The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-15
ON The
INCREASE.
Drinking Among Young Men of
Good Families
Growing Rapidly in Topeka, So
1t is Said.
HOW TO HEAD 1T OFF
Where the Habit is Formed
Medical Treatment
Necessary to Get Rid of 1t, Say
the Doctors.
low TO HEAD 1T OFF

Since the discussion of what to do
with inebriates has arisen, the state
ment that drinking among the younger
men of the town has grown rapidly
during the last five years, has been
made by many.
Many agree that the habit has grown
in the younger men about town until it
has assumed a degree that threatens to
make confirmed drunkards of many of
the most promising young men of To-
peka. What steps to take to stop this
alarming state of affairs is the question
now uppermOst in the minds of those
who have the welfare of the young men
at heart. The idea that it can be made
impossible to obtain liquor in Topeka
has been exploded. No matter whether
it is sold here or not it will be obtained
by those who want it by ordering it
from out of town. Prohibition as a
means of stopping the drinking of liquor
is a failure.
Those who claim that drinking is on
the increase among the younger men
cite the fact that among the drinking
societies in the city the membership is
largely made up of the younger men.
Prohibition can't and does not reach
these societies; and it wouldn't do any
good If it did. Reform measures must
reach out after the drinker himself who
is drinking too much.If he doesn't drink
in his society, he will drink with a lit
tie coterie in his bedroom or office.
The vast amount of drinking in Topeka
is done in the privacy of the drinkers
own apartments. Here is where the
evil lies and the law can't reach it..
People about town are perfectly will
ling to express their views on the sub
ject.
Rev. John D. Knox says: young
men who get drunk in this city and I'M
der the present conditions should go to
a hospital or insane asylum instead of
to Jail Those who have been brought
up under bad conditions and those who
have not received the bringing up they
should receive need treatment in a hos
pitaI instead of being lodged in Jail.
In my opinion DRINKS should receive
more consideration than a person ar
rested for a crime"
Capt. J. G. Waters said: 1.-THE first
glass of liquor that a young man takes
is a crime. The rest work into a dis
ease. 1 think that persons arrested for
drunkenness should receive proper
treatment in a hospital instead of being
placed in jail. The Jail sentences do
very little good. With the Young men
starting in hospital treatment would in
many cases stop what becomes a dis
ease. An ounce of prevention is worth
pound of cure Start the medical treat
ment when il will do the most good.
T. F. DOran said: 1T is a. mans mis-
fortune to get drunk but when he be-
comes that way he should receive the
proper care. I would have a hospital
for inebriates and make the fellows that
get drunk and go to the hospital pay
for the maintenance of the institution.
If they do not have money put them to
work on the county roads and let the
county pay them for the work, the
money to go to the hospital. If young
men in society get drunk they should be
treated just the same as others. There
should be no distinction. Those who
would be sent to the hospital could just
as well pay the hospital fees as a fine.
They must be kept off the street for
their own and sOciety's good. Such a
hospital as I advocate should be suS-
tanned wholly by the inmates Inebri-
ates should be kept by themselves and
r,raT cF7r T1o
kept from bad associations and given
every moral announcement to do bet
DR.. Eva Harding said: ct always advo-
cate the whipping post for a person that
been my idea of the way to treat such
cases. It takes but short time and does
not keep the man away from his family,
and the punishment is excellent. If it is
true that whipping is good for child,
it is certainly good for a grown person,
children I do think a grown person who
becomes drunk should be whipped at a
IN time this viii be adopted as the mode
of Furnishing such cases. 1 do not con-
slder drunkenness a dlsease. II = a naplt
be treated as SUCH
DR.. Agnes Mckee Wallace said: Drunk
enness- is a disease and it should be
treated as such. 1t cannot be handled
proper place to send drunken man to.
Drunkenness should be cared for in a hos
pital: It cannot be handled in a general
hospital, but must be cared for in a hospi-
tai for inebriates- This does not neces-
sarily mean that the Kelley cure must be
used, as there are other forms of medical
treatment, The idea of Jail for Grim
inals is not the proper place for an inebri-
ate. With an old drunkard, he is suffer-
ing with a disease in the last stages and
a young man starting to drink is suffering
from disease in its incipiency. The old
drun1ard is incurable, but with the young
man it is not The young man could be
treated in a special hospital for inebriates
by medical treatment, moral suasion and
be a habit and there comes a time When a
man must have his stimulant; then it is
a disease and should be treated as SUCH