Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1902-10-03
FUNSTON fAvORs ARMY SALOONS.
Any Offlc er Who FavOrs Saloons
In the Army Is Either
Drinker. Himself
Or Too Lazy to Enforce Dis
cipline Or He Don't
Know How.

C1pl1ne Of he DOl'C
Know How.
Our frind, Ginrl Funs,on, as MI
Dooley would say. fsvors the arm.
csnteen. which in brief is nothing bu
On army school for drunksrds. Tn
army saloon, for that is the prope
name for it, is responsible for nearl!
all the crime and disgrace in the army
and the officers club high toned sa
loon-is responsible for the disgrace
of many brave officer.
Whisky fills most Of the 1sils in citie'
and towns and whisky fills the mill
tsry guard houses
No honest man familiar with army
life and the duty Of q soldier will con
tend for moment that good soldiers
are made from drinking whisky. A reg
iment of sober clear headed soldiers il
worth three regiments Of beer and
whisky soaked men when it comes to
hard service and endurance
We are surprised that . man like
Funston or any other man who has
served in the army and has the welfare
Of tho army at heart would favor such
. thoroughly demoralizing influence a.
an army saloon, No good soldier ever
deserted his regiment because there
was no canteen saloon at the post.
Very few good men ever desert
Why should the government induce
sober, intelligent young men Of reason
ably good moral character to enlist and
then run them up against an army 90.
loon at the post where they may be
stationed.
No man but fool or man who is a
drunkard himself will favor an army
saloon. (.
Why has many brilliant young of.
ficers duplicated their pay accountss
The officers clubroom and cards can
answer
Why has many a good soldier desert
ed his regiment In time of peace? The
canteen can answer. +.
What fills the guard houses and mill
tary prisons? The canteen can an
swer.
What killed many . bright, brave,
young soldier in the Philippines? The
vile stuff drank by them was RESPONSE
BILE
What keeps gamblers and houses Of
Ill fame fourshing and debauching
around military postss Whisky, and
the post saloon is the breeder and feeder
Of temptation and evil passions, and
Gen Funston knows this If he knows
about actual army life.
which. unfortunately, he don't much,
but he knows enough to shout for de-
in the army.
When the American army is held to.
gether through the influence of the cam
teen the American army will be no
good
We believe no drunkard can gain i'd.
to the army today, then why
should the government sanction a'posi-
lively demorslizing influence 70 be
placed within the reach Of its guardians
Of the national peace. No man will
contend for moment that . soldier
who is liable to get drunk is as reliable
Or vigilent or as ssrvicesble as the
soldier who does not drink. The same
rule holds good in civil life.
Gen. Funston says that soldiers not
being able to enjoy the luxuries (D Of
The old canteen go the devil fast. The
writer has seen the canteens,at every
post on the Missouri river after the pay.
master had left and il Funston had
been there and called the canteen lux.
aries, then his opinion of q luxury
would be nothing short Of . filthy hog
pen full of men The floors were filthy
with vomit, men fighting and others
drunk and gambling and an overflow.
ing guard house the next day. If
Funston calls that q luxury, then it is
no wonder he favors the canteen.
Soldiers do not go the devil fast or at
all when sober or when proper disci-
pline is maintained, and the officer who
admits all that Funston admits, is not
it 10 command men, or knows how to
enforce discipline. Gen. Funston's
that the army saloon
will help the soldier to keep sober and
be more attentive to duty and less lia-
BILE to desert ia as false as the conten-
ton is stupid. d Il
During the seven days fight in front
Of Richmond in 1862, the sober man
wen. through from Mechanicsville to
Malvern Hill in good shape while the
man addicted to drink played out and
fell by the wsyside.
Funston's admissions as to the de.
of the men under his com.
mand in Colorado is evidence enough
that he is not QUALIFIED to command
men or knows how to enforce disci-
pline.
Forty Years' Torture. 2.
To be relieved of q torturlng, disease
after 40 years torture might we'll cause
the gratitude OF anyone. That is what
Witch Hazel Salve did for G.
Haney, Geneva, o. He says: DeWitt's