The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-09-01

Before sailing from San Francisco, not
only was drunkenness prevalent, but
4SO men were registered for venereal
| diseases.
Arrived in Manila, they found but
few houses of ill-repute, with less than
score of total occupants, but imme
diately from all quarters came great
and sudden accession. From Vladiyo
stock, Singapore, Yokohama, Hong
Kong, Calcutta and other treaty ports
abandoned women poured into the
new and active market. Social vice
makes no distinction of race or color
These importations included Russians
Germans, French and Italians. Three
hundred were reported as arriving on
one steamer. They found cordial well
come, and their houses We're guarded
by United States soldiers under orders
to protect the traffic.
My visitor affirmed that, when he
left Manila, in the Gala Alix, a street
in the northwestern part of the city,
these notorious houses occupied both
sides of the way for three-quarters of
mile, the windows filled with solicit
ing women in CARDS too scandalous for
description. The blessings of Amer
lean civilization were beginning among
a chaste and temperate people. Actual
war upon the natives, although i'm.
minent, had not yet begun.
On the arrival of the regiment, there
existed, according to my informant,
one brewery, one distillery, one gar.
den for the sale of beer and spirits,
and several hotels, clubs and restau-
rants, where liquor was served with
meals. Among 5000 Spanish prison.
ers not Il single case of drunkenness
was observable. With the arrival of
troops. the grog-shops multiplied and
flourished, over 400 cursing the con.
qnercd city. That the officers were no
better than the men was the convic.
''''i VI my llIlollIli IL WAS ~ CO.
incident that, on the very day of Bish.
op Potter's speech, the government re-
ported the dismissal from the army.
by court martial. of Maj. Kirkman and
l.cuts. Gregg and Bailey for drunk
cnncsS in the streets of Manila"
The rcgimcntal cantcen, my caller
affirmed, was worse than the grog-
shop. The temptation is ever present,
AMI any good resolutions or feelings of
disgust after Il spree We're quickly dis.
PEELED by another drink. On the finan.
cial SIDE Il soldiers was limited ut the
saloon. Not so at the cantecn, where
Ills pay was held as security for his
drink, and often entirely absorbed. \
soldier is obliged to seek grog- shop,
but the cantccn seeks him.
If one questions whether such neces
sarily anonymous testimony as l re.
port is to be compared with that of the
great and good bishop of New York,
lNt NM lSit'l lllt VI llolLOlS W.
tailed in the New York Voice by Frank
NJ. Wells, late chaplain of United
States volunteers, which he gave ver-
bally to President Mckinley and Sec
rotary Root. Chaplain Pierce has laid
stress upon the number of huts from
which maddening native liquors were
dispensed, but it is not made plain that
these were not in such evidence be-
fore our troops arrived, for whose
trade they were established. Chap.
lain Wells, in recent interview with
the editor of the New York Philan-
thropist, testified: "Whisky and bad
women were running more men into
death in the Philippines than are being
killed by Filipino bullets or injured by
other causes"
Drunkenness, lust, gambling, bru-
tality and other vices that annihilate
conscience are in full swing in Manila.
Not only are these natives polluted by
this contact with superior civilization,
but the soldiers who return to the
United States bring with them the
seeds Of disease and contagion, to be
sown broadcast. Who can estimate
the ravages among our own people in
We have a president belonging to
the great Methodist denomination,
which probably includes the largest
per cent of prohibltionists of any re-
ligious organization in the country.
The souls Of many Of its members are
stirred over the question whether their
distinguished communicate turns his
wineglass down on festive occasions or
ventures to take drop. We have a
secretary of the navy who Is president
of the Massachusetts Total Abstinence
society. Contributions for it are an
nually solicited to save n few drunk
ards from the gutter. Mr.. Mckinley
has but to speak the word to close
every grog shop in Manila and remedy
the canteen abomination. He can find
excuses for arbitrary power to the ex-
tent of multiplying the principles of re-
publican government and disregarding
the constitution, but not to clean out
the saloons in the Philippines. Nor
has the total abstainer, Secretary