One result of abolishing the canteen
Subject(s): Canteens (Establishments), Woman's Christian Temperance Union
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An intoxicated African American soldier shoots handguns in a street in front of “The Red Eye Hotel” where another soldier is being thrown out into the street. Caption: Respectfully submitted for the consideration of the W.C.T.U.
Comments and Context
Despite the “Brownsville Affair” having occurred five months earlier, Puck‘s cover cartoon responded to the growing controversy. In August of 1906, a drunken melee took place in Brownsville, Texas, at a saloon frequented by “buffalo soldiers,” an all-black regiment stationed nearby. One night, guns were shot off by a mob; a bartender was killed and one local police officer wounded.
Evidence was questioned; witness accounts were murky. The soldiers disclaimed any knowledge or participation, but were accused by some locals. The controversy worked its way to President Theodore Roosevelt, who demanded that any soldier step forward with any relevant information. When none did, all 167 soldiers were summarily discharged from the army. The controversy was immediate, and scarcely has subsided to this day. Whether bigotry on the ground was dispositive; or whether Roosevelt would have acted the same with soldiers of any color, are still hot topics.
The Glackens cartoon obliquely addresses the Brownsville Affair; it depicts a black soldier, but rather abstractly. The more immediate issue (although accelerated in public debates because of the Brownsville Affair) was the U.S. Army’s policy on saloons on military bases. Moralists had succeeded in removing bars and saloons from U. S. Military properties — but the negative aspect of that policy meant that soldiers were obliged to drink, possibly to excess, off bases. If saloons were permitted on bases, misbehavior could more easily be monitored.
Collection
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
Creation Date
1907-01-16
Creator(s)
Glackens, L. M. (Louis M.), 1866-1933
Period
U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)
Repository
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
Page Count
1
Record Type
Image
Resource Type
Rights
These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
One result of abolishing the canteen. [January 16, 1907]. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o285704. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Glackens, L. M. (Louis M.), 1866-1933. One result of abolishing the canteen. [16 Jan. 1907]. Image.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 12, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o285704.
APA:
Glackens, L. M. (Louis M.), 1866-1933., [1907, January 16]. One result of abolishing the canteen.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o285704.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 12, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs.
APA:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs.
