The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-03-07
prinl,ine Il the Phillppinea.


The everlasting Pettigrew is on a
new tack. He has offered a resolution,
which was adopted by the senate, call
ing upon the President for a statement
as to the number Of saloons established
in Manila since the date of American
occupation, by whom they are conduct
ed, the nationality Of their patrons and
what kind Of liquors are dispensed
therein,
No one processes to know why the
ever disturbing Dakotan wants this
Information, or what use he intends
to make of 1t, except to make some ex-
traneous application OF It to the adj
mlnistration which he has so bitterly
and improGtably assailed.
Perhaps nc has taken his cue from the
prohibition papers. whose charges have
been VIGOROUSLY unfair and unreliable.
The washington correspondent OF the
Chicago Record, noting the reiterated
statements in prohibition papers about
the prevalence Of drunkenness in Ma
nila, obtained the following ofiiclal rs
ures for the shipment Of intoxicants to
the Philippines last year: Total value Of
all malt liquors, wines and whisky,
S2Ss,9ss OF the amount Of whisky ship
ped there were only little over $4,000
proof gallons. "These figures" says
the New York Tribune, throw curl
Gus light on the assertion OF one prohl-
bitlonist editor that single Kentucky
dlstillery shipped 5000 barrels Of whisky
to the Philippines last November, a
statement that has furnished the text
for several heated sermons on the
drunkenness OF American soldiers in the
Philippines. But the statistics of tenn
perance people are frequently charac-
terIzed by intemperance. For instance,
not long ago Michigan clergyman de-
cleared that several million dollars
worth OF American whisky was ship
ped to the Congo Valley last December.
the fact being that the total expectation
Of whisky in December was 1881 gal
Ions, valued az $22,775 and that not a
single barrel was consigned to the Con-
so Valley"
But further light on the question
comes from another source. The Rev.
DR.. Charles Caleb Pierce CEpIscopalian).
an army chaplain in the PHILIPPINES who
is making short visit In this country.
says that there has been no more
drunkenness among the soldiers in the
Philippines than among the soldiers at
home, and there is nue.: less now than
thare was at first. Prohibition, he de-
cIares, would make matters worse, and
not better. II the sale OF American
liquors was prohibited II thu Philippines
the soldiers would drink the native gin,
one Of the most deadly and maddenIng
Of al! Intoxlcants. DR.. Pierce says:
When / first went to Manila the
streets were lined from end to end with
native shacks. at which this poisonous
compound was peddled Mt thu rate of
one cent 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 Ave drinks, which
ST GIlGAll VI u1y- 4uNy WGA AA0b ASGA ~
II. They drank 1t as they would drink
beer or American wines. This caused
an appalling amount OF drunkenness.
But It did not continue long. The native
drinking places were abolished and the
sale OF that vile stun was forbidden.
Then discharged soldiers began to open
saloons and sell American beer, wines,
whisky, etc. which the soldiers drank
moderately and with the same results
rs In the United States. The establish
meht OF these saloons Il accepted by
persona who are not familiar With the
facts as evidence that drunkenness has
increased, but they do not know. or me-
glect 10 explain, that half dozen drink.
Ing places have been abolished for every
one that has been opened, and to-day II
the American saloons were abolished
the soldiers would return to the vile
native gin which the Chinese. who are
very shrewd, would find means TO fur
nish them somehow or another.