The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-25
what Shall BE Done with Drunkards

What Shall Be Done with DrunLards:
To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
He who will study the character of the
demoniac of the New Testament will find
a striking parallel in the inebriate of to-
day. He object of pity and a ter
ror to the community In appearance he
was repulsive and terrible His screams
were hideous He attacked the populace;
he was indecent. The people made many
attempts to bind him, but he broke the
letters. He could not be tanned. When
he was ordered to lead an orderly life he
became Infatuated and commanded that he
be let alone. He was ever crying and cut
ting himself. The modern demoniac is in
our community and is an object of pity.
We fear him. He is terror to women
and children. He attacks our citizens. He
curses, strikes, shoots, stabs, burns prop
erty. He is loquacious, bold, combative,
dogmatic, cruel, cynical and dangerous. He
declares he is not drunk, just the in
sane insists on his sanity. But the fact
is (and L say it upon authority that every
form of insanity, from melanchola to inn
becility, is manifest in the inebriates. We
have, by arrests and fines, tired to reform
the habitual drunkard. That failing, we
have committed him to Jail and the rock
pile. That we might enforce more posi-
lively upon him the necessity of leading
orderly and temperate life we have
placed him in prison for a term of years.
But every chain We have put upon him
he has broken. Like the demoniac of old,
no man can bind and hold him, and one
knows this better than the inebri2te him
self.
Since L have been writing this letter a
woman whose husband was an inabriate for
twenty years, and was healed by proper
medical treatment came into my Office
he could cease drinking if he wanted to,
but after he, was cured he testified to me
that he could not have done So. The man
referred to is now one of the best respected
citizens of our State and leading business
man. This is one instance out of thou
sands of like character which can be cited
within the borders of the State. The ha-
bituai drunkard is diseased, insane. The
disease, like consumption. is either acquired
force and moral suasion to reform the in
ebriate and have SO Woefully failed, what
him just we do other weaklings Place
him in an asylum for inebriates The ma
not be reached by medicines put them into
asylum for incurables, with the incura-
oy al present and o ad the fu9re de-
mands that this. be done. 1t is our inn
perative duty. You answer. it will be an
other expense. added to our already large
expenditures in State matters. Suppose
that be true. it does not set aside the fact
the weddings The truth is such meas
| ure will save us money. have before me
| as I write the Indiana statistical report
/, find few items Of interest; For these two
| years the State of Indiana has paid for hei
| grand and petit juries. $5S0,646; criminals
| and prisoners, $341, 9s1; poor farms, s5S0,147
| to the poor by township trustees, s945, sl9
medical attendance on poor s26i, col; max
| ing total OF $2,70SS74. The statement is
| made to the effect. that these expenses
| are about they have been for any like
| period. If that be true, counting the cos
| Of these six features alone for ten year:
we find we have expended $l3, $40. We
| have statement as to the cost of main
| tenance of our police force and other officers
| of the law who present are necessity
| all because the inebriates are allowed t.
| run at large. But we .,now the items giveI
| above are all related. in great measure
| to drunkenness. If the reader will stop X
| think he will see that with the immense
amount of money expended to maintain tn.
| inebriate, and those whom he makes de
| pendent, would erect, furnish and endow al
| asylum. the richest in the world. The heal
| ing of the inebriates will make them money
makers and property holders. Povert!
| would become almost unknown. Their
| would be less taxes, more happiness an,
| greater prosperity. Let the people of Indi
| ana call upon the Legislature to give us tn
| proper relief.
HOMER C. ASHCRAFT
| Boonville, Ind, Jan. q.