Rocky Ford enterprise., 1900-03-16
DRINKING AT MANILA
NOT As BAD AS REPORTED.
The Native Gin which Was Death to the
soiaisrs Is Not Allowed ON sale is-Anss
tcAa Hser Iskes Its Place.


The reports OF excessive drinking By
United States soldiers In the Philip
pines have brough, forth much unfa-
vorable comment OF late. II Is now
stated that conditions AT Manila are
not as bad rs they have been painted.
The Washington correspondent OF the
Chicago Record quotes the Rev. =. Z.
Pierce, u. D., one Of the oldest and
most highly respected clergymcn In the
army, recently chaplain OF the Eighth
army corps, who was the iirst chaplain
to arrive In the Philippine Islands. and
who rclnnisci tler. continuously until
a few weeks ago. n follows:
'"rhcrc hns been n great deal OF
drunkenness In the Philippines, ana
eIerc always will b. more or less, but
no more than exists among our troops
in the rnlsd States and elsewhere.
Drinking has materially decreased
since our occupation and the conditions
will gradually Improve. II Is absurd
for temperance lecturers to argue that
because prohibition Is right the sale
OF liquor In the Philippine Islands
should bc entirely prohibited. We can
accomplish better results by degrees.
There II no such thing ns driving a
soldier tn do what II right. lie must
b. taught aud persuaded. II you pro-
hIbit the sale nI American liquor in the
Philippines the soldiers VIII drink the
native glu. which j. the most deadly
nnd mndlcnlng OF NIL lnioxIcanis-
When | first went to Manila the streets
wcr. lined from end to end with ma
tive shncks Mt which this poisonous
compound was pr,iii.d nt the ratc OF
one cent a glass. The natives take one
drink and stop. They know they have
enough. but our soldiers, ignorant OF
Its character. and Because of Its low
price. would take four or i've drinks.
which set them crazy. They were not
used to II. They drank u ns they
would drink bccr or American wines.
This caused an appalling amount OF
drunkenness. Eut IL lid not continue
long. The native drinking places wcr.'
abolished aud the sal" ~ that vile stun
forbidden. Then discharged soldiers
began To open salDnns and sell Ameri'
can beer, wines. whisky, etc. which
the soldiers drank moderately and
with the same results as In the United
States.
."rhc establishment nf these saloons
is accepted by persons not familiar
with the facts ns evidence that drunk
cnncss hHs Incr,asr but they do no,
know. or neglect I" explain. that half
dozen drinking places have been
abolished for every one that has bccn
opened. and to-day II the American sa'
looms were abolished til" soldiers
would return To- the vii" native GIN
which the Chinese. who nrr very
Shrcwd. would ind means to furnish
them somehow or another.
THE military authorities nrc Sisilant
and ar, working with u determination
to break up drinking entirely. and their
efforts have already shown excellent
results. There l. considerable less
drunkenness than u year ago. the NOR.
ais OF the trDopS have greatly i'm.
proved. mud far better conditions will
b. seen In time"
The correspondent goes nn TO say
that government REPORTS show that the
quantity OF wines nni liquors md spir-
It's exported to the Philippines Is much
less than generally stated. The total
value of these exports last year was
SOS, ,gSI.