The Washington herald., 1908-05-07
CANTEEN STAYS OUT
House Votes to Keep Liquor
from Soldiers Homes.
LANDS MAKES A PREDICTION
Indiana Representative Says Great
Fight on District Prohibition Is
COming-ApprOpFiati Committee
Is Again Beaten by NOnparty Vote,
Debate Is Warm and Lengthy.


terday afternoon in the House. and a
large majority of the members present
took a shot at the Appropriation Commit
tee, when It inserted a provision in the
sundry civil bin which effeetually bars
the canteen from soldiers homes.
The canteen has been narred in previous
years By a Limitation in the surdry civil
bill prohibiting the use Of any funds
given under it TO homes where a bar or
other place where intoxicating liquors
were sold.
This year the Committee on Appropria-
tions, after tie vote on the question. left
out this limiting clause and the canteen
bade fair 10 be restored. The fight over
The insertion Of a limiting provision was
brisk During its progress Representa-
tive Lands, Of printing Investigation
fame. ventured the prediction that II win
not be long until the Capitol will see an
other battle over the question of Dis
trict prohibition.
MT Lands also declared that it was
shame that the new Union Station had
been granted license for a bar, and
Preaicted that il would not long be per-
mitted to enjoy such a privilege
BarthOIdt Against IL.
The clause inserted was the work of
Representative Tirrell, OF Massachusetts
who proposed it as an amendment. Rep
resentative Bartholdt made point Of
order against il as new legislation" in
an Appropriation bill, but Chairman Wat
son, guided by one Of his own rulings
made during the Fifty-ninth Congress.
promptly overruled the point OF order.
! Representative kuestermann than made
a plea for the old soldiers, who, he said.
/ had been deprived OF the comfort and
solace they derived from a glass of beer.
/ lie expressed a fear that soon tobacco
/ would be shut out Of the homes.
! Advocating the restriction. Representa-
/ tive dmball, of Kentucky said he placed
4 It not on the plane Of discipline and good
conduct Of the inmates. but upon the
/ higher and broader ground that the
! United States should not so into the
/ barkeeping business"
! The governor Of the home in my
/ State, said Representative Miller Of
! Kansas. says the canteen is necessary
/ 10 the maintenance Of discipline and in
! the interests Of good morals. Great heav-
/ ensl All that is necessary 10 bring sol
dlers under discipline is 10 make them
drunk"
/ Speaking as a trustee OF the State home
/ at Bath for six years. having experience
with the canteen and without IT, Repre-
/ sentative Goulden. Of New York. said
/ that the abolition OF the canteen had
proved to be disastrous 20 discipline and
! good morals OF the inmates.
Speaks for the Families.
In behalf OF the families Of the inmates
Of the homes, Representative Scott. of
/ Kansas. advocated the Tirreu amend
ment He showed that in four months
/ Of 1907. when there was no canteen, the
inmates sent 20 their families s112O0
more than in the same four months Of
/ 1906 with a canteen.
! Representative Parker. Of New Jersey.
/ declared that the old soldiers had a right
to drink LIQUOR in the homes If thew
/ wanted 1t. They were homes, not peni-
| tenuaries nor warehouses.
Il am on the dry side Of the whisky
proposition every time" said John Wes
| ley Gaines, of Tennessee. Therefore. I
shall vote against establishing Uncle sam
as bartender in any establishment
maintained by the government" p"
Representative Gardner, Of Michigan
himself A veteran Of the civil war. pro-
| tested against the assumption that the
veterans were drunkards. The canteen
was not needed in the soldiers homes.
The speech OF Mr.. Lands concluded the
/ debate for the amendment He said he
stood against the attempt OF the brewers
10 force the canteen into the homes. He
said he was tired of the studied insolence
Of the brewers and distillers in their
efforts to force their products into places
which our instincts tell. us and their
judgment should tell them, they ought
not to 60"
I believe this entire proposition is born
Of the desire OF the men who manufac-
tuTe beer to find a market for it" said
Mr.. Lands. 1T IS a notorious fact thar
one-haf Of the saloons of the country are
owned by the brewers, their policy being
TO force the saloon into every community
where there is the slightest chance TO
establish it."
Arraigns the Brewers,
ITO their arrogance and lack Of judg-
ment is due the overwhelming sentiment
against the saloon which we must recog-
nize in this country to-day. They invited
IT, They have challenged it. They have
dared it to conflict in open battle They
invited and challenged it by attempting
to dictate politics. local, State, and na-
tional, in every part of the land.
They have invited and challenged ii bv 4
studied, open. willful. deliberate violation
Of the laws. Their conduct has been i'm
prudent, braZen, and defiant They have
sown the wind and they viii have no one
TO blame but themselves if they reap the
whirlwind IN ali its fury.
1 see in the daily print that they have
succeeded in securing a grant to establish
bar in the new Union Station. that
splendid edifice which would never have
been constructed but for the assistance
voted by the American Congress. This
shows the shortslghtedness of these gen
tlemen who call themselves friends of
personal liberty.
They should be wise enough to know
that that grant will be Of short dura-
ton. In my judgment. no District appro-
priation bill will ever again pass this
House that does not carry a provision
sounding the death knell to the bar that
Is to be established at the gateway to |
this splendid Capital City.
1 would utter a word OF warning |
to those alleged friends of personal lib !
erty, and say that that very grant is |
likely to precipitate a contest on this
floor, under this dome, that will not only
prohibit the sale Of intoxicating liquors |
in the new Union Station, but close for |
ever every saloon within the confines. of
the District OF Columbia"
Chairman TawneS, against the amend |
ment, defended the action of the Com |
mittee on Appropriations in omitting the |
Limitation. All the testimony before the |
committee. he said, went to show that
the abolition Of the canteen had worked |
To pronoote inten1Derauce rather than Ton,
peTarce. An amendment Of Representa- |
tive Parsons, Of New York, leaving the
question of maintaining a canteen 10 a |
vote of the inmates OF the homes was
also defeated-62 to 146