The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-07-23

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He asseverates that murders to The
number of 81, 436 in the United State,
in the past two years have been caused
by drink; that twice as many murder,
traceablc to drink have occurred in tn,
United States in a single year ,lS96
than the number of the combatant,
killed on both sides in the creates
of the Civil War: that the statistic,
prove that the United States has Z
higher murder rate than any other
civilized country, while India has the
lowest. All of this, together with other
CHASTITY and voluminous details, lac
charge, up to the liquor traffic.
Then he turns his sorrOwful eyes t1
''our new possessions, but he gets nc
comfort there. He grimly points tC
the 1000 American saloons in Cuba and
to the 400 saloons of the same brand in
the city of Manila. Here once more he
has recourse to history. He says that
in 1891 liquor was imported from the
l'nited States to Cuba to the value of
%2s, Oh: that in 1895 owing to the war,
it fell to SlO,79G but that in eleven
months ending May 81, 1899, under the
mother wing of our protecting care
poor suffering Cuba absorbed 4472, 0S2
worth Of our liquor,
He says land proves it by the pnblic
records that Puerto Rico in 1897
drink" that in 1898, in spite of the
war. she needed S3,G6S worth of the
same: and that in eleven months end
ing May 81, 1899, Puerto Rico suddenly
acquired several new kinds Of thirst TO
satisfy which cost her Sl9l 422 Pos
sibly excessive joy over the annexation
caused her to indulge in spree and
that her conduct in the future will be
more in keeping with the dignity of
her new relationship: but it is problems
atical.
The Philippine Islands, continues our
PrOhibtionist friend, are a long dis
lance away aud in 1891 we sent only
1853 worth of fire water there and in
1898 still less-only S331 worth But
hardly had the echo of Cousin George 5
guns died away on that Hateful shall |
say fatal, May day morning when a
change came over the spirit Of the
dream; and in eleven months ending
May 81, 1899, in spite Of the fact that
the whole island of LuZon, except Ma
Mia and immediate vicinity, had still
succeeded in lodging our "cilvization'
we sent liquor to the value of $50, N3'.
And still further, our economic quack
doctor charges that the liquor inter-
est plays IL tremendous part in the
mighty game of politics. He charges
that its hand is seen in our politics
from the corner grocery and the ward
primary to the White House.
He cites the army canteen scandal as
case in point.
In lSSl President Hayes, under au-
thority of Il law passed in 1873 and
which has never been repealed, abol-
ished the army canteen. But canteens
were in full blast in the army during
the Spanish war.
President Mckinley is reported as
saying. "personally | should be very
clad to see prohibition of the canteer.
AS the law gives the President author
ity in the matter the ordinary citizen
would wonder why he did not CRAFTY
his own wishes and abolish it.
In 1870 Congress prohibited the es'
tablishing Of army canteens on terri
tory where local statute, prohibited
the sale of liquor. Yetat Camp Thorn
as, Chicamauya: Camp Copplnger,
Mobile LAX Gland, Fla, and MontauN
Point canteens were established under
authority of the government and all
these places are on prohibition terri
tory.
March >, 1899, Congress passed and
the President approved law OF which
Sec Il is a, follows;
THAT no officer or private soldier
shall be detailed to sell Intoxicating
drinks as bartender, or otherwise, III
any post-eAchanse or canteen, nor snail
any other person be required or allowed
to sell such liquor in any encampment
of fort nor on any premises u+ed ion
military purposes by the United states,
and the Secretary of War is hereby
directed to issue such general orders a-
may be necessary to carry the proVi'
sion, of this section into full force ana
feet"
ON the 18th of March. ten days later,
Secretary Alger construed this section
to permit the employment OF civilians
to act Il, bartenders in army canteehs'
ON the 18th of April following Attorney
General Grigys rendered an opinion 10
the same effect and the cantcens were
reOpened.
ON the nth of July following de-
legation of prominent prohibiIionlsts
waited upon the President to prot i
aoaiu,t this evasion of law. The l're.i-
dent made sorpu nou-cOmmittal re-
marks, asked for the documents in the
ca, and dismissed the delegation wi h
tic promise to consider the matter.
Two week, later the President was
o.,-,.d fo,. his decision and replied that