Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-05-29
Minnesota'S Shame.

How completely the corporation
press of the land is in the hands of
the liquor power is evidenced by the
persistent fusillade those papers are
maintaining in favor of the army can
teen. The argument used is Identical
with that used in favor of licensed sa-
looms rather than poorly enforced pro-
hibition. And the argument is bad in
either case. One John Edgar, of Ro-
chester, MIMI, takes the Minneapolis
Journal to task for it's utterances re-
lating to the canteen and we reproduce
his article in part:
'To the Editor of the Journal:
SIN your issue of the 18th you say:
" The testimony of the officers at
Fort Smelling is that the abolition of
the canteen has been demoralizing to
the troops stationed there. Since the
abolition of the canteen, there has
been more drunkenness, more men in
the guardhouse, more court-martials,
more assertions: men have been de-
graded in rank because of their going
on sprees in the cities, and the general
testimony is to the effect that when
congress abolished the post canteen it
did not abolish the soldiers appetite.
Those who are more interest
ed in theory and sentiment than they
are in the men themselves refuse to
recognize the canteen as the lesser of
two evils, and very much the lesser. ,
''If the boys of the family are Sc
duced and debauched by the foul
places along the streets, then set up
the drinks on the sideboard at home.
''1f the railroad men get drunk at
the saloons, then supply them with
liquors at the stations, under the eve
and control of the railroad officers.
eff the force of men in the journal
Office become drunken, then set up the
canteen in the Journal building and
take the least of two evils.
''Omitting now all the short-haired
women and the long-haired men, sub
NIT, this is not the reasoning of the
fathers and mothers, of the hard head
ed business man, of the harder-head-
ed railroad man, and I feel sure, not
even of the Journal Office, notwith-
standing your editorial.
Gail these, if their boys and men
are caught in the bigger snares with.
out, find some other way of dealing
with them other than to set up the
smaller snares within. And yet all
these recognize full we'll that they can
neither abolish the appetites nor the
passions.
"But your editorial, and that of the
Pioneer Press, few days before, and
the argument of Bishop Ireland still
earlier, all agree with the officers at
Fort Smelling in one important fact,
that there are dens-horrible places,
outside of the barracks, where our
soldiers are debased and debauched
with vile whisky and other poisons.
"Without going into the reasons
for it, this is an awful fact, that these
bad, places exist, and that this bad
work is done. Please see what is ad.
mitted. The United States govern.
ment sends soldiers to Fort Smelling
within the state of Minnesota. IF these
men go outside the station they ar
caught in these traps and snares
traps and snares set up, allowed. per
mitted by the state of Minnesota, an6
under her laws and administration
accomplishing the ruin of militar,
discipline and greatly damaging til
soldiers. Are we not publishing GU
own shame, making it known that Min
nesOta sets up and maintains thes
hellholes, to destroy the soldiers q
the nation? Is it not possible to fin,
T some better way of cure or help tina
that recommended? --s-~<:a
"But look again. If at or abou
Fort Smelling 9 tribe or any numbe
OF Indians were camped, they Nigh
lgo out among these. same dens o
bells, and yet the full power and au
thOrity OF the United States woul
surround and protect them from thes
whisky devils. Any man who shout
! dare to sell, give or furnish in an