. Whatever encourages inebriety
should be abolished. Experience shows that
the sale of beer and light wines at the
army canteen is in the interest of tenn
perance. When an attempt was made to
prohibit the sale OF beer at the Home for
Disabled Volunteers at Milwaukee, where
nearly two thousand veterans live, the
governor of the institution made a report
which was convincing. During the years
when liquors were not allowed to be sold
at the home. the inmates would swarm
about the low doggeries that fringe every
camp or home where there are soldiers. and
would become intoxicated. Sometimes they
fought and were wounded or killed, and
often they were robbed. Ii was almost a
monthly event to discover the remains of a
veteran on the railway track, where he had
been run down while intoxicated. The ar
rests for drunkenness were many.
After the sale of beer was permitted at
the canteen. drunkenness diminished by
more than two-thirds. There were fewer
arrests. and fewer deaths and injuries.
The comparison was very significant.
There is a good deal of human nature in
the soldier. If he is allowed TO buy beer.
he will be satisfied with what his taste
calls for. When that privilege is denied,
it becomes new object 70 defeat the pro-
hibition. 1t was a French woman. but she
spoke for all the world when she said ices
would be delicious if it were only wrong
to eat them. Illicit whisky is better than
that on which the tax is paid. Kit" North
exclaimed:
Let me taste thee unexeised by kings.
When the soldier. denied his glass of
harmless beer in camp. gets outside, he has
a mad desire to have that which is pro-
hibited. He buys the vile liquor of the
rumshop in inordinate quantity, not be-
cause he wants the drink itself, but because
il is forbidden.
The testimony of experienced army Of
ficers, who are quite as able to pass on
the question as the total ahstainers of the
W c. T. L., is to the same effect-that
the sale of beer or light wines at the
canteen in moderation is a really temper
ance measure. IT, then, the object of the
members of the society is to diminish,
since they cannot abolish. drinking, they
might well advocate the substitution of a
beverage in which there is so little alcohol
as beer for the spirits which men will
otherwise consume. The practical propo-
sition is that according to the experience
| and observation of those best fitted to
| form reliable opinions on the subject, the
army canteen, properly conducted. makes
| for temperance. while its abolition would
tend to drunkenness and vice.