Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-09
SALOONS IN MANILA
Animated Discussion in the Senate
This Afternoon.
The ARMY CANTEEN IT'S OCCASION
Mr.. Pettigrew Questions the At
torney Generals Sincerity.
RIVER AND HARBOR BILL UP

When the Senate convened today vacant
seats were numerous. Many senators are
away from the city and several are con-
fined to their homes by attacks of the grip
which is almost epidemic in the city.
The reapportionment bill was received
from the House of Representatives and re-
ferred 10 the committee on census.
Mr.. Lodge (Mass) offered resolution
calling upon the President, If not incom-
patible with public interest, to furnish the
Senate copies of all papers and corre-
spondence in the Department of State sub
sequeut to July 1, 1897, relating to the
action taken by that department to OBTAIN
an adjustment of the claims of Is. X Hehr!
and other American citizens against Great
Britain IN regard to lands i'll the flJl
Islands: also whether any action mas beeh
taken in pursuance of resolution or the
committee on foreign relations adopted ps
the Senate June \. 1870. Inc resoiutioh
was adopted.
The resolution referred to was as foi-
lows: That the President is hereby re-
uuested to continue the investigation ana
efforts hitherto made by the United states
in the matter of the claims of Il. X Henry
and other American citizens against the
government of Great Britain in regard TO
certain lands in the Fiji Islands to the enc
that such an adjustment OF such cialnns
may be made as may be warranted by me
facts and by the law applicable thereto.
The Army Bill Taken Up.
At The conclusion of the routine business
considera ton of the army reorganization
bill was resumed, the pending question be-
ing upon the committee amendment strlk
ing out the House provision abolishing the
canteen or post exchange in the army.
Mr. McCumber On. d., in a carefuliy
prepared argument. attacked the amend
ment and urged the adoption of the house
provision abolishing the canteen: he ue
ciared that great majority of the deatns
in the army, were due either directly or m
directly to the use by the men OF ln1oS-
icants.
In a speech in opposition to the sale OF
liquor or beer at any army post Mr.. Teller
(ColD said that no attack was being made
upon the post exchange. but merely upon
the canteen-or beer-selling part of the ex-
change. He discussed briefly the Attorney
Generals opinion as to the canteen, main
tanning that he had argued from wrong
premises.
Mr. Teller declared his belief that the
canteen system was vicious. and he be-
lieved that the great majority OF the Amer
lean people held to the same opinion
The Colorado senator maintained that the
excessive use of beer was one of the most
degrading phases of ntemperance. He de-
clared the statement that the saloon inter-
est was back of the fight upon the canteen
absurd.
ITS true. nevertheless interjected Mr.
IIawley Comm.
9 1T is not true" retorted Mr.. Teller and
the senator cannot prove that it is true
The Saloons in Manila.
Adverting TO the situation in the Philip
pines Mr. Teller declared that the United
States was cursing the people of those is
lands with a curse vicious and vile as
any the Spanish ever placed upon them
1t was, he said, wit hin the power of the
President and within ,he power of Congress
to tyn1
drinking among the soldiers of the Ameri-
can army and the Filipinos.~ He directed
attention to statement of President Schur-
man of the old Philippine commission to
the effect that one of the most demoralizing
influences taken to the Philippines by the
United States was the American saloon He
said that the few thousand Americans in
Manila drank more per capita than the
sa me number of Americans anywhere.
Mr.. Lodge interrupting Mr.. Teller in
CURED if it was not fact that the govern
ment Of the United States had nothing to
do with the saloons established in Manila !:
that the army canteen was an entirely diff
ferent matter.
Mr. Teller replied that that was true
but that il was within the power of the
President to close every saloon, in Manila
IL cablegram could reach the
city.
Mr.. Lodge said he deprecated the estab-
ishment in Manila of the American bar
rooms which had followed in the wake of
the American army. IF there be any way
u tluSe lIeiil l. "oulG ldNOF II nearby.
Mr.. Gallinger interrupted. Mr.. Teller to
say that he had been told by a prominent
officer of the army that the 400 800
American saloons in Manila We're licensed
Dy the American government there and he
believed they could be completely abolished
Il do not know the reason for the condi-
ton in Manila, said Mr.. Lodge, but | do
Ludlow, that thing-the establishment of
saloons-absolutely was stopped in Ha-
Yana.
I never heard any complaint of this
thing when l was in Havana last spring.
said Mr.. Teller, ''or Iywhere in Cuba But
this condition of affairs exists in Manila"
Mr.. McComas called Mr.. Teller's atten-
ton to the fact that within Il very brief
time the Taft commission has SO restricted
the sale of liquor in Manila that in that re-
Spect the city was freer from this business
than IN any American city of equal size.
Mr. Teller reiterated his former state
ment that the President could close the
saloons in Manila in an hour, and he be-
lieved that if the President and Congress
did not act in the matter they would de
serve the condign contempt of the Ameri-
people"
Mr.. Foraker explaining that he was COM
PEELED TO be absent from the chamber dur
ing the remainder of the day said that
II he were present when the amendment
was voted upon he would vote against the
committee amendment which continues the
canteen. a
Mr.. Lodge said that while he did not he
neNe the canteen had done any particular
harm in the Philippines. he was convinced
that the saloon had done incalculable harm
there. He gave notice of an amendment
prohibiting the Importation of distilled
liquors into the Philippines except for
medicinal purposes.
Mr.. Pettigrew made a characteristic at
tack upon the pending bill, devoting some
time to a criticism of the Senate commit
tee for not bringing into the Senate a
more elaborate report in support of the
measure. He said that the report submit
ted dealt almost exclusively with the can
teen provision, while the far greater ques.
ton of the proposed increase of the army
10 1hH.UD men was passed by with only a
brief paragraph. He was not opposed he
said, to the post exchange. but he was Oh.
posed to the sale of liquor in the post eX-
change, which, he declared, had become
nurseries of drunkenness and kindergar-
tens of profiigacy."
In the course of his remarks, Mr. Petit
grew said that the President had refused
u obey the act of Congress prohibiting the
sale OF liquor on army reservations, and
had directed his Attorney General to
write an opinion in support of his refusal.
SpOOner Rebukex Pettigrew.
"Oh! Now, the senator does not mean
that the President dictated to the Attorney
General the nature Of the opinion he should
write protested Mr. Spoonor (Wis.).
We'll. 1 don't know whether he did or
not, responded Mr.. Pettigrew.