Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-24
ABOLITION OF CANTEEN
ADDRESSES IN OPPOSITION AT
MEETING OF RECHABITES.
Declared That Low Dives Have Ac-
cumulated About Army Posts
Consensus Of Opinion.

my firm conviction is that the army cam
teen Is best for the soldier and should be
restored" This declaration was made by
Mr.. ]. W. Mcmahon, a member of Union
Tent of Rechabites, the oldest existing tenn
perance body in Washington. while ad-
dressing a meeting of the tent last night at
Jonadab Hall, G23 Louisiana avenue. He de-
scribed the low dives about military posts
where the soldiers go now to drink the
poisonous stuff called whisky" and said
hundreds of these places had sprung up like
mushrooms about the army posts since the
abolition of the canteen.
NO man who understands soldier life
would offer opposition to the restoration of
the canteen," continued Mr.. McMahon. I'VE
cannot, as Recha bites. advocate the drink
ing of liquor, but in this case it IS choosing
the lesser of two evils. and many Recha-
bites agree with me that under existing
conditions habitual drunkards are being
made i'll the army, and the military hospi-
tails are filed with men suffering from
acute alcoholism"
The meeting of Union Tent was largely
attended by working Rechabites. and the
central figure was Mr.. j. H. Loveless who
has earned the distinction of being known
as the veteran Rechabite of the District
OF Columbia" having been engaged in the
saving work of the order for more than
twenty-five years.
0ooo OF the Order.
Under good of the order the presiding Of
fcer, Mr.. Love'ess called ito the char Capt
D. Walter Mitchell, who. it was said. had
hrst joined the order about twenty-nine
years ago. In accepting the post of honor
for the evening Capt. Mitchell declared that
the order was founded on "the beautiful
pr!hclpie OF moral suasion, kindness and
humanity, and that those who sought to
tl,a
going INTO the political game known as
rrohibit:on,' or in engaging in that form
OF prohibition which seeks the abolition of
the army canteen, are hitting wide of the
marx at which Rechabism is aimed" He
SAID one man saved from a life of ha bitual
drunkenness was a thousandfo better ar
sunent for the order than would be fifty
members OF Congress arguing for political
eHect against the restoration of the army
canteen.
Principles of Rechabism.
Past High Tent Chief Ruler William Muir
ray followed in an earnest address. in
which he declared that any attempt to
divert the organization from it's work along
moral suasion and humane lines was
wrong. The principles of Rechabism are
as deep-rooted and solid as is the Rock of
Gibraltar. he said, and could not be moved
by every passing fad and fancy Mr.. ].
Elier OF Jehu Tent made speech along the
same lines, and invited the members of
Union Tent to attend Rechabite jollifica-
ton meeting next Tuesday evening under
the auspices of Jehu Tent, at Weller's Hall,
sth and 1 streets southeast. Mr. George
FRIEDMAN veteran of the war with Spain
addressed the meeting and recited one of
his own poems on What Barrel of Whis-
ky Contains"
Other speakers were: w. C. LEM, Thomas
Neihmeyer, J. Eller of Jehu Tent. J F..
Loveless, ]. McClelland, Charles Nash, L.
Rucker. c. M. McCauley, H. WOLF, j. P.
Reagon, ]. Gavin, ]. F. Harvey, William
COOK OF Harmony Tent, M. Malloy, William
Newman, Thomas Cambell, Edward Han
nan. w. T. Lowe of Eagle Tent, George
Friedman. ]. P. Clancy, James McGinnis
II. j. Ready.