The San Francisco call., 1905-02-16


counterbaance the tendency toward excess Its per-
sence that has place in the moral scheme and as
often antagonzes discretion By opposing all license laws has
prevented the adoption OF general system OF ense winch woud
greatly safeguard people and entirely minimize
the abuse OF thinkers regard natural appetite Per
ap these excesses of zeal are natural to such movement and
they be treated with patience and philosophy will be well
they recognized and the general prohibition idea
be held respect notwithstanding One of these seems to
have been the anagonism of the canteen by all the proibi
tionists of the United States
Army officers entirely separated from the civilian
community have interest in its needs But
they specially qualified observe and know what makes for the
moral welfare OF the enlisted who IN their charge An
officer the type of soldier described by Moore aa
Rookh He sensitive to what human welfare as he
mad or served IN battle he canteen was
adopted by consensus OF opinion among army officers who knew
human rather than and curb and oppose
Their policy of guidance rather than anagonism They
believed that there enlisted the of good which
might be extngished by throwing him pesenty into evil com
Panonsp which might be cultivated and enlarged by his
established the club of the enlisted In the of beer
and light wine permitted that foods and reshe
which part of the socabiy among The profits of the
into post library and to the maintenance of
Portable reading and where and reasonable
The good effect immediate The enlisted preferred
their club comforts books newspapers and
fringe every army post disappeared
through lack OF The degradation and disease generated
prged the army Discipline benefited
and the enlisted took pride their appearance and their
part making their credit the flag followed But
the prohibition element of the with the best of intentions
found itself appalled, the Government of the United States
the liquor traffic its zeal moved describe the
besieged susceptible
In this the pobonists found themselves alliance
pohts abridged the
listed mems clubs and desired the old system The
Portable club the library which maintained and all of the
comforts which supported disappeared We all this
San Francisco The line of deadfa reappeaed Sophisticated
liquors and evil associations moved within tempting distance the
enlisted dmoraization The health of
has been worsted Discipline has suffered debauchery taken
the place of the elvng influences of the library reading
sonable indulgences permitted by the canteen.
These results have brought the question up again The officers
of the with fair unanimy desire the restored They
habits of enlisted
der reasonable control In this they supported by their wives and
families live
morals and habits of the enlisted They
the practically than the excellent ladies of the W. c. T. T.
possibly know and Congress well afford respect
opinions Secretary Taft obviously favors the canteen
taken the independent unbiased opinions
army officers.
would reasonable to heed the wishes of these officers
ladies' with
who the subject
they have heretofore dictated Congress- The the
against the dadfa the club against library against
dbauchey The morals and habits of the young
the be treated by the country with Indifference