The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-01
MAKE SOLDIERS
HOMES VERY DRY
House Adopts Amendment Pre-
venting the Maintenance
of Canteens.

WASHINGTON, D. c., March 81
Consideration of the sundry civil an
preparation bill was concluded in the
house today, and the bill was about
TO be passed when Mr.. Sulzer forced
roll call on a motion to commit the
Dill with instructions to strike out the
paragraph appropriating $135,OOO for
rental of the New York custom house.
Inc vote showed a quorum was not
present and adjournment was taken I'M
til tomorrow
The right of boards of directors Of
state homes for disabled volunteer SOL
dlers to retain certain portions of PEN
sion money received by the inmates
was discussed. Mr.. Bell (Dem.. Cal1
assalled his own state for permitting.
canteen to be established in the
California state home, and charged that
the old soldiers were allowed to draw
their pension money from the home
IN most instances only through can
teen checks. An amendment by Mr..
Bell to correct the evils complained Of
was adopted.
When the provision relating to state
or territorial homes for disabled SOL
dIers and sailors was reached. Mr..
Bell assailed the policy in force at
these institutions regarding the dis
position of the inmates. He strongly
urged the holding of their pensions bv
the nome officials in trust
Referring to the home in his ov-p
state, he said its officials had degraded
the state to the position of conducting
a saloon. Under the rule now exist
ing, he declared, the officials could
compel the soldier to surrender his
pension and then pay it back to him
In canteen checks.
Every Dollar MonopoIized.
He asserted that as a result of this
system is complete monopoly of near
!y every dollar that goes into that home
In the form of pensions. Instead, he
SAID, or being an instrument and
means of temperance the home offers
inducements for the old soldier to
march up to the adjutant's desk and
get his canteen check. He offered an
amendment which provides that no
part of the appropriation for state or
territorial homes for disabled soldiers
shall be appOrtiOned until they shall
nave cOnfOrmed to the rules and regu-
latlons prescribed by the act of March.
1883, pertaining to the national home
az Washington, D. c., but that they
shall not apply to any state or ter
rltor1al home to which the wives or
widows of soldiers are admitted and
maintained, nor shall any part Of it be
apportioned to any state or territorial
nome that maintains a bar or canteen
where intoxicating liquors are sold.
Mr.. Hemenway (Rep., Ind, in
charge OF the bill, opposed the amend
ment because it was new legislation
on an appropriation bill. Mr. Hemen-
way declared that state homes not only
secure from the government 500 a
year for the care of each soldier. but
Withhold part of the soldiers pension.
thereby specializing on the generosity
of the government.
A point of order by Mr.. Hemenway
against the amendment was overruled.
Pro Canteen Amendment.
Mr.. Sherley Dem., Ky.) offered an
amendment to the amendment striking
out its anti-canteen feature He de-
clared against that species of pater-
nalism which undertakes to Iegislate
the morals of people" He was oppos-
ed to any anti-canteen law
In favoring the Bell amendment, Mr..
Lind (Dem., Minn.) insisted that con-
gress had the right to say that ex-
pendltures of the moneys of the nation
shall be guarded by regulations that
will protect benefciaries against frail-
ties they are prone to. The Sherley
amendment in favor of the canteen
was voted down. The Bell amendment
then was agreed to by rising vote
SO to 81.
A violent attack on the coast and
geodetic survey was made by Mr.. Rob
1nson (Ind.), who charged that scandal
attached to that office in connection
with allowances for communication of
subsistence. Mr.. Hemenway, in charge
of the bill Indignantly denied the
charges made.
The bill was about to be passed
when Mr.. SulZer forced roll call on a
motion to recommit, with instructions
to strike out the paragraph relating
to the appropriation of $4,000 for
rent of the New York custom house,
which paragraph he assaulted. The call
reSulted-84 yeas, SO nays and pres
ent'-eight less than a quorum. Mr..
Williams then moved to adjourn, which
was carried-70 to 81. Amid applause
on the Democratic side of the house
adjourned until tomorrow.
CanVassed by Senators.
The attention of tie senate was di-
vided today between the bill for the
repeal of the desert land, the timber
and stone and the homestead cornmu-
tation laws and the postoff1ce appro-
priation bill.
The repeal was taken up only for
+.
Clark (Wyo) was the principal speak
er. He contested the position taken by
Mr.. Gibson that there have been great
frauds in the administration of the
land laws in the West. He declared
that there is lobby in Washington in
the interest of the repeal bill and en-
gagged in a cOlloquy with Mr.. Patter-
son, during which each characterized
the statement of the other as untrue.
The general debate on the postof-
flee bill was confined largely to a
speech by Mr.. McCreary and interrupt
lions by Republican senators. Mr.. Nc
Creary charged in the main that the
the policy of an early adjournment of
congress was adopted to avoid Iegis-
lation not desired by Republican lead
eTS.
The senate passed a joint resolution
providing for the printing of 10000
copies of the record of the Northern