The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-04
LIQUOR IN SOLDIERS HOMES.
Problem Resulting From CedinS
Jurisdiction Back to states.


Jurisdiction Hack to states.
When the Board of Managers OF the
National Soldiers Home meets in New
ork ON April 10 1t will be faced with
troublesome problem in the case of the
branch home at Leavenworth. Kan The
Sundry Civil Appropriation bill passed at
the late session of Congress contained
clause ceding back to Wisconsin and
Kansas their Jurisdiction respectively
"over the places purchased and used for
the location of the branches of the Ma
tional Home for Disabled Volunteer Sol
diers' in Milwaukee and Leavenworth,
the recession being limited only by the
proviso that nothing contained herein
shall be construed to impair the powers
or rights Heretofore conferred upon or ex-
ercised by the board of managers In
Milwaukee, where the liquor traffic is re-
stricted, b,ft not prohibited. this will not
make so much difference with existing
conditions ait the Home: but in Leaven-
worth, under the drastic prehibitory law
of Kansas. It will involve some very Sc
rious changes.
The inmates of the Leavenworth Home
have maintained for several years a beer
hall, for the sale of malt liquors among
themselves on the same basis an army
c1fIteen. The rule that nothing stronger
than beer shall be sold, that none shall be
sold to intoxicated persons. or enough to
sober person to intoxicate him. and that
good order shah be preserved at all times,
is rigidly enforced. The existence of the
hall is said by the managers to have
caused the practical extinction of the il
licit grogshops which used to cluster near
the home for the purpose of selling bad
whisky to the old soldiers: and the ex-
tension of patronage to the hall. instead
of to the worse places, was encouraged by
an arrangement that the profits from the
beer traffic should be used in maintaining
the pleasure devices of the veterans, such
as their billiard room, theatre. boats, etc
All these amusements will he cut off If
the beer hall goes, for there is no other
fund from which to pay their running
expenses. This in the opinion of some of
the more experienced members of the
board, will bring about the rapid depopu-
lation of the home.
That the beer hall must go. unless some
means be discovered for retaining IL
which has not yet been thought of. is
was fairly dry on the bill Mrs. Nation
swooped down upon the home to wreak
ruin on the place where. in her expressive
xernacular, hell-broth" was dispensed.
Vigorous action on the part of the Gov
ernor of the homo alone prevented her
from carrying out her design, but this
was plainly only a pOStponemeut If any
one armed with the necessary evidence
goes to work in lawful and orderly way
TO prosecute the beer-sellerS the board of
managers will doubtless order the hall
closed Instantly, for they are not men
VINO Will be concerned in the deliberate
violation of The laws of Kansas, under
whose Jurisdiction the whole home now
passes.
Many persons who object to the use of
aalcoholic drinks in any and all forms
VIII rejoice at the closing of the beer hall
at the Eeavenworth Home as a stroke for
moral reform. The queer fact about it Is,
however, that the change was made in
obedience to no moral impulse. but solely
as a political scheme. Under the guise of
letting the United States make Il present
TO the State of Kansas. the plan was to
confer upon the veterans of the home a
local residence for voting purposes, as an
aid to the Republican party in Il district
whose loyalty there was reason to mis-
trust. The absence of any further pur-
pose was stated without hesitancy by
some OF the members of Congress inter
ested In the passage of the clause of ces-
sion, who even went so far as to suggest
that. although Kansas was prohibition
state, there was really no reason for clos
ing up the beer business at the home ~
the liquor traffic goes on practically un-
disturbed in Leayenworth County If as
is now assumed in some quarters, the
deprivation of amusements viii cause a
depopulation of the home, the political
trick Will. of course defeat itself
: 1t was pointed out to the advocates of
the clause that they could accomplish
their political. purpose just as well by
ceding to Kansas Jurisdiction over the
home for electoral purposes only"
They conserfpetl. or at least acduiesced
ana IN the BeIlate a new clause was pre- /
pared which read that way; but in the
hurIy-burly of the closing session every
BODY appears to have lost sight of the
matter. andn the original clause went
through the Senate. as 1t had already
gone through! the, HOUSE. nobody even
lf nrfIa l.
it was new legislation saddled rIuon an
appropriation bill. Now that Congress
has acted and the President has approved
IT'S action. there is no repeating the
clause. The State of Kansas can ceds
the reservation back again If il chooses:
but nothing that Congress can do will |
bring II back, for. with the transfer of |
tltle, the limited States Government loses
control of the whole business, and the |
Initiative must be taken by the new own |
er, If at an