The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-02-20
REFORMATION BY BI-cHLORIDE.


The Hon. LIVINGSTON SCOTT. the
soldicr-lawyer, who is of the delegation
that represents the city of Woonsocket
in the lower branch OF the General
Assembly, is a strong believer In the de-
velopment of the reformatory feature Of
dealing with those unfortunates who
come under the fostering care of the
State of Rhode Island in the institutions
at Cranston.
He has just introduced into the House
of Representatives bill providing that
any prisoner committed to the Work
house or House of Correction for drunk
enness, and who shall have been resi-
dent of this State one year previous to
his arrest, shall receive the bi-chloride
gold treatment and be discharged when
cured. This treatment shall be free to
the prisoner and shall not cost the
State any more than $50, and no prisoner
when once pronounced as cured shall
receive the treatment a second time. An
appropriation of $4,000 is proposed to
carry out the provisions of the act-just
enought to secure the pronouncing as
cured of one hundred drunks. The bill
fails to make clear whether or not the
prisoner can get out of Jail if the treat
ment doesn't accomplish the pronounc-
ing as cured by the time the amount of
$50 has been expended, but leaves 1t to
be inferred that he will have to stay
there for the rest of his natural life, un-
less the limits Of the sentence interfere,
or somebody can be found who will pro-
nounce him cured. But it makes plain
that after he has been pronounced as
cured no further measures will be taken
for relief, even if he gets drunk and
sentenced every three months for the
balance of his days. There ought, too,
to be section specifically stating what
authority shall do the pronouncing rs
cured. But aside from these minor
lapses, the bill appears to be quite COM
plete, and it will, undoubtedly, be
passed to page, with instructions to
communicate it to the waste paper
basket forthwith, and without amend
ment.
Mr., SCOTT, we repeat, evidently be-
lieves in reformation re ther than pun
ishment. In our mind's-eye we behold
the detected prisoner in the docket, hat
in hand, partly out Of respect to the
Court and partly because it grew too
small for his head the night before,
awaiting sentence, which the Court. in
his own good time, proceeds to pass as
follows, "You, JOHN Doe, are convicted
Of the crime of drunkenness. The evil
dence shows conclusively that you were
as full as tick at 337 this morning,
and were about to retire for the night OH
top of sign board, which you had un-
hinged and let down, under the i'm
preston that it was folding bed. The
Court sentences you to the county Jail
for term Of six months, or such part
thereof as shall have elapsed, when
having taken $50 worth of bi-chloride of
gold, you are pronounced as cured, ac-
cording to the law and the prophets.
The Court trusts that You may find it to
your interest to get yourself pronounced
as cured as early as possible. Officer,
remove the prisoner, and may the Lord
have mercy on his SOUL
If the appropriation of 5000 becomes
used up, or the United States Treasury
runs out of gold wherefrom to make
bi-chloride, this sentence will, of course,
have to be modified.