The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-09-29

tons fell from II to per cent In the
same time. Gen. Fred ID. Grant, who
Is himself a total abstainer, strongly
recommended the re-establishment OF
the canteen in his annual report as
commander Of the Department of
Texas And finally, if the testimony
of men so hard-headed as Secretary
Root and so responsible as General
Grant, and of a whole association of
army surgeons, is not enough, we are
told that the Rev. S. B. Dexter, sec
rotary of the Interdenominational
Ministerial Alliance, has made per
sonal investigation of the state of
things at Fort Sheridan since the
abolition of the canteen. and has come
to the same conclusion as the authori-
ties already cited.
In dealing with drunkenness in the
army, or anywhere else, for that mat
ter, it Is well to look at things as they
are, and not as we think they ought
to be. With the establishment of pro
hlbition in towns and villages, or
cities, for that matter, in which the
majority of the people favor it, the
army has nothing TO do. There are
places in which the selling of intoxi-
eating liquor IL a respectable place,
to respectable people, may be some
thing of an innovation; and in such
places the people have a right to do
as they choose about regulating Its
sale. But the majority of the men
composing the regular army are men
who have been accustomed to drink;
they are not going to stop entirely be-
cause they happen to have enlisted in
the army; and if an attempt is made
t. force them to stop they resent it.
1t is of no use to say that these men
could do without liquor; the poin; is
that they viii not and they cannot be
forbidden to spend their money where
and as they choose when payday
comes. The result of legislation
which is to them irritating and humil-
iating is that they 90 straight to the
nearest town, where dives, cheap sa-
looms, and gambling heIls are ready
for them, and get themselves poisoned
with bad whisky instead of drinking
moderate amount of good beer.
They cannot be prevented from doing
this. They ruin their health and NOR
ais by these monthly sprees.
Under the eanteen system they
would be allowed to buy beer or light
wines at the post, and the sergeant in
charge would see to it that the spree
went no further 1t is said that many
men who had formed the spree habit
before joining the army were, in the
day Of the canteen, led. by the regular
habits, strict discipline, and reason
able limitations of the barracks tc
substitute for the monthly tear" a
moderate daily indulgence in beer,
apd finally did not even care for that.
Whether this happy result was reached
IL many cases or not the eanteen un
doubtedly prevented worse evils, and
that is about all that any reformatory
influence can hope to do in this world.
To do the temperance people Jus
tee, it must be said that many o.
them did not know what they were
doing when they urged their Represen-
tatives to have the canteen abolished.
They had an idea that they were slay-
ing a hydra-headed dragon which was
devouring the brightest and best of
the young defenders of their country.
n reality, the alleged dragon was
comparatively harmless beside the
monster which took It's place Let
this question be discussed fairly; and
let the advocates of the canteen argue
their case as freely as the various
.