Washington sentinel., 1901-01-12

these circumstances, Of the privilege o
taking a glass ofa mild stimulant? Are
| you going to drive them to the miserable
saloons outside2 Now, that is the alter
native. If you do not give them one
they 90 to the other. | adVocate,zas a
purely temperance measure, the pro
priety of furnishing them with the mild
stimulants inside, which they are the
owners OF themselves, rather than to
drive them to the outside.
do not desire to detain the attention
Of the Senate any longer except to
impress upon its members the idea that
the American soldier does not want and
ought not to be condemned to a re-
formatory. In my opinion you can not
recruit the army of the United States If
you pass this provision as it came to us,
advocated as it is by q eat many good
men and good women. 1t is against our
constitution to be tied down in that
way, A young American will not vol
unteer if he is going, as I say, to
reformatorv institution.
Mr., HawleY said it was not an
easy or agreeable task 20 argue
against the very respectable ladies
and men who, under the grossest
OF mistakes, have been making this
bitter war upon the post canteen
while nIne-tenths Of the intelligent
men who are thoroughly familiar
with il, officers and citizens in the
vicinity. say it is a great promoter
Of temperance and good order and
that without it the army would re-
turn to its old days OF occasional
severe drinking and disorder, and
all that. 1t appears clearly from
the statistics that everything bad
is diminished where the exchange
is and that everything good is in
creased.
Mr.. Money supported the
amendment OF the committee, as a
man who had never been addicted
to the use Of any kinds OF spirits,
either distilled, vinous. or malt;
who did not chew tobacco or
smoke; who had no artificial wants,
and therefore had never felt rhe
need oi drink. He said:
I am here speaking for the canteen
amendment because it promotes TEN.
perance, because it promotes good
health, because 1t promotes morals,
because it promotes discipline, and
com 'ort, and contentment among our
soldiers. I say this upon the over
whelming testimony OF the officers,
from the distinguished Lieutenant Gen.
eral OF the army down to the corporals
who we're interrogated by the circular
letter asking information upon the
several questions involved. I speak
also upon a comparison OF the record,
from the Secretary of War, from the
Judge Advocate Genera, from the sur
Zeons, from the hospital reports upon
this question for the six years preceding
and the six years subsequent to the
esta olishment OF the canteen.
We all know very we'll that you are not
going 10 make man a temperance man
by denying him what he wants when he
can 60 over the line and get it in another
place. Take. for example, the Senate.
The sale Of whisky and everything Of
that kind IS forbidden in the Senate
restaurant. What does it produce;
temperance No; an occasional spell OF
hard ''cussing" from some thirsty man
who wants a drink Of whisky. That is
all. He can take a two minutes walk
and get all he wants. 1t has never made
a temperance man OF a Senator yet
because we have rules that he can not
get a drink in the Senate restaurant.
think myself. without being hypercriti-
CAL that it is about as silly a rule as /
ever heard OF in my life. live have not
arrived at the years OF discretion, we
should resign and go home and let
somebody else be sent here in our places.
Mr.. Hansbrough, who has been
recognized as one of the leading
opponents in Congress Of the post
exchange, declared that the use Of
beer degraded the men and de-
tracted from their usefulness as
soldiers and from their morality
as men. The sale of beer in the
canteen, he contended, was de-
moralizing to the morals and dis
cipline Of the enlisted men. 1t had
been shown, he said, quoting from
the letter OF an army officer, to be
al the bottom OF most of the mis-
cry and trouble Of the soldier.
1t may be stated that the letter
OF an enlisted man (published in
last weeks SENTINELl. in charge
OF a company mess at Fort Myer,
Va, giving the bill OF fare OF his
company Tor Christmas Day and
showing the difference between
the meals on that day and the or
dinary army ration, which would
have been their fare but for the
profits from the post exchange,
was one Of the strongest argu-
ments that could be presented in
behalf OF the canteen. The writer
showed this bill Of fare to a num-
Der OF Senators whom he had ap-