The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-11-14
GheGnteufqeurer
THE DISEASE OF DRUNKEN.
NESS,
Report OF n Boston Commission
Which Has Investigated the
Question oil the Cure of InebrIe.
u Very Thoroughly.

KeDort OF q Boston Commission
Which Has Investigated the
Question oil the Cure of InebFIe
" Very Thoroughly.
The commission appointed by the may.
OF Of Boston last year to consider and
report on the treatmen. Of drunkenness
10 the city Institutions and in private
uyluus, and to ascertain what measures
can be taken to reform the incorporate
now under confnementsin the city inst.
.ioaI, presented their report to the board
Of aldermen on Monday.
The commissioners have visited the
court, in the city before which persons
are arraigned for drunkenness, consulting
freely with the judges and officers Of pc.
lice. They have several times visited the
CITY institutions to which inebriates are
committed, comforting with the superIn.
tendents and other officers in charge.
Similar visits, involving like conferences,
have been made to the corresponding in.
stitu,ious and officers in New York,
Philadelphia, Baltimore, Worcester,
Portland, Quebec, Buffalo, Chicago, and
various almilSr cities. Under : deep
seuse Of the frightinl evils Of
drunkenness, upon which it is un.
necessary here TO enlarge, the officers Of
government in all these places appear to
perform their duties in the execution OF
this department Of criminal law with
great fidelity and much psins.takiDg con.
alteration. With unimpoElant varia.
tons in different places, the laws and
their execution are much the same. An
insbriate found guilty before the court
i, mulcted IN small fine with costs,
and, in default Of paymen! by himself or
friends, is committed for term varying
from ten days to six months. The usu.
al commitment in our own city il tor
thirty days. The results Of the law, as it
now stands, however faithfully admins
tered, are extremely unsatisfactory. The
lines imposed, il paid at all, commonly
fall upon the family or friends, already
deeply wronged. The brief period Of
confinement, sufficient indeed 10 elimi.
nate from the system the alcohol already
imblbed, and secure 4 measure Of physi-
cal recuperation, is quite insufficient to
allay the cravings OF appetite, break up
the habit Of indulgence, or restore any
considerable degree OF self-respect. The
usual consequences, therefore, on restor.
alton TO liberty, is an immediate return
TO evil habits, rearress, reconviction, and
reeommitment, with as little hope OF
prof. Is before. Your commissioners,
says the report, saw a woman, yet young,
who had been thus committed sixty-seyen
times. They learned that another had
spent eleven terms Of thirty days each at
Deer Island in one year, leaving month
within which to become eleven times
amenable to the law, to be eleven times
arrested, eleven times tried, eleven times
convicted, and eleven times cent down TO
what would seem TO be her normal
home, Others have been met with who
have spent years within prison walls, and
who seem permanently untitled for liber-
~ aud self care.
The commissioners find general con-
currence Of opinion in regard to the con-
ditions now wanting in order TO secure
the best moral and economic results.
For the cure Of confirmed or habitual
inebriety, experience seems to show al
leaI! one year is necessary; while for ex-
IRENE redeemable caSes two, three, or
even more years is required. Animpor-
tInt, indeed an indispensable auxiliary
in this work issteady employment. Itnoi
only occupies the mind, tending to prevent
the imaginatiou from reVeling in indul-
gence, everywhere a most fruitful source
Of Generalization, bat it develops certain
hardy elements Of character essential 10
vigorous selEcontrol. With commitment
for longer terms, labor which is now val
nelesa would become highly valuable
aud the institutions which are now main
tanned a! great expense might become, in
a large measure, selfsustainiDg. The
testimony oil the superintendent OF our
own house Of industry, with that Of the
superintendent OF the Well.Rppointed
house Of correction in Philadelphis and
Of others, is explicit on this point.
A further result, and most important
OF all, would be the opportunity thus AZ.
torded for moral influence; for instrucling
the inmates in matters pertaining to So
eiety. health, and character; and for
building them up in those patriotic and
manly purposes essential TO 4 faithful
discharge Of personal, domestic and civil
responsibilities. Given the time herein
contemplated, and means Of occupation,
and your excellent officers, now in charge
Of this class Of persons at Deer Island,
Eeenly sliye as they are to the eIigencies
OF the situation, could doubtless show
results as honorable TO themselves a.
they would be gratifying to the city.
Agrsat Immunity Of opini-T ia found
by your commissioners on another mat.
Ter, While most Of the females commit.
ted to the house Of industry, whatever
may be the technical grounds OF their
conviction, have formed hAbiu OF indul.
gence in drink, and may properly be
continued in the Institution, and while
tr1mps and vagabonds also may appro'
psiately be subjected to the same disci
Pllne as inebriates, and mingle with them
thieves, burglars, and various others o.
the more criminal classes should not b.
associated with inebEiRtes in the SAINT
institution. Their presence, 1t Is felt
would tend to drag the inebriates dow
10 their own level, and greatly prejudice
The hope oil their ultimate improvement
Whether this common estimate Of relative
character besound or not, 10 widespread
Is the conviction in it that the prophet,
Of such q separation Of classes a. is her
suggested Is on many hands cOnfdentl,
affirmed.
Another opinion, held with equal con
6dence, isthatsome inObriates are farthe
from, and are, therefore, with much grea,
ct difficulty restored 10, the responsible
Sondition Of self.eonuol than are other
thus requiring, for different person
treatment through various periods an
BY various methods. And since many g
the various elements Of the problem ca
not be known beforehand, but can onl
be gained by discreet and sympatheti
study Of individual character durin
many months Of administrative experi
ence, 1t will be found eminently wise
lodge measure Of discretion in th
hands Of the superintendent, with sue
advisory authority As may be deeme
expedieni, 70 place persons under hi
care on probation, permitting them 70 {
'osth from the institution aablees to ca