The state herald., 1900-09-28

Washington, Sept. 20.-Wilbur f.
Crafts, superintendent OF the Reform
bureau, makes the following statemen,
regarding the army canteen law:
"As the author of ths anti-canteen
law, reply to tho defense of the can.
teen which was really n defense OF the
qualifications OF the snti-canteen law,
The republication nj this time OF argu-
ments III behalf OF the canteen pre-.
yiously given to the whole country by
General Corbin and others is gratifying
evidence that the people have refused
10 accept these explanations. Tho real
issue before the var department Is not
whether lis cantecn system is II good
thing. hut whether its alleged nulifica.
iion OF tho Law Of congress can oe iusti.
fled. The opinions OF lawyers as to that,
rather than OF military officers, should
be gathered,
"It IL matter Of history that when
the Alg-r-Griges interpretation up.
peared. of the many lawyers. III congress
aud out, who expressed au opinion, the
only ones to defend tha, Interpretation
were liquor dealer,' attorneys, and the
only papers which defended it were
liquor organs
81 now challenge an investigator Of
the foliowisg facts, which seem
TO me TO show that the war dspar, a,ent' q
defense IL twin Of the original otIense,
IN that it's alleged poll OF the opinion Of
army officers was no, nm impartial poll
OF all officers OF the ranks inquired OF.
but only OF selected persons, persumabiy
such ns would favor it's own view from
each rank canvssed. The impresslon
hs. certainly be.n conveyed that the
weight OF military opinion itself among
our officers is on the SIDE ot The can,e-n,
but tho report irsolt on i,s fac. by no
means proves ,bis,'
"Only three generals Rrs polled-hud
orson, Wade and Merriam utknosu
men comparatively. save ~ tho Idaho
hall pom has made tho last named FAM,
iar. Thirty officers OF corresponding;
or higher rank ih army aud navy had
previously published anti cantsen opini.
on-, such Ncll known men M Miles,
sbai'er, Wheeler. stsfnh.rg, Henry,
Ludlow, Boyn,on, Howard. Long sauap.
son; but those were ignored. Us wns also
General Miles, opinion IN bis las, na.
nusl report. which condemned the cau
teen M sn hllurem.nt to drink to tho -
per cent oi young SOLDIER In our army.
chaplaiha. except two or three fayofabl.
10 tb. can,een. were also left out.
"ot thu commissioned Officers only
onr'thtd were poll.j. There 10 nothing
u provo tho other txo.thifd. ata not
ssslnet the ean'.sn. To make good
shown. IN nnmhes q, q selected liei ~
about 200 oofporal- aud serscap,s. iner
perieDced boys, naturally anxious TO
please their snp.fints. IL hdded The ia
por, does no, prove tin, oven majority
favor thu canleen, nsd certainly II tho
witnesses he weighed rather than
counted, the weigh, of expressed militia.
~ opnlon IA decidedly against tho can
teen.
"when tho question ia put oh a rorli
background and tho recent strong nnti
canleeD course Of tho French and BRIT.
iHh armies II considered. the ean,een
stands uhquhlihsdly eopdemnsd, The
Statistics gwen ior alleged reduction. Ut
deseriiunu, disorder aud disease since tho
csn,sen waa established vill no, bear
examination, The Dhual army has
hep, exec; statistics lot The yeat N 10
tho numbef of abst-iBcrs psf 1910 IN
hospiihl and gnafdhgnse. ~ compared
to drinkers, aud nlao records u tests In
bard msfch.n. al 90 favorable ~ abs,in
sac. so, 4 " made compulsory 10 cam