Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-26
hEELEY In BAD LUCK.
1he Drunkard Curer Can't Catch on
in Her Majesty's Capital.
EVERYTHING is AGAINST HIN.
The Laws Dealing With Inebriates Are
Purely Permissiye.
ELECTION EXCITEMENT ALSO A BAR
VERIFYING is AGAINST HIN.
ELECTION EXCITEMENT ALSO A BAR
rBY CABLE TO THE DISPATCH. /,

rBH CABLE TO THE DrsPArCH.1
LONDON, June 25.-[ Copyright. l-Dr.
Keeley, the gold cure man. has been here
for several weeks trying to arouse public in
terest in his method of treating inebriates,
but in consequence of the general elections
and owing to other causes, he has not met
with much success. People generally are
absorbed in speculations as to the strength
OF Mr.. Gladstone's expected majority, and
they prefer to attend lively political meet
ings rather than listen to lectures on
drunkenness
The present is bad time, also, for the
floating OF joint stock company by q
syndicate said to have been formed by
some enthusiastic believers in the gold
cure and some other and shrewder men who
oiscreetly keep in the background There
is plenty Of room for DR.. Kelley, however,
and, in fact, for any number of curers, but
they must wait awhile The new House of
Commons, in all probability, will contain
majority of temperance retormers. more o.
less enthusiastic and determined, who will
play havoc with the principle that drunk
ards have liberties worth respecting like
sober British subjects.
Necessity of a Change Of Law.
The law dealing with habitual inebriates
is al present purely permissive. Homes
for the cure of these sinners have been es-
tablished In different parts of the country,
but the difficulty is to get inmates for them,
because, before man can be incarcerated,
he must go before a magistrate in open
court and there solemnly and publicly sign
away his liberty for a specified period. The
formalities required give too much time for
reflection to weak-minded inebriates, and
ANYHOW, the average man does not like to
proclaim himself TO the world habitual
drunkard incapable of will power
The new Parliament will probably amend
the law as to transfer the initiative to
Relatives and friends whose afidavits, sup
ported BY medical certificates and counter
signed by a magistrate, shall suffice to in
carcerate any dipsomaniac Then will fol-
low a good time for quacks and honest
practitioners alike, for the homes will null
tiply and be filled, and there will be very
keen competition among them.
The disposition even now is to treat
drunkardS with little consideration, and the
tendency of the law is toward increased
Severity.
Thrice Drunk Is to Be a Drunkard. |
An illustration of this is afforded TODAY |
by the publication of remarkable memoir |
ial to the government, signed by ministers |
and deacons Of churches in Lancashire, |
praying thaT Parliament shall pass an act /
providing that any person who has in a
period Of two years and in the same licens-
ed district been thrice convicted of drunk
enness, shall in that district be defined to
be an habitual druakard who is not to be
served with intoxicants or harbored on Ii
censed premises within that district. and
that any licensed dealer who, after the no.
tice, shall serve or harbor such debarred
persons, shall be liable to penalties and for
teiture OF license"
The memorial does not give an exag-
Ee rated idea of the fanatical temperance
feeling existing in this country. Ali pro-
posed Legislation is more or less penal in
character, and retormers are agreed that
men and women must be compelled to keep
rs sober as themselves The only question
rpon which these good people are divided
Is whether inehriety shall be punished as
crime or considered as disease, or whether
treatment shall be based upon both assump-
tons. 1t is evident, therefore, that libant
individuals have pretty bad time in
front of them.
To-day the Daily Ne1rS publishes a state
ment in which Bishop Barry and the Church
Of England Temperance Society repudiate
any connection with the gold cure or any
other secret remedy for drunkenness