The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-05-16
TEMPERANCE NOTES.
INTEMPERANCE IN CITIES.
A Vivid Picture of the Awful Work of
Rum In the Centers of Civilization.

A VIVID Picture OF the Awful work OF
Rum in the Centers of Civilization.
Residents of the rural districts and
of the villages and smaller towns do
not realize the horrible disgrace to
nineteenth century civilization which
the drink traffic is in the great cities.
In point Of fact the routine of drunk
and disorderly" cases which come up
every morning in city police courts,
presenting the same sort of cases every
day, is generally dismissed with the
briefest mention IN the daily press. A
report of these cases from all the great
cities, both of the United States and
Great Britain, would show remark
able sameneSs, except as to name. We
have before us detailed report, how
ever, given in the Newcastle England
Daily Chronicle, of the cases appearing
before the police court of that city on
Monday, March IL. The account be-
gins thus:
AS the year advances the number of appear
ances at the police court gradually increases
and the habitual offenders get over the
financial depression consequent upon their
fling 81 Christmas. they begin to return to
the coUEt IN larger numbers. During the past
creased by easy stages from sixteen cases to
forty-fVe, which was the number on the charge
Sheet Monday last. Forty-one OF these cases
were connected with drunkenness, five being
aggravated by assaults and one by lighting.
This affords a vivid idea of the
amount of drunkenness in an English
city. Newcastle is by no means the
worst in this respect, in proportion to
population. But it is to be rememb ered
that persons are not arrested merely
for being intoxicated. Intoxication of
itself is not legal offense. 1t must be
accompanied by fighting, or some 9TH
er disorderly conduct, so that the
charge made by the arresting officer is
drunk and disorderly." Hence the ar
rests bear but d very small proper
ton to the number of intoxicated per-
sons, and a still smaller one to the
number of individuals who indulge in
drink. The report from which we
quote then goes on to give details of
the various cases, from which we ex-
tract the following to give our readers
some idea of the evils of the drink
traffic in large city:
man named James Burns (aged 25) was
charged with drunkenness and disorder in Sill
yer street. The books showed that this was
Burns 10th appearance at the court, and the
bench fined him los. and costs. He left the
dock singing White Wings They Never Grow
Weary, afterwards giving vent to bad Ian
guage
y young woman named Catherine Clayton, 25
years OF age, made her 10Th business visit to
the court, and was fined los. and costs.
youth named Peter Graham 10 years OF
age, was brought before the magistrates for
the goth time, on charge Of drunkenness.
fine of IS. and costs was imposed.
A man named Christopher Colvin coy and
two women named Bridget Cresgan (20 and
Cecilia Gordon (25) were charged with drunk
enEess in Pilgrim street.-P. C. VaSS said he
was on duty in Pilgrim street, on Saturday
night, and he saw all the prisoners throwing
stones at one another, swearing and making
great diSturbance.-The man said he had been
going to see friend, when the women came up
to him. knocked off his hat, and asked him for
some money. He refused to have anything to
do with them and that was how the disturb
ance began. Creggan and Gordon said it was
the mans fault and each subjected the officer
to lengthy ss-eXamination-The records
OF each were read out. Colvin had been ten
times before the bench-four times last year
CTeggan had been ia times at the court.
daughter -Crcggan: Its nowt to laugh
ABBOTT, anyways" Gordon made her forty
fourth appearance.-The bench fined each Of
the prisoners los. and costs.
A woman named Sarah Rutherford was
charged with drunkenness on Saturday night
and Superintendent Findlay deposed to find
ing her quarreling with another woman. She
had made 20 previous appearances at the court,
and had just come out of prison on Saturday
morning after doing month.-The bench sent
her back to gaol for a month and she left the
dock, saying Its good job; a months nowt
in my way"
These details shed a lurid light on
the relation of the drink traffic to
courts and prisons. Think of a wom-
an of twenty-five who has been arrest
ed seventy times for being drunk and
disorderly! And of one of twenty
seven who had been arrested one hun
dred and fourteen times for the same
otfense! 1t is a shame to our boosted
civilization that such things should be
possible. 1t is true that people of this
class are the slaves of appetite, and
show a lamentable want of self-con-
troll; but the state does a wrong in al
lowing 4 state of things to continue
which makes it possible for these to
indulge in the drink habit.-Toledo
Blade.