Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-02-10
REPLIES TO "BlRpsEYe."

Editor Times Republicans: became
indignant when reading such AN article
as appeared in the T.-R. of January
81, over the signature of Birdseye. 1t
is i'll regard to the anti canteen law
which was passed some years ago
which he says was brought about by
pressure brought to bear on congress
by the temperance people and the w
c.. T. u. He admits that no one has
dared to impugn their motives. but
would have them visit the National
Marine Home in Ohio and see the hap
py results of the saloon there with the
object of having it introduced into
the Soldiers Home here | should in
cline to regard a man little short of a
demon who should introduce the cam
teen saloon or gin mill or whatever
name it might be called.
From the day the canteen was
abolished in the army, a howl has gone
from the minions of the liquor power
for the restoration. accompanied with
the prediction that additional saloons
would spring up outside the army
posts, that drunkenness would be
greatly increased. That court mar
tials and assertions would be greatly
increased That statistics would be
Forthcoming that would impel congress
to restore the canteen. While they
have never been able to show such
results on the ground they have made
them appear on paper Every pay day
have had their reporters at the posts
to write up what was wanted and they
got it. They have Quilted the liars and
they are the champions in the nation
today Their reports have been proved
false from the ground up and the pa
pers that have published their stories
persist in repeating them from time
to time. The pity of it is that respect
able papers persist in publishing such
stuff. Within the last year the Out
the title of "rhe Army Canteen From
the Standpoint of the Man in the
Ranks" said to be written by n. III.
Pritchett 1t gave a rehash of the old
stories. The army record was search
ed to find the rank Of this man
Prichett 1t was first denied that there
was any such name on the records, but
on persisting he was found to be Cor
poral H. II. Pritchett, young man
about 80 years of age who had been in
the army a little over year. Yet ne
undertook to tell how much worse
things were at that time when the
canteen was in existence six or eight
wears ago, when he was school boy.
He was in the ranks for promouoh
and he will probably get 1T. III one OF
his rank and age We're to write an ar
ticle for the papers condemning the
canteen he would get court martial.
In October 1901 Lieutenant General
Miles filed in the office Of the adju-
tant general his annual report. The
report spoke of the canteen. and was
unlike the stuff the war department
was giving out, showed by actual facts
and figures Of official record that the
no-beer plan was working we'll. ROOT
was secretary of war and Corbin was
adiutant general. The worthy pair
kept the report pigeon-hole for ten
DAYS while they were publishing the
tales of how the lack of grog was ruin
ing the army. The testimony of Cor
poral Pritchett stands for more in
liuucr- loving army circles than Gem
erals Miles, Shafter, Wheeler Dag
gait. and Boynton. OF Lieutenant
Dougherty and many other army men
we might mention.
venture the assertion that you
can't find AN army officer who is a
total abstainer who favors the cam
teen. while the one who goes around
with his hide full of bad whisky is
lust the enc who wants it. If the cam
teen is restored we would be sorry to
see young man of good habits enlist
in the army
j. c. ARMSTRONG.
Marshaltown, Feb. 10, 1906.