Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-08-08

endorse the utterances of Corporal Tanner. commaDder-in-chief, that the passage by congress of an act abol- ishing canteens from national sol diers' homes after next March was unwise and blow at real temper ance, besides a restriction of the per sonal liberties of the veterans of the civil war that ought to be resented. i A number of prominent officials ot the organization have written Cor poraP" Tanner of their intention to bring the matter before the national encampment, which meets in less than week at Minneapolis. The resolutions censuring congress- and demanding that the old soldier be treated as able to care for himself will bring on hot fight, as there are number of officials who will ap prove the work of congress.
 X After the interview with Comman- der-in-Chief Tanner appeared in the newspapers, letters were sent to each staff officer and departmental com !. mander asking, his views on the question Of about thirty answers that have been received twenty are strong in their approval of the atti- tude of the commander-in-chief, five favor the abolition of the canteen and five are non-committal.
 One of the leading candidates for ommander-in-chief at the Minneapo- lis convention is P. H. Coney, com mander of the department of Kansas. He writes that he concurs in the posi- tion taken by Corporal" Tanner. He says: My close observation and ex- perience in protecting the members of our national military home for dis abled volunteer soldiers at Leayen worth, Kan, gives me clearer knowi- edge of the benefits and abuses of the s canteen, than many who have not been in as close observation of the effort to protect the members of that home against outside debauchery be- yond the limits and control of the home, places where the vilest of in toxicants were sold to members of the home. These demoralizing and life-destroying places were inspired on account of the patronage that might be obtained from members of l the home who squandered their re- sources and because of the restric- tions of the home. I led the battle to destroy such places. We found that these places offered extra in- ducements to members of the home to visit them, and waylaid them. We have strong law in the state of Kansas that makes 1t misdemeanor 1 to sell stupefying or intoxicating | drinks to members of the home, but ] this law, like our prohibitory law, is disregarded and violated by the lawless element.
 | The members of the homes are generally aged men who have formed habits that are practically their sec. ond nature. Many of them in their weakness. and frailty require little alcoholic stimulant, which is pre- prescribed and recommended by their physicians. and to be denied ii would shorten their days. If the canteen is abolished these men will find this liquor outside of the home, and obtain the yilest of decoctions, instead of the ,purost beverages or stimulants. They cannot be prevent ed from doing this, even by expelling them from the homes. I don't take this position because I desire to en- courage the use of stimulants in any form, but because believe it is prac- teal to deal with conditions that we cannot entirely abrogate."
 Dr Hugo Philler of Waukesha, Wis, has written a strong letter on the question, one to Corporal Tan ner, as we'll as one for publication. T consider the abolition of the army canteen as extreme folly, and the abolition of the canteens at the na- tional soldiers homes as absolutely criminal, practically forcing the dis abled veterans into dangerous and disreputable surroundings. Action by the national encampment on this subject might tend to the promotion of sanity in legislation in such mat ters in the future"
 I. II. Burt, assistant adjutant-gen- eral of the department of Colorado and Wyoming, says that the position lof Corporal Tanner Is most hearti. fly endorsed by him. He says: Tt is a shame to treat a man in such a manner. It makes the soldier of the regular army feel, and many times act, like a culprit. His manhood is taken away and he loses all self-re- pect thereby"
 A. J. Tharp. assistant adjutant- general of Kentucky, says 1t ''is out lcf reason and demands the condem- nation of every comrade in the land and by all the friends of the old sol ldier."
 l ]. w. Canes. department comman- der of Wisconsin, at Fox Lake, writes that he favors the canteen.
 Charles A. Partridge, assistant ad- ljutant-general of Illinois. takes the opposite view. He does not believe that a canteen is productive of good and rejoices that the canteen has been "cut out"
 J. F. Ayars. department comman- der of the Indian Territory, talks in lterestingly. He sums it up this way: l"I lived several years at Junction lCity, Kan. three miles from Fort iRiley. A part of the time they op. erated the canteen system at that fort. During that time 1t was a rare sight to see a drunken soldier on the streets at Junction City. but when the canteen was abolished the flown was full of drunken soldiers. which was a constant annoyance tc lthe city authorities. as well as ofi. leers at the fort. This convinced me Ithat the sale of beer and light drinks at a military post was one advancing step towards temperance. morality and sobrie,y. The act of congress