The times., 1901-03-12
The Abolition of the Cnnteen.


The first fruits Of the abolition Of the
canteen are on view at Chicago. Army
. officers declare that riots at Highwood.
A fashionable Chicago suburb. are direct
ly due to the fact that soldiers are obliged
TO do their drinking in the saloons. where
they are not under any control and are
furnished with vile whisky. Several
drunken soldiers so terrorized the neigh
borhood In question that saloons were de-
mOished and inoffensive citizens fired
upon. and women were afraid to venture
or the streets for a day or two. Since the
canteen at Fort Sheridan was closed. 1t
is stated dozen saloons have been open
ed at Highwood, and the results are un-
fortunate.
The commander Of the Department Of
the Lakes says in regard TO this:
Flights and branls are likely to occur when
soldiers leave the reservation and drink lot
of vile whisky Take a lot Of your citizens and
pen them Up as soldiers are and see what they
would do. There are large number Of men at
Fort sheridan. Just now, including about four
hundred and fifty new recruits for tine Twenty
ninth Infantry Regiment which is being
gaRized. New men may be relied upon To help
dehauchery along
II was strongly opposed 10 the army cantecn
when il FIRST proposed but the War De-
]
Che drinking places were opened. one OF
+ the officers detailed to study the operation q
The cduteeu and note the effect on the men.
From the investigation / found the canteeu
worked much better than expected ID would
that ] WAS compelled 10 endorse d.. I nder
that system the profits Of the cauteon went 10
bug dclieacles for the men 5 table, -o that they
got the full benefit Of an that spent for beer
on 1he reservation. Now the men spend more
money than before and the profits go To the
owners Of private gin mills.
This is. Of course nothing more than
has been said by numerous other army
oficery since the canteen agitation be-
gan: and certainly the officers who are re-
sponsible for the good behavior and fight
ing strength of the soldiers have more
reason than anyone else 20 desire that
they shall be subjected to no demoralizing
influence. This particular utterance gath
ers force from the very practical object
lesson which 0ccasioned fl. When q whole
neighborhood is terrortzed by lot Of
drunken rowdies for two or three days.
so that women are afraid TO venture on
the streets, and respectable citizens are in
danger Of being shot. 1t Is certainly not a
very impressive proof that the abolition
of the canteen is a good thing, or con
ducive TO law and order.
! mere IS no phFSupu lnai the excessive
use Of liquor is bad. II is not well for
a man to make an insane person Of him
self even for Il brief period. But he Is
likely TO do ii on bad whisky, while he
cannot on good beer taken in moderation
Moreover he is more likely to behave
himself IT, under a certain amount of su-
pervision, he is simply allowed 10 drink
decently, than if he is kept from all
liquor until such time as he is given
leave, when the accumulated thirst Of
weeks must be satisfied In a brief interval.
with no restraint whatever placed upon
the amount Of liquor to be taken. Again.
when drinking in the canteen the soldier
is served by a man whose whole inter
est lies in helping to maintain good order
and discipline In the cheap saloon or
dive he is in the hands OF man usually
degraded, low and brutal in character,
and rapacious In desire, whose aim is to
sell as much liquor as he can in a given
time