The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-13
THE ARMY cANrEEs.

A courageous member of Congress from Philadelphia has introduced bill to restore the army canteen, and it Is now before the House Military, Com officers and that of the Secretary of War discioses the appalling effects that have followed the abolition of the can teen. Disease and degeneration appear among the enlisted men at every post. They resort to the pitfalls that sprang up when the canteen was abolished, and drink poison stun and are demoral- ized by the debauehery that follows. Discipline suffers, and the whole ser- vice Is injured.
 In the canteen the men had the use of beer and light wines, with such food refreshments as they needed to eke out the army ration. But that was not all. The canteen was the enlisted mans post club. Its profit provided a library and reading-room and the rec reation of games, Man is ii social be- ing. He craves the contact and com pany of his fellows. If these be with in his reach under circumstances that make the association innocent his craving is satisfied, and he Is made a better man, whether he be q citizen or a soldier. If his social instincts cannot be gratifled in an innocent way, espe- cIally the soldier will seek that grati- fication under conditions that drag him down into vice.
 wise parents let their children play while at home and play with them, and permit to them other needed recrea- tions innocent in themselves. It Is a safeguard of good habits and a preven- tive of immoral and degrading con tacts. The same principle goes through life, from childhood through manhood. Army officers have their post club and find in 1t relief from the monotony of post life in time of peace. The enlisted man has the same social Instincts. as his officer. He has the same craving for relief from the monotony of post routine. If he cannot get such relief innocently he will have it viciously.
 What would the enemies of the can teen have the soldier do? In his bar racks there are no means of amuse- ment, no chance even to Instruct his mind. There is no post school in which he can strengthen the weak places In his education. He must be an excep- tional man if he does not recklessly seek a break in the monotony by means that finally destroy him morally and physically. He will not occupy his mind reading tracts upon the dangers of alcohol and tobacco, nor <wil he satisfy himself in the perusal of pious tracts. Many think, however, that he should ind such occupation sufficient to satisfy his social hunger, and 1t was believed by the good and weii-meaning people who carried on the anti-canteen crusade that they would be able to turn the army into a great and pious camp, where tracts and hymns would nll In the giddy round of recreation.
 They were wrong. The medical sta tistics and reports of the officers show how wrong they were. We do not ex- pect that any of the preponderance or testimony will convince them. They will go up like an army with banners against the bill to restore the canteen They will be supported by the vicious element that profits out of the sale of bad whiskey in the deadfalls that fringe every army post. Cunning vice and simple minded virtue will go hand in hand to beat the Philadelphian' s bill. Vice will know just what 1t Is doing and virtue will be deaf and blind to the sure consequences.
 But against this the common sense of the country should assert itself. San Francisco has great army post within it's borders. Every citizen of this city who has taken the trouble to observe, knows that when there was a post can teen the moral and physical condition of the soldiers was immeasurably bet ten than 1t has been since. We are assured that the same testimony Is given by citizens at every army post in the country.
 Give the men their post club again, where they are In the association of gentlemen. Give them their library and reading room and recreation again. Give them the light wines and beer that satisfy their appetite for the social glass, and keep them away from the distilled liquors that are poisoned to increase the profits of their sale.
 The chairman of the Military Com mfttee has been a soldier and many of it's members have seen military service. They know how entirely impracticable and impossible are the expectations of the people who fight the canteen on prohibition principles. They know he must have the opportunity for reason able indulgence or he will find a way for unreasonable indulgence. They know that the canteen as a post club for the enlisted men will be a boon to many that do not drink at all. II will improve their surroundings by making better men of their fellow sol diers.
 We appreciate the good motives of the prohibitionlsts who oppose the canteen, but they proceed against all human nature of which there is a great deal in a soldier. With his post clun the enlisted man takes an interest in military life. Without it he Is diverted by vice from the pride he should feel in his profession. auF'