Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-05-09
FIGHTERS VS.. PREACHERS.
A Lively Argument at Fort Sheridan
as TO the Effects of Abolishin@ the
Army Canaeen system.

| Chicago, May 1.-The committee of
clergymen appointed by the Minis
| ters' association of Chicago to inves-
| tigate the effect of the abolishment
of the army canteen at Fort Sheri-
| dan, paid visit to the post yester-
| day and ran into hornets nest.
| The reports of the people living
| near the post have been to the effect
| that the number of intoxicated sol
diers in the vicinity of tie post has
| increased since the adjustment of the
canteen and the ministers went to
| the post to investigate for them
selves. The members of The commit
| tee were:
Rev. Parkhurst. of the Anti-Saloon
league; Rev. Thain, of Oak Park, rep
| resenting the Consregationalists;
Rev. Dexter. representing the Bap-
fists; Rev. Hughes, representing the
| Christian churches. Besides these
| gentlemen ex-Chief of Police Bar
| tram, of Evanston, and Rev Wright,
| Presbyterian preacher, we're in the
| party.
Col Van Horne greeted the visitors
affably and ordered the call to be
| sounded, summoning the officers of
| tnt lOIt ~ lht DldSt' II AO'iN''
| officers reported: Capt. Ely. Capt.
Madden, Capt. Morrow, Maj Thorpe,
| Lieut.. Ross, Chaplain Nattman.
DR.. Parkhurst stated the causes
| that had brought the party to the
| fort. He said the committee repre-
sented quarter of million church
people who were glad the canteen
| feature of the army had been done
away with. Col. Van Horne took
from his pocket newspaper clip
| ping in which it was said that DR..
| Parkhurst had accused army officers
of receiving champagne and other
liquors without any bills attached.
.'First of ALL" said the colonel, 81
mean to ask DR.. Parkhurst whether
he made those charges against the
army officers"
Il did not" replied DR.. Farkhurst.
"Will YOU deny it over your sigma
ture in the paper that published it|'
| NO" said DR.. ParKnurst, 81 will
| not do that. never write to the
newspapers. l always get the worst
of it,"
'But it is due us that you deny it,,
if you did not say it,"
az deny it here before you gentle
men," said DIR. Parkhurst, "but | will
rot go further"
| DR.. ParkhurSt then made n request
that the report of court-mar tial cases
be furnished the committee, in order
| to show whether the abolition of the
| canteen on February had increased
| the amount of drunkenness. Col. Van
| Horne agreed to this, but on account
of the time required to get the fig
| ures it was agreed that the report
| should be forwarded to the commit
| tee in Chicago. But you cannot use
| the report as Il criterion,' said Col.
| Van Horne, "for several hundred Of
the men now at Fort sheridan are
brand new soldiers who come from
farms mostly, and who cannot be ey-
pected to know the rules of the army
and obey them as well as the older
men. Then. too, the majority of
| these men received little or no pay
| at the last pay day, consequently
they could not buy much liquor. A
large proportion of the men who vio-
| lated the rules were not court-mar-
tailed. being offenders for the first
time"
This point made by the colonel ed
|
| Capt. Ely made a statement regarding
! his experience with the calteen. DR..
| Parkhurst dissented.
| "Do you refuse to accept my
word?" asked Capt. Ely.
"No," answered DR.. Parkhurst, mot
Sc far as your own experience goes,
but | do not believe you know all
about it,"
"Then you are the first man | ever
| saw" returned the captain, ''who
! takes the word of a man on the
street. unknown even by name, and
refuses to accept the word of an
officer in the army. When you say
so you insult the officers of the
army.
DR.. Parkhurst thought differently,
81 see," said Col Van Horne, that
you are perfectly blind, DR.. Park
! hurst, to anything we can say to you.
| You are unfair.
Capt Morrow made an address fa-
voring the canteen and Col. Van
! Horne said that % per cent. of army
officers believed it to be the lesser of
| two evils.
! A member of the committee said
something about me W. c. Il. L., and
| at this Col Van Horne arose. 'In
my 40 years in the army" he said, 81
never saw a w. c. T. [. woman come
to an army post to make an investi
/ CATION. They know nothing about
it. In my opinion they would have
their hands full if they took care of
their drunken fathers, husbands and
brothers"
After several hours of temperance
argument the committee withdrew,
| having accomplished little.
Panic at DO. show.
Chicago, May A photographer
| brought dog show to an abrupt
| close La st niUht lie took n fla Sh-