Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-05-10
THE GREAT DESTROYER.
SOME STARTLING FACTS ABOUT
TIE VICE OF iNTEMPERANcE.

the Philippines-The American Sol
diery Are Making q Saturnalis of Al
cohoIism-Disgusting Even to Natives.
Considerable interest has been aroused
recently on the subject OF the liquor ques-
tion IN our new possessions and particularly
IN the resultant conditions In the Philip
pines. The facts which form the basis OF
discussion have been furnished from time.
10 time ny newspaper correspondents army
chaplains, returning soldiers, and others
who have been ut Manila In public and pri-
vate capacities. Such tales have been told
of the alarming increase of the drinking
habit among Americans Ia Manila that IA
resolution has been introduced In the,
Senate mt Washington asking information
81 the PRESIDENT as to the Il u II Der OF saloons
established in Manila since the American
occupation, by whom they nre conducted,
he nationality of their patrons, and the,
kind OF liquors dispensed.
1t appears incidentally from the official
figures OF the Bureau OF Statistics that
Turing the last year there were shipped
from the United States to Manila 2440
dozen bottles OF malt liquors, more than
$1,000 gallons OF wine, IA 900 gallons of
brandy and about a, 900 gallons OF Whisky
and other spirits. That this is IN enormou.
Increase Is shown by the fact that our total
Exports OF liquor to Cuba, Porto Rico and
the Philippines in 1897 was only S31. .O70 In
value, while for eleven months OF 1899 the
export value reached the startling total OF
t75O,000 From what has been said above.
it is evident that Manila has received its
full snare OF the increase. The Manila
correspondent OF Lesies Weekly says thas
the city presents "sdturnaliu Of alcohol
lsm.' The air reeks with the odors OF
the worst English liquors''-whcll indi-
Gates that the exports from this country
are not the SUN total of supply. Whole
blocks in every important thoroughfare
are given u p to long lines OF saloons The
street-cars carry numerous announcements
Of the virtues OF this whisky and the de-
lights or that gin, while the main news
paper advertisements consists of tho dis
played cards OF the liquor dealers Presi-
dent Schurman, of the recent Com mission,
has said that nothing has contributed so
much to disgust the natives and damage
the reputation OF the country as the
immense amount of drunkenness
among the Americans in the islands.
According to the statement OF u chaplain
of the Tennessee regiment, there were only
three saloons in Manila before its surrel-
der-retailinE mainly only Intoxicating
beverages-but that now there are over
four hundred saloons selling whisky, most
OF which Is consumed by Americans. An
other describest the con titions on the trans
ports to be as bad rs those prevailing in
the city. SO great has the evil become that
the island missionaries have practically
given up their work among the natives and
tHclC utleullOH 10 the u6plOruDle
moral needs among the American soidiery.
If these things are true-and there l..
plenty or credible testimon tC warrant the
assumption that the truth Is only partially
revealed-it does not require Il prohbi-
Zionist to poiut out the crying moral and
political need for Il radical change which
Will be effective to stamp out what must
eventually prove to he the very roots OF
disorder and disaster. 1t will be utterly
impossible for the United States to retain
the respect and con t1dence of the etemperate
natives il the specimens OF American man
hood submitted to their inspection consist
largely or the members OF q debaa ohed and
drink-sodden army. They know nothing
OF Americans except what they learn by
observing those who have been sent there
under military necessity. They can net
discriminate between American soldiers
and the population from which they are
drawn. A more civilized people would
scarcely be able to do SO. Our national
characteristics will be judged by the mis-
conduct OF those who have gone to the
Islands to uphold our honor and who have
succeeded in besntrching it in the cutters
OF Manila. THIS is not all. The LIQUOR
habit is one that grows by what it feeds
on." The rapid growth OF the evil during
the last year can not be farther extended
without producing the complete demoruli-
zation OF our forces there, II not the utter
destruction OF the army OF occupation.
Aiconciism lu tropioai country, with It's
attendant exceSSes, means madness and
death, and they come swiftly. The evil
effects are already apparent. There have
been comparatively few casualties In the
islands resulting from the expected NOR
tality by bullets on the field OF battle, but
incoming transports are Increasingly
freighted with the remains OF soldiers who
have succumbed to the attributed cause of
"disease," and hundreds OF others whose
experiences have condemned them to the
living death OF insanity. Who can doubt
that the real cause Ia numberless cases
rests in IN over-indulgence in alcoholic de-
baucherY, superinduced by the tempta-
tions placed within their reach? And who
can doubt that the penslonrolls will be
burdened for generations with deaths and
disabilities from the same cause? Let the
saturnalia be stopped now before we are
more deeply disgraced and injured.-San
francisco Argonaut.