Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-12-11
THE CANTEEN.
BY Lue Vernon.

pJ Luz NSiAoh.
When Congress abolished the post
canteens in the army it was supposed
that the result would be diminution
Of drunkenness among the soldiers; at
least the Prohibitionists supposed that
would be the result. But the officers
OF the army are finding that the aboli-
ton Of the post cantee has increased
drunkenness.
Rev. William L. Dalton, OF Detroit,
Mich, Catholic priest, a knight of
Father Mathew, total abstainer, has
written to the War Department let
ter that must 60 far to help the move
ment certain to be made in the next
session of Cangress to restore the can
teen. The reverend gentleman's state.
ment of the results of his observation
have bluntness that is convincing.
"While at Detroit" he says, "I had
an opportunity to see drunken soldiers
from the neighboring fort and l never
saw them so drunken. During the
many times l have visited cities con-
tiguous to army posts, including Kan.
sas City, st. Louis, Chicago and De-
troit, | have watched the soldiery. l
did that because / like to study the
men a nation depends upon for its
very life. Always I found we'll be.
haved and sober men. Imagine my
horror last week, however, to see the
same men reeling drunk and next to
fighting mad. 1t was all canteen law.
In the past they could have their glass
OF beer on q hot day; or something
stronger when the air was sharp.
They got good uff and not too much,
because there was al officer of the
guard near by, with q lot OF armed
sentries doing police duty. Now, the
soldier must 60 down town to get his
drink, and without supervision which
before kept him straight. He is filled
with vile stuff. q concoction, perhaps
of tobacco and alcohol, and instead of
having commissioned officer to warn
him he has had enough, and to forbid
the bartender selling any more, he has
a beast Of companion urging him to
spend every cent he has. The result
is the only result that can be obtained
the man is drunk, that is bad
enough, but he overstays his leave and
hae TO go up for punishment. 1'hst
makes deserters."
This clergyman declares that he
never saw anything that so quickly
drove sober men into drunkards'
shoes as the operation of the anti.
csnteen law. CAN the good the wo-
men who forced the law upon the
country intended to do they have un.
done, and all the good that was being
done without them they have utterly
ruined"
This clergyman, friend of the soldier,
knight OF Father Mathew, cannot be
accused Of being in the pay of the
brewers to create sentiment favor
able to a restoration of the canteen.
An Associated Press dispatch from
Chicago, not long ago, furnishes damn.
ing evidence against the effect of the
canteen law. The dispatch related
that on a certain morning, when the
non -commissi oned officers at Fort
Sheridan commenced to check up the
roll.call, they discovered that seventy
three of the members of the Twenty
ninth regiment had been delinquent
in their duty. Then they commenced
inflicting punishment upon their
men. Squads were told off to wash
windows iu quarters and to polish the
camp. Soldiers who were too much
under the influence OF liquor to per.
form these duties were confined to
their quarters or sent to the guard.
house. The number of men who suf-
fered punishment as q result Of the
spree the day before was unprecedent.
ed. The largest number of men who
were punished in one day was eight.
On Saturday morning thirty-three
men were absent. Fights were fre.
quent.
The canteen system abolished the
payday spree. The men did their
drinking on the posts grounds and
they could not get whisky. Now they
leave the grounds and get whatever
they like. The report from Fort
Sheridan is duplicated in the news
from every other army post. Con-
gress should restore the canteen. Our
soldiers are entitled to it. They should
have it. The fact is made plain that
the Prohibitionists, in enforcing the
abolition of the canteen, not only
causes desertion among soldiers, did
not contribute to the promotion OF
total abstinence, but actually succeed
ed in sweeping away the only restric-
ton there was upon intemperance in
the army. Congress cannot too quickly
re-establish the canteen. The army
must not be ruined to please a lot oil
fanatics. Regulation OF liquor in the
army is practicable. Prohibition is
impracticable and promotive of every
evil that its advocaters profess to de-
sire to cure. The soldiers will ap-
parently drink when they want TO-
l ,