The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-12
The Abolition of the cnnteen.


The first fruits of the abolition of the
canteen are on view at Chicago. Army
officers declare that riots at Highwood.
a fashionable Chicago suburb. are direct
ly due to the fact that soldiers are obliged
to do their drinking in the saloons. where
they are not under any control and are
furnished with vile whisky. Several
drunken soldiers so terrorized the neigh
borhood in question that saloons were de-
molished and inofensive citizens fired
upon, and women were afraid to venture
on the streets for a day or two. Since the
canteen at Fort Sheridan was closed. 1t
is stated, dozen saloons have been open
ed at Highwood, and the results are I'M
fortunate.
The commander of the Department of
the Lakes says in regard to this:
Flights and brawls are likely to occur when
soldiers leave the reservation and drink a lot
Of vile whisky. Take lot Of your citizens and
pen them up as soldiers are and see what they
would do. There a large number Of men at
Fort Sheridan, just now, including about four
hundred and fifty new recruits for the Twenty
ninth Infantry Regiment. which is being
gained. New men may be relied upon to help
debauchery along.
II was strongly opposed to the army canteen
when it first proposed but the War De-
partment issued orders to establish them, and
the drinking places were opened. OF
the officers detailed to study the operation Of
the canteen and note the effect the men.
From the investigation | found the canteeu
worked 50 much better than expected it would
that ] compelled to endorse It. Under
that system the profits Of the canteen went 10
buy delicacles for the mems table 80 that they
got the full benefit Of all that was spent for beer
on the reservation Now the men spend more
money than before ard the profits go to the
owners OF private gin mills.
This is, of course, nothing more than
has been said by numerous other army
officers since the canteen agitation be-
gan: and certainly the officers who are re-
sponsible for the good behavior and fight
ing strength of the soldiers have more
reason than anyone else TO desire that
they shall be subjected to no demoraIizing
influence This particular utterance gath
ers force from the very practical object
lesson which occasoned It. When a whole
neighborhood is terrorized by a lot Of
drunken rowdies for two or three days.
so that women are afraid to venture on
the streets, and respectable citizens are in
danger of being shot It is certainly not a
very impressive proof that the abolition
of the canteen is a good thing, or con-
ducive to law and order.
There is no question that the excessive
use Of liquor is bad. 1t is not well for
a man to make an insane person Of him
self even for a brief period. But he is
likely to do it on bad whisky. while he
cannot on good beer taken in moderation
Moreover. he is more likely 10 behave
himself II, under certain amount of su-
pervision, he is simply allowed 10 drink
decently. than if he is kept from all
liquor until such time as he is given
leave when the accumulated thirst of
weeks must be satisfied in a brief interval.
with no restraint whatever placed upon
she amount of liquor to be taken. Again,
when drinking in the canteen the soldier
is served by man whose whole inter-
est lies in helping to maintain good order
and discipline. In the cheap saloon or
dive he is In the hands of man usually
degraded, low, and brutal in character,
and rapacious In desire, whose aim is to
sell as much liquor he can in a given
time