The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-18
Rcec and the soldIer..

TO the Editor OF Tic Dispatch:
sir,-Your editorial. April s. on the
death of some veterans in the National
soldiers Home at LOCUS. Me. just
after payday, reminds me OF an Incl
dent in Milwaukee, WIS. Ny attention
was called 10 an editorial in one OF
the leading dailies of the city. In
most vivid and truthful terms the edl-
tor pictured the veterans after every
payday. thronging out OF the hoths
into the twenty-three saloons near tiIo
south gate and into the ten or more
near other gates, where, drunken ana
carousing with the vile women VINO
frequent the saloons, they spend their
money and ere long return staggerlns
and penniless into the nome ~ ii.anJ
the barracks and 6ining-fooms dteao
to all decent men. All this because
Congress, urged by well-meanins per
sons who are not familiar Win pract
cal affairs, had forbidden me saie o.
beer in the home canteer. While beer
was sold there the men could gel d
! little in a quiet way. and all was peace
and order, but now debauchery runs
| riot. ,.
| whom I had known for years, and m
J CURED how long since the sale OF beer
had ceased. why. is ii sold there
| yel?" was his query replied:
am one of these impractlcai t.ts ny 80 ~
i
10 the editor. who knows it all He
| responded that he thought the law ilau
| ordered it out. ! informed Nun si ne.
| he had truthfully portrayed inc iasi am,
tnble conditions in the Milwaukee, SOL
| diers' Home, only he had not told the
| whole truth. Yet beer was sun CTS
i pensed in the home canteen, GYMS
| the veterans taste; then II they nave
looms and I'LL UP on the vilest stutr
i t,at ever bore the name OF WhiskeS,
Vet licensed whiskey, all licensed; eN,
cent that furnished by the DING l.
nigs which usually squeal me too
Very near the licensed SALOONS, Also Also,
| mai inst such debauchery had been
the rule there since the home Was
onened. Another item was given me
/ editor-the law enacted by oo anso I1 :.
/ forbiddina, the sale of any a!cohollc
haverages in soldiers homes would not
90 into effect for four months.
i wear after the law became opera :
tive inmates whom ] nave Ions klpmt y
! told me that order in the dining ana
\ STAINING rooms was much better than
. formerly, indicating a decrease u
drunkenness. ,,.
although our Milwaukee, editor ac e,
cuscd the opposers 81 lh ~, ~ !.
!. car knowledge, a few questions snow
! ed that he had never studied the stat
istiCs of tho army reports 70 aSGertaii'
how the prohibition OF all alcono non. l. !, =
tho canteens of the regular army MAO
affected the commitments 70 the nos,
pitals. deposits Nin savings banks ana
rrourt Court He did not know that
} the favorable showing Of the lay IN
these particulars had defeated all Ell
forts to repeal it. This Milw W., Re
! editor had never commented on the
denlorable debauchery of the veterans
We're nouring nearly all their pension
money given them by q grateinl peo oIi,e
? into The yilest dens that intest NIL
wanl,ee,. but now that there was Ut
tie Improvement under, aspartial pro
. tihition law his wrath knew no bound
He is fair sample OF the s.t treatm 1ron
W. sweat dailies Of this country. 1T i
= ve s hopeful sign that some Of the
dailies are now giving the question
,,aa ri,,,r' HENRY GOLDMAN.