The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-12-21

Legislature, viz: All laws should be sc
changed as to abolish the present sys-
tenn, which is hereditary survival
and establish system which shall en-
body the principles of modern pencil
ogy. Such system will provide for
the following:
First--Probation officers, who, under
appointment of the court, shall inves-
tigate and take personal charge OF
thcGe arrested, for such time as the
court shall direct This system of pro-
baton officers has now passed the ex-
detrimental stage in Massachusetts.
Results are so satisfactory that it's ex-
tension is strongly urged.
Second-The classification Of prison.
ers. Drunkards should not be herded
Unfortunately with miscellaneous
criminals, so that the house of cor
rection is changed into "house Of
| corruption and a school Of crime"
Third-The indeterminate sentence.
The system of fines and a short sent
ence nurses drunkenness, produces and
perpetuates the rounder. 1t has been
long tried and always found wanting
1T cannot be abolished too soon.
Fiurth-A reformatory, to which all
| Iui cases ulluSl OU yGeilo HIpuio pC
sent, where confinement means educa-
ton rather than punishment.
Fifth-A real Morkhouse, to which
confirmed FOUNDERS and incorrigibles
should be sentenced indefinitely.
Some would add and would not OPP
pose, medical treatment for such drunk
ards as give evidence Of a real desire
to receive 1t, Tt would be useless to at
tempt to cure any who do not strong
| ly desire to be free from the appetite.
A considerable number could be saved
by such an institution.
| All this is practical and immensely
cheaper in actual cost than the present
system of fines and short sentences
| 1t is entirely possible to eliminate
the rounder from our courts. 1t 10 en-
tirely practical to take all drunkards
out of our jails. BY the probation sys-
tenn many men accidentally DRINKS and
beginners in the habit, can be saved
from a drunlard's career. When a
drunkard where arrested is liable to an
indefinite sentence, or to q commitment
for three years, unless paroled sooner
as is done In England to-day under tho
law which went into effect January l,
1899: and when man knows that If he
gets drunk he must quit or be made to
quit in a reformatory or workhouse,
that Is, quit or work, there will be more
cutters than there are under our pres
ent system.
We are now putting a premium on
drunkenness. For no sober man will
the State provide liveried attendants,
free rides, free board in comfortable
boarding houses. And while We pet
these men we actually in many cases
impose suffering, infiict the penalty of
their sin upon their innocent wives and
children, who often suffer to pay drunk
ards fines, or lose his wages while the
State imprisons him for debt
The fact is most of us are ignorant
about this whole matter. We have not
given to 1t any attention. Our law
yers have not thought about the un-
reasonablenees, the unrighteousness
the inhumanity, the inlquity of our pres
ent treatment of the drunkard. Our law
makers are even more ignorant
thoughtless and neglectful.
The matter is now getting public at
tention, Revision of law is being made
elsewhere. 1t must and will come in
Connecticut. The drunkard Is our |
brother; our brother, who is sick; en-
shaved to an awful appetite; in peril of |
an awful and eternal death. We must |
treat him as a brother in our courts as
well as in our churches.
Brethren, have given you but sur !
face and cursory essay upon very i'm
portant subject. I trust, however,
have said enough to have engaged your
interest in behalf of this most practical |
form of temperance work. We may, we
must so reform our method of dealing
with the drunkard in Connecticut that
we shall do the best thing for him. the
best thing for the State. and the worst
thing for the saloon keeper, because we
shall have taken away considerable
part of his business. In so doing we
shall cooperate in the most Christian
business Of saving men.