The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-27
THE TRUE cANrEEN SUBSTITUTE

The views of Gen. Elwell S. Otis on the
canteen, quoted extensively within a day
o. two in the local press, do not differ
materially from the opinions and views
teen side. The theory on which most OF
the advocacy of the canteen is made to
rest is that soldiers will drink; then why
mot have them drink under restraint and
regulation? This view is all right; but it
is forcing itself on intelligent public judg-,
ment as somewhat too restricted view
of a. large question.
The enemies of the canteen say that
national authority has no right to sane
tor drinking; that it doesn't matter
great deal where the soldier drinks or
/ what he drinks as long as he drinks, and
that the canteen in operation often gets
the soldiers earnings on account Of the
! temptation which it presents to him, just
as the outside saloon gets them.
I. OF course, there is considerable of good
sense in both these arguments But
neither of them has ever seemed to the
81 o b e to go really to the bottom Of the
question. It is a saloon either way you
look at it. The object ought to be to, keep
the soldier out Of the saloon rather than
to keep him from drinking, He Will
drink. Thosel who say or think that the.
canteen keeps the soldier out Of the
saloon outside the limits of the post.
know little about the soldiers habits.
1t does no such thing. 1t may be that it
renders him less liable to hunt up the
saloon when off duty than he would Ibe
| If there were no canteen. If it does that
much, that is as much as it does - II
Officers do not go to saloons. Officers
are of course, the mems superiors in
more than one sense. The officers drink
within the limit of the post, and they
drink outside the limits of the post. They
I have no canteen, as the men have had
They have usually an officers club or
social resort, as the men have not Why
should the enlisted men not have their
social club and club house within the
post grounds, as well as the officers?
Col Quinton, in command at Fort Shell
ing, we think it is who first brought out
this idea. And a sensible view it is.
There will be no guzzling of liquor in
such a place. The surroundings and at
mosphere of it will not promote anything
of the kind Aside from post regulation
social headquarters for the men in
which they might have a library, baths
gymnasium, access to the periodical
press, music, parties or any other form
of social or mental relaxation ard enter
tainment and including a buffet in it's
equipment, if necessary, at which only
good liquor in reasonable limit is sold,
would be a splendid thing. 1t would
promote sobriety where the canteen-
might induce drunkenness.
This is the true solution of the can
teen question. Even with such place
established soldiers off duty would still
go into the saloons. But the saloons
would not appeal to them as they do
today-canteen or no canteen. If. as
the moral reformers tell us, the saloon
is really the poor workingman's club.
the establishment of such clubs as Col.
Quinton has suggested, will operate as
the soldiers substitute for his saloon
club. If Gen. Otis and those high in au-
thority in military circles would take.
up this view the canteen question would
soon settle itself