The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-09-29

us need Of unity, and in iis different
parts is reaching forth IN LINKED mea-
sure Tor reunion.
TREATMENT or Dis UNk1RDS. !
Mr. Robert Graham. secretary of the
Church Temperance = ciety, makes
suggestion in The last number Of rem
DcrQacc which seems tn d to deserve
consideration. Speaking OF facts as
they have fallen under his own obser'
yati0u. Mr. Graham ventures ID say
that not one case in fifty of chronic
drunkenness is cured after forty years
Of age Mr. Graham 5 means Of in-
formation on this subject are cxcep.
tionally great. aud yet we should be
slow to give implicit credence to such
an opinion. \ great deal depends
upon the sense in which the
phrase chronic drunkenness Is
used. II it is Intended to signify a
condition of alcoholism which has .
continued for years. and which at any .
time during those years might easily
have had fatal issue, then It Is en-
tirely probable that not one in ffty OF
such cases is ever actIllly cured after
forty years Of age. But If chronic
drunkenness means occasional. or even
frequent. indulgence la alcoholic eX-
cesses, with intervals of sobriety be-
tween the debauches, we should be
loath to think that no more than , per
cent. Of such eases are cured. OF
course. any aud every habit Of drunk
enuess has an inherent tendency 10 80
ffom bad 10 worse. chronic IN The one
sense is but too likely o. become chrome
in the other. and there can be 20 doubt
Of the fact thar very small proportion
OF chrome druukards Is saved after
forty years Of age.
Evidently Mr. Graham believes that
a much larger proportion might be
saved if drunkenness were treated 10y
thu police authorities ia q more rational
manner. "Odr present ,ysIom,' be
says, simply commits the dunkafd
for short term Of seven, ten or four
teen days, and discharges him ready
clean.cd for another debluch and
auother commitments. Such an i'm
pfis)nmsnt is nol q rrtriDutige punish
meut since il merely keeps the drunk
ard from further iujlrug himself: AID
yet 10 is in no sense rei0ImitOry, since
it discharges him % the very time when
h. is certain t. be most imp-rlJu-ly be-
set by bis deba-ed habit. Whether for
reform or tor punishment the term oil
imprisonment ought to De much
i.nger.
Mr. Graham :, suggestion j, that there
should be an institution devoted 10 the
treatment of alcoholic cases under the
care ofam deal expert: that sentence
for drunkenness should DE- cumulative
with maximum sentence of month
and that the institution should be pro
Vided with sufficient quantity OF land
on which the prisoners should be re-
quired to labor. In such an institution
Mr.. Graham thinks. a real reformation
might be begun. and the prisoner. when
discharged. would 20 out with some
thing Of the habit OF sober man. H'
would at least be free from the mos
, imperioms solicitations OF bis disease
ard if he really wished to reform h
would have the best chance that III
fellow men could give him.
We thoroughly agree with Mr.. Ora
hams opinion except in one particular
-. It might be hard. but j. would be only
kindness disguised. if every sentence
for drunkenness were for Elk month
=, at once. unless the prisoner could prov
/ by uncxcepuonable testimony that h
: Is not a man Of Incorporate habits.
would also be hard aud yet it woul
be an asaiti, nal kindness. 10 pr0yid
that he should not be released. even a
the end of six months, unless bg dlreC
action of the court on certificate fri
the medical officer, showing that TN
man might be safely set at liberty
Such law would make il a serior
matter to indulge in drunkenness.
would deter men from the vice. and
would give the druukard every chan'
= of positive cure.
r, After all. however. the great thin
is to reduce the causes Of drunkcpne
to their lowest possible terms. Tho
causes are inuumerable, and very fe
of them can be reached by poslti
= laws. Foul i'll ventilated dwelling
uuwholesome, scauIy, i'll cooked foo
= Inherited deprayiiy Of physical cons
tuition, lcenti0us excuses Of eve
kind, over excitement Of mind by bu
nd ness. anxiety or grief. in short. VIII
as ever deprerses vitality and tends
.en anamia Is prOilfi tic cause VI the ha
of alcoholism. the problem of lnte
ny perance has many factors; but one
zen the worst is the temptation and soil
the tatlun Of the open dram-shop; and sl
nd the dram shop cannot be immediate
legislat,d out of existence. il ought
Ing To taxed To the last dollar il can bear.
be ter fifty years under such strain.
haps il might be abolished altogetl
rcd by the force of law backed by vlrtu
ly unarimous public opinion. In
tue mean time let the dram-shop pay
ual the support and medical treatment