Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-07-25

OF our soldiers are in the tropics where
intoxicants are doublp deadly; t3) that
s. per cent ARC stationed where the War
Department controls the outside saloons
from which the cnnteens are falsely
supposed to wean the soldiers.
"An officer OF ths Twenty eventh In
fantry, referring to the canteen, is
quoted as saying: Soldiers. to large
extent, are like children and must be
watched at all timos We regret very
much the doing away of one means Of
keeping them at home and out OF
trouble. Every soldier, old and young,
and every soldiers wife or mother,
indeed, every friend and relative he
has will characterize this statement as
q libel upon the defenders OF our flag.
We protest against the implication that
American soldiers are as class back
homeless and childish; that they are
prone to get into trouble; that they go
into the army FROM home and school
| life and most of them are mere boye
in years and in experiences with such
an Unsuitable appetite for strong drink,
that unless watched they will iun away
and get drunk.
Even il it could be proved that
drunkenness and rioting had Increased
since the abolition of the oantesn IT
would not changs the principle which
is the basis tor such abolition. There
are no conditions which can make it
wise or right Tor the government to sell
liquor to its soldiers. The strongest
argument OF the friends of the oanteen
is the existence of tho outside
saloon. IL those who arc clamoring for
the restoration of the canteen are
honestly and conscieutiouely aiming
to secure the highest welfare and
greatest efficiency of the soldier they
will work to abolish the outside
saloon, If not from tho entire country,
at least from the vicinity of the mill
| tary forts. The remedy for increased
drunkenness is not the removal of
restrictions within the post, but the
| placing OF more restrictions outside
not the opening OF more places of temp
| tation, but the closing of those which
are universally admitted to be menace
to army morality and discipline"
We give the following from letter
written the Signal by Mrs. Cornelia
Moots, president of the Manila w. u.
I. U. and NJ. e. Missionary:
Your recent inquiry is before me-
Yes, the csnteen is sadly missed. and
many we'll meaning people are deceised
| by appearances. As president of our
little band of white-ribbon women
wrath has been pous ed upon my head
even by some OF our good but hasty-
tempered boys. The conclusions reached
| by what have cleaned in talking with
very many soldiers and others are
these: From the very first there was a
determination among the drinkers and
those DESTROYS OF perpetuating the
canteen to make the law expeling il
odious There was evidently boosting
in moro than one regiment that people
would find out that there was more
drunkenness and more court martials
without the csntesn than with, and
soldiers seem to have purposely gone
on DRINKS. and heen most promptly
arrested that the boast might be- made
| true.
IL also appears as though during
the canteen days many a soldier under
the influence OF liquor was quietly
taken care of, and sobered off, who in
anti-canteen days is put under arrest,
thereby purposely swelling the number
Of arrests.
There has been cry that the mum
i n
creased since the shutting out of beer
| in several places this has been found
untrue. My belief is that wherever
excessive drinking and bad conduct
have followed on the pay days after the
abolishing of the canteen, IL is because
it was deliberately determined that ii
| should be so.
"There IS much complaint BECAUSE Of
the canteen fund. and cutting down to
army rations, and many OF the boys dc
not Look beyond that, to the evil oI
making men drunkards 10 order that
the mess table be better supplied, for il
inevitably followed that the greater the
canteen fund the greater the amount Of
liquor consumed
AT the temperance meeting in con
nection with the New England Year il
Meeting of Friends, recently in session
in Portland, Me-, Mrs. i. M. N.
Stevens was one OF the speakers. She
dwelt very largely upon the Importance
of all Christian rallying TO sustain the
Anti Canteen law against the I'M.
justifiable attacks that are made upor
it, A STRONG resolution embodyinf
these ideas was adopted by the yearly
meeting and ordered sent 10 Presidynit
Mckinley.
The following officers we're elected b,
the Sussex county convention, held al
Laurel, several eeks ago President.
Miss Lillian Cade, Milton; Vice Presi
dent, Mrs. White, Seaford Secretary,
Mise Anna Hazard, Iiewes: Treasurer
Mr.. Annie S. Carey, Milton. Miss
jamie Wilson was elected county y
secretary by the convention.
Tuesday. July 3Oth, will be Ken
county W. o. I. U. day at Camder
campmeeiing. TIE county president
Mrs. Kate e. Smithers, has been In
correspondence with the eloquent
Syrian, Madam Layyah Bara Kat, ant
has had others in view, but it ia mo-
decided at this writing who will b,
the speaker from distances. But ther,
Will be a full programme of good ad
dresses interspersed with inspiring
music.
| The New Castle County w. q. I. u.
will hold an all-day meeting at Brandy
wine Summit Camp, Tuesday, August
9Th. The State president Mrs. Emms
y. Caulk, and Mrs. r.. ii. Matlaok
State superintendent of eyangelistit
work, will speak in the morning enc
Mrs. Ella A. Boole, president OF tht
New York W. G. 4. u, will make th,
afternoon address. There will be tenn
perance reoitations by some Of TIL,
young people during the day, and
large attendance at the meeting il
much desiied by the county officers