The public weal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1906-1908, 1906-08-15
DON'T WANT The CANTEEN
Grand Army Of the Republic EmphatiCally
Refuses 10 help the Brewers TO Restore
the Canteen 10 Soldiers Homes.

After thirty days of frenzied news
paper excitement, in which pompous
interviews with Chief
Tanner were wired from Washington
D. c., with whole columns OF sundry
dispatches, from State Commanders
asserting that a spontaneous uprising
in the Grand Army of the Republic
was under way in favor of the restora-
tion Of beer canteens at the Soldiers
Homes, after much editorial commend
alton by the iquor-advertising press
east and west, together with the most
joyful expressions of approval in the
liquor organs, the survivors of the
Boys in Blue refused to be made the
catspaw Of the designing brewery
boomers. This disposition of the wide
ly heralded attempt to stab the new
anti-canteen law under cover of SYM
pathy for the nations heroes becomes
a boomerang, and will prove to have
been the first step in the campaign
for permanent similar legislation in
the next session of Congress-
All along a hot debate was anticipat-
ed. Commander Tanners influence
was of course great. The canteen is
sue and the resolution of protest
against the erection of monument
by the Daughters of the Confederacy,
near Andersonville, to the memory
of Capt. Wirz, who was chiefly respon-
sible for the horrors of that rebel pri'
son, were considered the most i'm
portant matters to come before the
organization.
The victory over the canteen is the
greater in that, while the G. A. R..
in response to it's Commander
earnest plea, acted favorably on the
Wirz matter, it threw the movement
for the restoration of the canteen ou
of the window. Promptly on the pre-
sentation of the report of the com
mittee on resolutions recommending
that no action be taken on either mat
ter, a Wisconsin delegate endeavOre(
to put the body on record for the can
teen, but the contrary action was al
prompt as it was decisive.
This action was anticipated at SOM
of the regimental and other reunions
The Sixth Minnesota, for instance
adopted resolutions deprecating an,
action by the G. A. R. looking to tn
restoration of the canteen at Soldiers
Homes.
ct hurl back the insinuation," sal
Rev. M. B. Smith, Chaplain of tn
Minnesota Home, who served in tn
Sixth, "that soldiers can not exis
without liquor" In later interview
he said to representative of Tn
Public Veal, "The veterans Of tOda
are not Incorporate. Years ago tha
class of men were in evidence at on
gatherings. They were in the way
and they made nuisances of then
selves and disgraced their comrade:
But they are dead; drink has carrie
them off. OF the $4,000 men in lin
last week, didn't see single ma
under the influence of liquor"
The liquor question also came to tn
front in an effort made to induc
Mayor Jones to take off the lid durin
the stay of our visitors. In his speec
at the great campfire in the Audito
ium, Commander Tanner stated ths
Mayor Jones had called upon him col
cerning the matter, and that he CAV
the mayor to understand that theI
was no desire in the Grand Army ths
the law be violated in the interest {
the protectors of the Republic. TIL
statement was received with gre;
enthusiasm.
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