The age-herald., 1901-05-02
CoL VanhOrns Says Preacher is
 Blinded by Passion, .PARKHURST DENIES REPORTS Claims Not to Have Made Charg-
 es Against Officers.
WOULD NOT SIGN THE STATEMENT
Some Very Acrd Words Were Used By Officers and the Preachers While the Latter Were lnves-
 tigatlng Canteen Abolition.

Chicago, H., May 1.-The committee of clergymen appointed to investigate tho effect of the abolishment of the army canteen at Fort Sheridan paid a secret visit to the post today and ran Into a hornets nest. The representative people liviSg near the post say the number of drunken soldiers in the vicinity has been most materially increased since the abol- ishment of the canteen and the ministers went to the post to investigate for them selves.
 Dr. Parkhurs was among the number to visit the post. and no small amount of acrimony was dealt in, this, 1t is alleged, being the outcome of newspaper state ments charging the officers at the differ ent posts with receiving champagne and other spirituous liquors without charge.
 First of all." said the colonel of the post. T mean to ask Dr. Parkhurst whether he made these charges against the army officers"
 q did not" replied Dr. Parkhurst ''Wnl you deny 1t over your signature | in the paper that published it?" "No," said Dr. Parkhurst, 'I will not do that I never write to the newspapers, I always get the worst of it." l "But 1t Is due us that you deny 1t if you did not say it."
 'T deny 1t here before you gentlemen said the doctor. But will not go fur- ther." s+<f
 pr. Parkhurst then made peduest that reports of courtmartfal cases be furnished tr, of the canteen on February 2 had in- l creased the amount of drunkenness. Co., lonel vanhorne agreed to this, but on ac- count of the time required to get the 1 figures it was agreed that the report should be forwarded to the committee in | Chicago.
 Reports No Criterion. But you cannot use the reports as a criterion,'' said Colonel vanhorne. For several hundred of the men now at Fort Sheridan are brand new soldiers who come from farms mostly. who cannot be expected to know tn ules of the army and obey them as wei the older men. Then. too. the majority of these men received little or pay ts the last pay day, so consequently they could not buy much liquor. A large proportion of the
 
 courtmartialed, being offenders for the | first time. So you cannot judge tho mat | ter by the number of courtmartials shown | since the abolition of the canteen as com l pared with the same length of time pre- vious to the abolition.'' | This point made by the colonel led to an argument on temperance with the cali- | teen. Dr. Parkhurst dissented. Do you refuse to accept my wordT asked Captain Fly.
 "No,' answered pr. Parkhurst. mot so far as your own experience goes. but don't believe you know all about it." Then you are the first man I ever saw who takes the word of man on the street, unknown even by name, and re- fuses to accept the word of officer in the regular army. When you say so you insult the officers of the army" pr. Parkhurst thought differently. Parkhurst Cooked and Primed. see." said Colonel vanhorne. that | you are perfectly blind. Dr. Parkhurst, | to anything we can say to you. I still | insist you are unfair. You are cooked | and primed and blind. You came here | with your mind made up." Captain Morrow made address fav- | bring the canteen and Colonle Vanhorne | said that per cent. of army officers be- lieved it to be the lesser of two evils You do believe it to be an evil then ?'' asked pr. Parkhurst. Liquor may be an evil" returned the Colonel but which is the greater. the saloon outside or the canteen inside7" A member of the committee said some- thing about the W. c. T. U. and at this point Colonel vanhorne arose. ''In my experience in the army" he said "I never saw w. C. T, U. woman come to an assembly post to make an investigation. They know nothing about 1t. In my opinion they would have their hands full if they took care of their drunken fathers husbands and brothers"
 "If you think" replied Dr. Parkhurst. 'that the Legislation in the Senate and House at Washington which resulted in the abolition of the canteen was made without anybody knowing anything about the matter. I will have to say that you don't know much about it yourself"
 "You are cooked and primed.' repeated Colonel Vanhorne
 "All our talk would never convince you because you came here intending not to be convinced"
 "You are wrong" replied Dr. Parkhurst. 'It is you who will not be convinced.
 'You are blind," said Colonel. .vanhorne
 At this point one of the committee said ''There is more nourishment' in one egg than in five or six glasses of beer"
 "It Is not a question of nourishment" said the colonel.
 Will Not Admit It.
 "If you find" said Captain Morrow. ad- dressing pr. Parkhurst, ''that your inves- tigations prove the conditions since the abolition of the canteen have not been improved, will you then admit that the canteen was not detriment to the army7"
 NO" answered Dr. Parkhurst, I've will not admit 1t then even. We object to hay ing a saloon run by the army
 T told you" exclaimed Colonel Van Horne. that you came here cooked and