The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1904-09-08
GEN. CHANT ANO THE cANrEEN.
Its Abolition "a Vital Misfortune &c
the Service.

Its Abolition "A Vital misfortune &c
the Service.
Many officers Of the United States
army are anxious to have the army
canteen r~e-established. They opposed
its abolition when the question was un-
red discussion. and they o point to
deteriorations in the service which
they trace 10 the absence Of the eanteen
and say: we told you So" Among the
latest recuits TO the force which still
hopes to re-establish the institution Is
General Frederick D. Grant who,
like many OF his brother officers,
thinks that the people who were re-
sponsible for its abolition and who OPP
pose its re-establishment do not see the
eanteen in its proper light. While the
good people who wished 10 beneht the
soldier by wiping out the places where
he could procure light drink regard
these places as vile resorts into which
the poor soldiers money finds its way.S
the friends OF the oantsen regard this
feature Of the post exchange as a sold-
ier's club, a resort where he may nnd
wholesome relaxation and n foil
against the constituencies rumseller
who has always been the canteSn's
greatest enemy.
General Gran, is a total abstalner. ac>
eordlng 10 his own statement. but he
nevertheless regards the abolition Of
the eanteen. with rs light beverages.
as a vital misfortune to the service"
In his annual report az commanding
officer OF the Department Of Texas he
says:
In every age the spirit Of trHe sold
iery has engendered true c~omradeship,
and in no realm OF society. in no walk
Of life has the radical reformer sue
ceeded in changing the natural dispose
ton OF man TO the extent Of eliminate
ing this sentiment To say that the
soldier IS a man must be unlike his
his brother in all the other walks OF
life-because he Ia a soldier he must be
denied al the privileges Of even the
most moderate co~nyivIality among bis
comrades-because he Is a soldier h0
must be subjected 70 unusually streuu-
Gus conditions and submit 10 radical
T%eformatory methods. which cannot DO
applied 70 any other class Of men as a
body IN any other phase u life. Is a
species OF fanaticism. which. Il s. ~
well AFFORD 10 ignoreif not condemn
spectfully suggested. lawmakers a
while passions may be held In bound.
nature cannot be wholly reversed or
changed by stringent laws and rules
and the soone rules are made looking
TO moderation. instead OF abstinence
the better viii be the morals aud tho
higher the standards Of individual do
pertinent IN the United States army.
The earnest plea Tor the r~o-establIsh.
ment Of the canteen Is only an echo Of
utterances BY hundreds OF officers.
many u whom have shown by careful.
~ prepared tables that lower moral
conditions, increased illness and a high
r per cent OF desertions have follow
ed the closing OF the eanteen. To these
officers the facts which the report con-
tain are well known. but to the people
who fancied that a great blessing had
oome 20 the soldiers OF the United
States army when the order closing the
canteen departments OF the post ex-
changes wa issued these words OF a
.elae and impartial observer viii prob
ably place the subject in a new light;
ITO close tho doors OF the soldiers
garrison club and send him out into the
haunts Of iniouity and vice. run ~
moral yultureS. who. degraded them.
selves, set uD no standard u morality
but, breaking down an barriers Of re-
s%iraint, invite and induce soldiers q
join IN an sorts o. d~epraylty and infa.
my. Is a wrong 10 the soldier. ~ well a,
q wong To the community In which Il.
soldier u loealsd. "-NsW York Tribune