New-York tribune., 1900-12-12

accepted the others with mental reservation?
Is IL not the history OF every sect Of the Fro'-
estant Church. particularly Of late years that
men. having studied their Bible intelligently ana
critically with faith unshaken. perhaps even IN
creased. IN the essential truths Of the reVeaieu
Word have rebelled against some OF the requiie
ments OF their Church-requirements whieh arc
the inheritance Of an ancestry. living in tunes
when persecution pursued the weaker paIS
whose views did not coincide with those OF 'l'e
stronger? Has such persecution entirely ceased
Are not the threats of political death 10 mos
opposed to the abolition Of the canteen somewhat
in this line?
The sweeping condemnation OF the canteen
unon ex parte evidence and the absolute ignor-
ing OF testimony outweighing the other IN char-
acter and in the credibiity Of the witnesses
display lack of judicial temper That the
eanteen OF the United States Army is bene-
ft 10 discipline is the testimony or over w
per cent OF the officers. many OK them to'ai
abstainers Formerly the sale of intoXieants 10
soldiers was in the hands of post traders ana
these intoxicants included all kinds OF spirits.
President Hayes stopped by order the sale OF
spirits. Later Congressional action stopped the
sale Of spirits az all military reservations ana
posts Beer and light wines were sun allowed
Post traders could no longer grow wealthy anu
the soldier sought his drinks outside the pos's
and reservations in the low groggeries ana dINes
which soon sprang UP, where vice In All lIs
forms wrought its demoralizing work Under
such conditions the canteen came to the rescue
AS conducted according TO regulations. the
canteen is at once the soldiers club and CO.
operatiye store. The sale of beer is only an
incident No spirits in any form are allowed
They are absolutely prohibited by law The
canteen gives the soldiers a place to gather
socially engage in innocent games gambling Is
absolutely prohibited read good literature write
letters. buy wholesome luncheon, with coffee,
tea. chocolate and all kinds Of soft drinks at
low cost The soldier may also have his glass
OF beer; but to procure il he must go TO room
set apart for that specific purpose 1t cannot be
sold or drunk in any other part Of the premises.
II may not be generally known. but it is new
ertheless a fact. that the first opposition TO the
canteen came from the retail liquor dealers.
whose business was seriously affected by the
establishment of this soldiers club Their cause
was taken up by the wholesale dealers, who now
find themselves allied in a common cause with
the woman's Christian Temperance Union and
other Jealous faithful and conscientious Chris
tian workers
The action Of the Secretary Of the Navy is
cited as a precedent for absolute prohibition in
the Army The feasibility Of executing this
order on a ship at sea. where the men have no
alternative point Of supply is apparent The
result Of such a prohibition TO military force
ashore has already been noted. The soldiers
simply hunted for their liquor outside the mill
tary reservations
1t would carry this note TO undue lengths TO
enter upon a discussion at this time of the al
legged carnival Of vice and RIGHTEOUSNESS in Ma
Mia" Not one but many ministers of the Cos
pei now quietly pursuing their labors in the
Philippines, might be quoted to contradict the
highly sensational and utterly unsupported
Of a correspondent of THE New
York Voice" We despair OF ever convincing
some friends we'll meaning though they be, Of
the fact that there can be more sides than one TO
the liquor question" and therefore shall waste
no printers ink in replying TO the charge
that we keep our readers in wilful ignorance
of the truth" and that they have been sys-
tematically deceived" by us. We wish to prac-
tise temperance in everything, speech included,
and for that reason shall also decline TO join
in stigmatzing the counsel OF the Presidents
Constitutional adviser as being q ridiculous
travesty OF legal opinion" Attorney General
Griggs may have erred in his conclusions, but till
the courts have held otherwise. his view natu-
rally and necessarily guides the President Mr..
Griggs quoted Justice Peckham, Of the United
States Supreme Court, Endlich and others in
support of his ridiculous travesty." Could he
have gone further? WIS friend may have read
the Attorney-Generars opinion, but we doubt
it, II he had, We feel sure that in his general
anathema of the Government and its representa-
tives he would at least have excepted the Su-
preme Court OF the United States.l