Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-15
AGAINST THE ARMY cANTEeN.


have read the many articles that have
appeared in the T.-R,, carefully written
to influence the people to favor the re-
establishment of the army saloon COM
monty called the canteen. therefore,
believing a great journal like the Tx.
seeks the facts on an important matter
of this kind, present the following for
their consideration: The articles you
have published claim that since the
canteen was abolished court-martials
have increased, which are not the facts
as hown by the following report of
George b. Davis, judge advocate gem
eral of the United States army, in his
report just issued:
Mean Court per each
Year. strength. martials. 1000
1900 ;. -. ..66,46o 6,6so loo.o
1901 ..g2.49l 6,065 65.5
1892 -. ..s6.500 5,s1l 6l,S
The anti-canteen law went into effect
on Feb. 3, 1901.
These figures show heavy decrease
in court martials as the anti-canteen
law is being tested.
Mean Deser- Per
Year strength. tons. looo.
1900 :. :. -. 66,460 400 ~
1901 :. :. ...92.4S1 544 %
1902 49,. ....s6,5 500 1,0S1 12.o
eulMup Az BpsInuL pd-
In the first six months of no canteen
the assertions were less than at any
time in over twenty years, but since
they have increased. The opposition to
the law on the part of the officers OF the
army and Secretary Root began TO be
felt in the early part OF the last con-
gress, and a move was on foot 10 nave
the law repealed. About that time Gen.
Miles, report came out showing such
vast Improvement that the matter was
dropped, and a systematic method was
inaugurated by the officers favoring the
saloon to make showing by the time
of the present congress that would ten
against the anti-canteen law.
Under such circumstances, 1t is es-
sentfal to truth that the public get evil
dence from unbiased sources. Therefore
the following is from private that was
in the regular service for three years.
There is no coloring to this statement.
The private Is James S. Reagan, who
served in the United States regulars
from August, 1897, to August, 1900. He
says:
.srhe army canteen is an exact type
of the saloons in our cities, as far as the
sale of beer and California wine, there
being on other liquors. 1t was closed
at 8 o'clock at night some of the time,
and the balance at II o'clock. AT all
times when we were stationed in the
United states 1t closed on Sunday, but
in Cuba it run on Sunday the same as
atln rt3Ja n -
lations as to how much should be sold.
therefore any soldier could buy as long
as he had cash or credit. There was no
influence on the part of the command t.
curtail the sale. attended services by
our chaplain many times and never
heard him speak aginst the canteen.
Sometimes immoral women came to
camp, but they always hung around the
canteen, where the soldiers bought
drinks and gave them. Coupon books
We're issued up TO ali OF a soldiers
wages, excepting SIS per month. and the
coupons would purchase anything at
the canteen. The money for the cou-
pons was held back on pay day, which
I judge amounted to over half Of the
entire wages of the soldiers of the COM
mand The first four months of the
time we were in Cuba there were no
outside saloons, and all of the time we
were in Arizona there We're two saloons
about two miles from camp, and the
balance of the time there We're plenty
of outside saloons. I could never dis
cover any difference at any time as to
the drunkenness and disorder I Judge
four-fifth at least of the priyates were
addicted to the drink habit and about
all OF the officers. Nearly all cases Of
disorder were caused by drink. An in
toxieated man was not arrested unless
he became disorderly. Fights between
soldiers occurred very frequently, the
cause being intoxication. The officers
had a club room where all kinds of in
toxicants were dealt out to them by a
man hired for the purpose. The most
of the sickness and deaths was among
those addicted to drink. Soldiers could
leave camp only by permit. The profits
of the canteen went to the mess. The
soldier who did not drink was continu-
ally tainted by those who did, because
he did not furnish anything to the mess.
Many young men who had not the habit
of drink at the time of enlistment be-
came hard drinkers before they left the
army. Any man, whether he favored
drink or not, that was detailed to tend