Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-24
What Allegheny Might have Saved
in the Last Few Years by
Having Its Jail Inmates
DO WORK ON THE PUBLIC ROADS.
Yearly Increase in the Number Of Drunks
That Must be Boarded at the
Public's Expense.
FACTS AND FIGURES TO PONDER OVER.
Coming Need Of More Jail Room il Some Other Steps
Aren't Soon Taken.

lnalS work on the roads can make strong
point by a study OF the Jail calendar. 1t is
patent to any intellect that if the present
system OF punishment by Imprisonment is
continued, and there be no reformation in
morals, it will not be many years until we
will want more jail roon, for drunks, as
well as record room for accumulation OF
verbose deeds and mortgages. An exsmina-
ton of the Jail calendar is appalling, and
the situation grows worse day by day. Here
are some figures that cannot even be sus-
pected of lying. They were obtained from
Deputy Warden Sofel:
Since March 80, 1888, q. .O6O people have
been committed to the county jail. an
average of eight day. This, in popu-
lation of 800 900. is not great percentage,
but it does not tell the story, or even give
an inadequate idea of it, as the list is grow
ing with frightful rapidity. The commit
ments since September 3, 1888. have been
o,459, nearly half of the total for seven
wears and six months For the even year of
1889 they were 4. 4.19S, or nearly one-ffth of
the total for seven wears and six months.
GROWING WORSE DAILY.
For eight months and half of the pres
ent wear there have been 4, ,23S, 40 more than
for all of last year, and Mr.. Sofel says the
condition grows worse day by day. Should
the rate be kept up to the close of the year
il will give us 1916, or, in round numbers.
5000, or over 2S per cent in one year of all
the commitments of eight years.
While there are but q women in the PEN
itentiary, the jail holds an average of 40 the
year through.
Figures are interesting if you know how
to assimilate them, and the record will show
that 70 per cent of all jail commitments are
for drunkenness or for offenses growing out
of inebrietv, and they further indicate that
so far as the Brooks law being reiormatory
agency, it must have been exactly the oppo-
site, as it has taught people to drink by
wholesale who formerly INDUCED moder-
ately at retail.
1t has often been said that all efforts to
curb the drink evil have only increased it,
and there is strong ground for the belief
that such is the case. Nearly 1000 people
are constantly in dursnce vile on account
largely Of drunkenness and it would seem
that Imprisonment is not very effective as a
cure. The record shows that drunks on an
average expiate their crime by seven days
IMPRISONMENT, so that in the last eight
years the county has lost 105, 900 days labor
for one man, or S21O, 900, board included, to
say nothing OF the workhouse and peniten-
tiary, where 1000 people are constantly
kept at unremunerative employment.
SOME OTHER ASPECTS.
Now, trade is demoralized, peoples
clothing DESTROYED, and tempers soured by
bad streets and roads, and vet had these
5000 drunks worked their time out in
street cleaning and road making, this
county's highways would to-day be the best
in the State.
There is yet another aspect in the case.
Were drunks made to work their terms out
in the open air, not only would they be in
better condition, physically, than by doing
it by lying in Jail, but their families would
fare Just as well, also. They would evapor-
ate the fumes of the alcohol. instead of
taking delirium tremens, cutting their
throats or hanging themselves and making
coroner's inquests, which are expensive, to
say the least
As Mr.. Soffel remarks, there are but few
common drunks that need be put on the
chain gang, as most of them would not run
the risk of more severe punishment by rum
ming away. 1t is not as though they had q
sentence ranging from 80 DAYS TO two years
to serve. Some few might want to hide
when they saw an acquaintance passing. but
this would be the worst trouble to be ap-
pretended, and the ball and chain would
ouly be required for the incorrIgible.
Further, the public e1piation would act
as a deterrent to all who had any self-re-
spect left, and many, instead of being COM
mitted once a month, or once week, as at
present, would either learn to moderate
their appetite for booze or leave :he coun-
ty, and in either event it would be a
gamer, aud their families would be better
off than they are under the present system
OF punishment. The feelings of man who
is mean enough to be sent 10 Jail every moon
for drunkenness or abuse of his family are
scarce worthy o. consideration by hard
working taxpayers who are forced to feed
him in idleneSs and even female drunks
would not be degraded bv wearing leg Jew
elrv-or they might be employed in laun.
drying their own and their male compan-
ions clothing, which is usually in urgent
need of it.
ONE OF THE OBJECTIONS.
OF course, sentimentalists who Law so
much stress on the reformatory idea in pun
ishment will shudder at the idea of making
a laDlLudl OF a Wlie-DeaUer WORK
with ball and chain attached, but these
classes have no right to groWl at anything |
that may come between the wind and their |
nobility. Ii society oppress them, and they |
do not get a fair chance in the public |
trough, it is mainly their own fault, and |
though constantly brayed in the mortar, |
their folly does not depart from them. |
Petty criminals in large cities turn the |
political scales when there is enough at stake |
TO make their votes worth purchase, and |
if they do not get fair show it is because |
they do not deserve it. People who have |
the trouble of hunting criminals, as a rule, |
soon lose their bowels OF compassion, and /
they say that either the chain gang or the |
whipping post will do more for the tenn |
perance cause than the Brooks law and all |
the temperance organizations combined. 1t |
is not urged that such punishment be meted |
out for either the first or second offense. but |
bevond the second all vloIators should be |
regarded as chronic.
The suggestion is hazarded that if the |
streets of Pittsburg and Allegheny were |
paved with asphalt, and it was made the |
business of these cities quoted of drunks to |
scrub them daily, they would soon either |
become the most pleasant cities to abide in |
on the continent or chronic drunkenness |
and several other minor offenses, against the |
laxr hut very unpleasant and eostlv ones