The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-01-07
THE NEWS AND oBsERv ER, THURSDAY, JAN I, 1897


! worthy Of aid and who are unable to take
1 the cure"
/ 'Why shouldn't theyY' remarked the
other gentleman, ito cure an inebriate
/ is a charity. To imprison him IL his IN
| ebriaty is a disease that you can cure,
/ is next to a crime. 1t costs more to iDl-
prison him or to send him to one OF your
asylums than it would to cure him"
| Which is bteter to fill your jails aims
| houses and asylums with men whose
j minds are racked with anguish, whose
| bodies are Tortured by the thr0es Of pain
and pay taxes for their supporter to hold
out the hand OF healing aud to restore 10
the State the services OF it's citizensT
Ether is not State in this Union that
has not to-day some of its best and most
prominent citizens among that two hun
dred thousand and more OF reclaimed In
ebriates in the United States who have
/ been cured in these institutions"
These were new thoughts to me and
became interested in them.
What Statesg' I asked "haye adopted
laws Of this character
"'rhe State of Maryland, believe was
the pioneer and that was followed by
Louisiana, Colorado, Minnesota, and
probably others and now there are prob
ably dozen States. considering the pro-
position
THE Colorado law provides that any
friend or relative OF an habitual drunk
ard may petition the County Commits
sioners to send him to q reputable Double
Chloride OF Gold asylum. If the Com
missioners are satisfied rs to the facts
in the case they may send him to such
asylum as will make the lowest bid,
though at any time they may stop the
treatment or remove him to another asy-
lum in case the circumstances warrant
it, The Louisiana statute is similar to
the Colorado one in most respects, except
that it provides the institution must be
in the State, and that the cost of treat
ment must not exceed $100 The Mary
land statute is, perhaps, the best consid-
cred and most complete of the three. 1t
provides that any relative or friend of the
drunkard may apply to a court of record
for permission to send him to the best
| known and most successful asylum for
trea tment at the public expense if he Ike
an INDECENT person If the man is sent
| he must agree to take the treatment, and
the asylum authorities must agree to
limit the expense to q sum not exceeding
| $500. The officers Of the asylum in such
case will become sworn officers Of the
| court, acting without other fee or COM
pensation than the sum above named
The new legislation, however, does not
limit the power OF the courts to send an
incorrigibe drunkard to any institution
they may select, even without his con-
sent. The Act applies to all persons
who use alcohol, spirituous, malt, fer
| mented or Intoxicating liquors, morphia,
laudanum, cocaine, opium or other mar
cotics to such a degree as to deprive him
| or her OF a reasonable degree of self-con-
troll"
And here is in editorial from the Chi
cago Tribune, calling the attention or
the Illinois legislature to this question:
'rhe Maryland bill, printed in another
column, should engage the serious atten-
| ton OF the members Of the Illinois Leg
islature in behalf Of the~various counties,
and Of the Common Council in behalf Of
the city of Chicago with the view of
procuring the Double Chloride of Gold
Treatment for inebriates at an expense
| not exceeding 500 in each case, where
| 1T is shown that the drunkard or his or
her friends are not able to raise the a.
| mount, and where the application is vol
untary. 1t has been proven beyond all
question that thousands Of cases of ine-
| briation have been cured by the Double
| Chloride OF Gold Treatment, and these
| thousands have been clothed in their
| right minds and restored to places of use
fulness and productivity 1t is not nee
| essary to dwell upon the curse OF alc0-
| hol. It's effects are visible everywhere.
not only in ruined inebria ties but in ruin
| ed homes, in courts, jails, penitentia-
| RES, poorhouses and insane asylums.
! Here is a treatment which will cure the
| inebriate in case he desires TO be cured.
| II he has not money enough TO pay for
| the expense OF the treatment common
humanity and philanthropy dictate that
| he should have the chance to be helped
| to get on his feet again, and regain the
| place he has lost as a useful member
| OF society. 1t need not involve very
| heavy outlay, for in most cases the rela-
| tives or the friends OF the patient can
raise the money. But in thoee cases where
| they cannot and where the victim Of
| drink is anxious to be cured, society
| should gladly stand the expense. TO
save these victims from becoming an am
nual expense to the community and their
| families burden upon charity is good,
| sound economy"
These things, as / say, were news to
me, but they seem TO be facts and the sub
| ject is one that is Of profound interest
| to every State, and every community and
to society and humanity the world over
What to do with an inebriate is ques-
| ton that civilization has been wrestling
with for centuries.
II inebriaety is disease and If science
has discovered a cure for it, then surely
the best thing 30 do with an inebriate
is to cure him whether he be rich or poor,
high or low.
b. q. ARHEDDLL.
TO CURM A COLD IN ONE DAY