The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-07-18
The Massachusetts Law.


passed by the Les stature of Massa
chusetts tor the punishment OF
drunkards will be watched with in
terest by many people. Inspired
neither by prohibitionists nor by
saloon-keepers, but by a prison as
ISOLATION, aided by the criticisms of
judges, police officials and other
practical persons, the new law was
passed by votes drawn from both
parties. 1t i, in fact only common
sense applied IL direct way for the
beneh. OF all concerned The strik-
ing feature of the new law is its dis
elimination between the occasional
offender and the man who is con-
stantlv getting drunk. The occas
ional drunkard, it is provided, may,
when arrested, make written
statement. giving his name and
residence, and declaring that he has
not been before arrested twice within
a year, or that, il twice arrested, he
has been acquitted in one case. 1t
| is then within the direction of the
police station master to release the
person arrested for being drunk,
provided the statement is by him
endorsed as probably true. A
"probation" officer, however, must
thereupon investigate the statement
and, if he finds it untrue, he must
rearrest the offender for trial The
lenity of immediate release is for the
benefit of the citizen who rarely gets
drunk or specially hilarious. The
difference between a man who only
once or twice year goes on a spree
| and the man who is almost always
under the influence of liquor" is a
very wide and important one. II
the generally sober citizen, arrested
to day, is kept in confinement till
tomorrow, and then discharged
with or without fine, an injury is
inflicted upon him and his family
out of all proportion to his otfense
His indiscretion-due possibly to
inadve1tance rather than perverslty
may cause him in that case to lose
his employment. Thus discouraged,
he may lose heart, and cease 10 b,
selfsupporting member OF the
community. 1t is but reasonable,
therefore, that he should be dis
charged when sober and be allowed
at once to go to work. AS matter
of fact, this lenity has long been
practically applied without autholi
cation in law by POLICEMEN who
from feelings OF sympathy for the
man or his family, have neglected to
run in" the citizen whose drunken
ness, they happen to know, is rare
thing The new law thus gives
sanction to custom inspired By
humane and rational considerations
The law is needed, however, because
it prevents partiality or the gratih
cation OF grudges on the part o.
policemen by making the release OF
rare offenders compulsory.
The habitual drunkard is very
differently II Gated. His record hav-
ing been established, he will be i'm
prisoned at the discretion of tie
Court. He cannot get off with a
fine, large or small. Fines I
drunkenness are abolished. The
Judge is in each case enabled tC
proportion the term OF imprisonmer
to the demerit of the "rounder" be
fore him. If the latter has "becn
up" for drunkenness twenty five
times he cannot expect to get oil
with as few weeks or months as tn,
man who has been run in but ten
tim7s. The rich drunkard is given
no advantage over the poor one;
both will go 10 the same place.
Money will not endow anybody with
the privilege of disturbing the peace.
The tramp OF bibulous propensities
will be retired by the new law. He
will not longer be able to continue
his peripatetic career of debauchery
and terrorism. 1t has been objected
that by abolishing fines the state will
lose revenue, but it is pointed out
that the saving OF prison expens, s
and cost of committing for nonpay
ment of fines will more than MAKE
this loss good.
To overcome the marks of age. all who
| bava pray beards should use Bucking ham =