The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-27
AS THE SOLDIERS SEE IT
ABOLITION OF THE CANTEEN
AROUsEs THE ENLISTED f
Expressive of Their Feelings
sfasm of Temperance Workers.

The attitude OF the ". c. T. U. with re-
spect to the army canteen and the urmises
stated as facts IN support of that attitude
are responsible for a storm OF protests
from officers and enlisted men. One of these
surmises is that the men themselves real
ize that they are better off without the
c~anteen, and another, which apparently Is
contradictory of the first, is that the
seemingly unanimous feeling among the
enlisted men in favor of beer and light
wines in the canteen is due to the fact hat
these men do not dare 70 hold any views in
opposition 10 those of their superior Of
ficers."
AS a matter of truth. officers and men are
unanimously in favor of the restoration Of
the canteen-the former because the men
are more easily controlled and because
there are fewer breaches of discipline un-
der the canteen system, and the latter be-
cause they miss from their mess tables the
luxuries the canteen system secured to
them and because under the new system
they find they are spending twice as much
in barrooms outside of the posts as they
formerly were accustomed TO spend in the
canteens.
Many letters of protest against the mis-
lGdNlllS StdlCIlCnio put OdN ~ NaC ANR
ance advocates nave been written by Of
fcers and men. Here are two from the
Army and Navy Journal which speak for
themselves. The first. from Sergeant Rich
ard r. Dieterich. of Fort Williams. Me-, is
a plea to the w. c. 7. u. to cease interfer-
ing with things which do not concern that
organization. Sergeant Dieterich writes:
a meeting of some of the ladies of
the w. C. I. T., held in New York city, a
prominent member Of that organization.
MISREPRESENTATION question, the army
c%anteen. is quoted a. saying that the seem
ing unanimous feeling among the enlisted
men in the army i'm favor of beer and light
wines In the canteen was simply caused by
the fact hat their superior officers hold tie
same view, and that the enlisted mel did
not dare to have any opinion TO Che con-
trary.
Il wish some of these ladies would do me
the pleasure of informing me just where
they gather all this Information. / have
been in the service Of Uncle Sam land there
is none better) a quarter of a century. and
L should judge that by this time i have
come pretty close TO understanding what
army life means; but IL what this lady said
is true she has found out something In a
very short time that L have been unable to
discover in twenty-five years. This public
assertion that the enlisted mans mind is
nodded just as his superior wishes IL, with
out regard TO manhood. principle or any
thing else. is about as big a slur upon our
glorious army as that made by a lady a
few years ago. also a member of a society
with a long name, and also in New York
city, who wanted TO know whether 1t would
not be a good idea TO put all our criminals
into the army; this would save the State
expenses, and a criminal was at all times
good enough TO be shot at.
VIA THEY HAVE DONE.
'TWhy will not these ladies of these diff
ferent societies leave us alone? They have
stopped our beer in the canteens, and at
the same time taken from us the luxuries
of our mess tables. the means of purchas-
ing balls, bats and other articles generally
bought by us for field sports. They have
deprived us OF all these, yet. like Oliver
Twist, they are clamoring for more. Ladies
of the w. c.. T. L. and other kindred or
CARNATIONS. let me tell you what nine
tenths of the enlisted men of the army
would wish you 10 do. and If you do what
we ask YOU. YOU will nave our everlasting
friendship-that is, in the name of God,
leave us alone. Remember that by inter-
fering in the discipline and the ways of the
army you are helping to demoralize those
who are sworn by their oath to protect you
and yours. Leave us and our interests TO
those who are sworn TO look after us TO the
best of their knowledge. our officers. 1
have tried ii that way for twenty-five
years, and 1t has suited me, else | would
not be in the army to-day. You have de-
cried the man who has stood at bay with
his rifle, facing the dusky devils OF the
plains. defending women like yourselves
from death and dishonor, as one not able
TO take care of himself, a drunkard and a
bartender; now you go farther and make
him a .puppet in the hands of his best
friend, his superior officer.
Ladies of the w. c. It. u. what has the
enlisted man of the army ever done to you
or yours that you wish to misjudge him so
and place him in so false a position before
his civilian brother of the world outside of
the army? Is there nothing going astray
in your own household while you are both
ering about ours? We know our officers
and they know us. 1t is pretty hard to be
positive that you are telling the truth. yet
know that you will not be believed by
some. But l would not be true to myself
or the army | have served so long were l
to neglect to say that neither at the pres
ent time nor for twenty-five years back has
any officer ever made the least attempt to
bias my personal opinion one way or the
other"
A PLEA IN VERSE.
The other letter is in verse. IT is from
Will Stokes. of the United States Marine
Corps. and is YEARLY dedicated to the
Women's Christian Temperance Union and
to the dessicated, immaculate members of
Congress who voted against the sale of
beer in the post exchange; and, also, tear
fully beseeching both to a closer study Of
their Burns and their Bible, viz:
"'Guid folks, these maxims make a rule,
An lump them a togither:
The Rigid Righteous is a fool,
The Rigid Wise anither.''
Mr.. Stokes's verse is aimed at those we'll
meaning but mistaken men and women
who do not know and will not under
stand" 1t is the enlisted mans opinion,
and he calls IT.:
THE FALL OF PRIVATE
I never was no drinking man.
Nor no ~teetotler, too.
But takes a glass o. beer at times
Exactly same as you.
/ never ha' been drunk or jailed,
An brand O. crime or shame
Has never Redeemed on my cheek,
Or fastened to my name.
Twas arter heavy marchin' drill,
An blowin' like a steer.
j walked up 10 the Posi- Exchange
To get a glass o. beer;
The sergeant sourly sized me up,
An then, in accents rough
clear out o. herei We do not keep
Sech vile Satanic stufi'
Now. I can lift my voice in prayer,
An MARBLE out "a pslam
AS good as any holy joe
Altho' no saint | am;
But when I'm caked with sweat an dust.
An thirsty as a clam.
I like beer better than a hymn
Altho' no drunk l am.
quit the fort an stepped acrost
To Gilligan's saloon.
y pleasant word. a fOamin' stein,
Relieved my troubles soon;
An with "S'long.'' l left the bar.
But out spoke Mr.. c..
Hold on, me lad; come back an have
Another one on me-"
I stopped. returned-that beer was good,
An drained the friendly glass.
Then set 'em up again. o. course
a man can do no less;
But what all happened afterwards
/ can't remember clear.
N~r that L NrnE An1aAnn1 a..