Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-03-09
Rev. DR.. Crafts Makes Reply to
Senator Proctor's Defense.
Letter Wfittcn In Answer Ia the Int
ter's Recently Published Letter
Advocating the Restoration VI
he Cantecn,

Crafts.)
My Dear Senator: Replying to your
open letter shall not use the poetic
term 'cnnteen, but rather the more exact
term: army beer saloon; for in argument
exact definition is often half the proof
and / know from personal observation
that the 'canteen' room of the post ca
change is IA government beer saloon.
You alone in Congress, OF those sencr
ally in accord with temperance people
have championed this army beer saloon.
The Hon. w. w. Circuit of your own
state made one of only two speeches that
carried The first anti-cantcen law. 1t was
moved in both Houses by men from the
prohibition state of North Dakota. Con-
gresham NJ. n. johnson and Senator n.
lC. Hansborough.
'"rhe second anti-cantccn law was enact
ed by Congress by n more than two
thirds vote. after four years agitation of
the subject. and after the longest debate
in the history of Congress. in which every
argument you now make was made at
length by senators never suspected of
being lin accord with temperance people,
and was rcfutcd. to the satisfaction of
Congress. by such we'll tried temperance
leaders us Senators Gallingcr and Has
brough and Representative Iittlefield.
| II mention these facts for three pur-
poses: first to suggest that you should
distrust evidence. coming to you at second
hand mostly from drinking men. and in
| the midst of manifest financial propa-
ganda for canteen restoration. when the
acceptance of this evidence has separated
| you from all other temperance leaders in
Congress: second. to suggest to those tenn
perancc mon who are led to doubt whether
they We're right in opposing army beer
saloons because YOU champion them. that
the case IL like that Of one preacher adj
vocating dOxology saloon. which nearly
| all other preachers condemn as tho more
| dangerous because of its rcspcctabilty
God save us from the mistakes Of great
men. aye. of good men, third, to sug-
gest that the nearly unanimous opposi
ton t. the army beer saloon of leaders
generally in according with temperance
people and the fact that every liquor pa
per has Stood for the canteen from the
first ought to disprove for you and all
tho absurd claim that you echoed in con-
versation with me that the liquor men
are in accord with the ant-canteen peo-
pie. They would be Of course. If. as you
believe the sales of liquor wer, increased
| by suppressing the governments army
saloons. The case is only a new mask
on the old fallacy of the saloon men. that
more liquor is sold under prohibition.
Why then do they fight hard for a license
to pay more to sell less? One Of the best
short arguments for prohibition is that
liquor sellers are against it. 1t ought to
| be seen that their unanimous opposition
to army prohibition is the best of proof
that it reduces liquor selling.
The fundamental fallacy in all the ar
gumcnts you quote is that beer is a rela-
lively harmless substitute for whiskey.
That fallacy. after years OF sincere and
costly trial, was solemnly abandoned by
temperance societies and churches in a
national convention in 1896. Beer is really
an appetizer for whiskey. 1t has always
bcen 50, and ! know by personal nvesti-
cation that the beer sold at tho army
beer saloon was only kindling wood for
the hard liquors to which ] personally
saw the soldiers go afterward in droves.
If any one thinks beer. even by itself. is
relatively harmless. they need the med-
cal prescription Scientific Testimony on
Beer that was given by DR.. j. II. Gal
llinrcr in the Senate debate on the canteen.
in which it is shown by a symposium of
doctors that beer promotes dropsy and
the body that il slight surgical operation
proves fatal. French science is sending
us from a dying nation the warning that
alcoholism the condition of the daily
tpplcr who is never fully drunk and sell
dom absolutely sober. is more harmful to
the man himself and his family than occa-
sional drunkenness.
There is one other great principle run
ming through tn" whole canteon issue
twice unanimously declared by House
committees. and eleven times expressed III
votes by tho two Houses of Congress
namely. that the liquor business should
not be conducted in government buildings
owned by the whole people. whether those
buildings be at army posts or navy yards
or immigrant stations or in Washington
If any one really thinks Congress has
|, changed its mind on this matter OF gov
eminent liquor selling he needs to he re-
minded that this Congress has refused an
preparations To State Soldiers Homes that
sell beer and the Senate in the last sos
sion, forbade the very last form of gov
ernmcnt liquor selling that remains. tho
beer selling in branches of the national
Soldiers Home.
; With these three great facts in mind
namely: that tho liquor men all oppose
the ant-cantccn law, that Congress has
often condemned government liquor sell
ing, and that science condemns beer and
history shows ii leads to stronger drinks
, let us turn to consider the minor points
, In the ease that commonly hide the ahov,
. larger issues.
1--WE are glad to know you did not in
? troducc the bill for the restoration o.
the army beer saloon or your own mo
ton, but count it very significant that 4
was introduced. as you intimated to M,
even more specifically than your lette
! states. at the request Of the very depart
u mcnt to which Congress committed III
I law for enforcement. The war department
had right to argue aggresslvely, as i
- did. while the anti-canteen law was be
fore Congress. against it's passage. A
- great length in eX parte documents print
ed at government expense. the war de
, partmcnt stated the canteen side. and ii
arguments were repeated on the flOor q
Congress. But when the law was nacted
VIC submit that the executive department
should have executed the law. with n
?, further show of opposition. instead q
. which an interview Of Secretary Roo
against the law was sent out one day Il
advance of its PRONUNCIATION. which was
full notice to all subordinates that it's en-
fOrcemont was undertaken unwillngly n
Tammany mayor ever 81 treated a In,
delivered to him for execution by the Leg
islature. The opposition OF the war de
partment to the anti.canteen law has bee