Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-07-12

TEMPERANCE WORKERS CALL
ED UPON PRESIDENT M'KIN-
LEY YESTERDAY TO ENTER
PROTEST AND PRESENT A DIS
SENTING OPINION.
WASHINGTON, July 11.-A delega'
ton composed of Joshua l.. Baily, OF
Philadelphia, president of the National
Temperance Society; Hiram Price, Of
Washington; Revs. L. R. Foote, of
Brooklyn; DIR. James B. Dunn and c.
r. Blackall, of Philadelphia; joshua
lowering, Of Baltimore; VIM. w.
Smith, of Poughkeepsie, N. Y; H. t.
Ames, of Williamsport, Pa; Col. Eli
Ritter, of Indianapolis, representing the
National Temperance Society, and 9TH
er kindred organizations, called upon
the President this afternoon to ask his
consideration of some points which II
was desired to present in reference TO
the Interpretation given by the attor-
ney general to the seventeenth section
of the recent act of Congress, entitled
IAN act for the increase OF the ELL
cheney OF the army of the United States
and for other purposes"
The delegation wished to record its
dissent from the opinion of the attor-
ney general in interpreting the act re-
ferred to and presented a legal opinion
on the subject prepared by Col. Ell
Ritter, of Indianapolis.
MIR. Baily also referred a paper sign>
Il H. 1000, ,,,olI nOuyD cAnta fiule
of the National Temperance Society
which embodied the views of the dele
cation and embraced the points on
which they dissented from the inter-
probation given the act by the attorney
general. 1t contends that Congress
sought TO accomplish the total aboli-
ton of the sale of intoxicating liquor
in the army. The Interpretation OF
the attorney general (Which was to the
effect that the act was prohibitive only
as to the sale of liquor in the %canteens
by officers and mem the paper declares
was a matter of amaZement to the peo-
pie of the whole country interested III
the subject and no class of persons, 1t
is asserted, were more surprised than
the members of Congress present during
Il1c C1dClllChI VI IL ANSADAANAOA' AIS
delegation represented that if the stat
ute is what its author and the vast
number of others interested as we'll as
opposed thought is was, the interpreta-
ton given by the attorney general is
a perversion of law. Reference is
made to the recent inquiries conducted
by the Wal Department concerning the
sale of intoxicating liquors in the army
exchange or canteen, and the responses
received, the paper says, only aggravat-
ed the public feeling because army
officers of the highest rank, OF the
largest experience and the greatest
prominence as we'll as those of lower
rank have heretofore when perfectly
free, given the strongest expression TO
xactly the reverse view of this busl-
ness. The paper declares thai the agi-
tation upon this subject will not sub
side and the President is asked to give
a rehearing upon the construction and
Interpretation of the law.
The members of the delegation after
their call reported the President as
saying that the opinion of the attorney
general was given without any prev
ious knowledge on his part-that he
did not know that an opinion had been
asked for by the Secretary of War
neither did he know that such an opin-
ion had been given until several days
afterward, and that he would look into
the matter personally and if the opin-
ion of the attorney general was found
to be correct it should stand, but he
added that all men were fallible and
that if the attorney general had made
a mistake he had no doubt he (Griggs)
would be ready to rectify it-that he
was an able lawyer and a man honest
and courageous.