Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1901-08-22

man1feStS drunken condition by
boisterous or indecent conduct or loud
and profane discourse" but the mini
mum exaction is s.. Similar varia-
Uions exist in Imprisonment penalties
for intoxication. For instance, the
maximum term for which a drunkard
may be imprisoned in Wisconsin is five
days, while in Rhode Island a habitual
drunkard may be committed for three
years and in New York habitual fe-
male drunkard may be kept in the
House of Refuge at Hudson for five
years.
In several Commonwealths the pen
alties are graded and cumulative.
For example, in Connecticut for the
first offense a common drunkard NAV
be sentenced to hard labor for a maxi
mum term OF sixty days; for the sec
ond offense. to a maximum term of
240 days, and for the third offense, to
a maximum term Of 800 days In Min
nesota, which is also typical of the
States in which the scheme of graded
sentences prevails, for the first offense
a drunkard may be fined from $40 to
$40, or imprisoned from 10 to 40 DAYS:
for the second offense he may be fined
from $40 to $40, or be imprisoned from
30 to 60 days, and for the third offense
he may be imprisoned from 60 to 80
days.
In Arkansas, West Virginia and In
dian Terretory security for the good
behavior OF a convicted drunkard may
be exacted in lieu of fine or impris-
onment. In Arkansas the presiding
magistrate may require of the intoxi-
Gated person surety for good behavior
and for keeping the peace not exceed
ing one year" but in case the bond
cannot be procured Imprisonment for
a maximum term of thirty days is au-
thorized. In West Virginia the life of
the security is limited to six months.
In eight States and Territories statu-
tory provision is made for the institu-
tional treatment of inebriates. North
Dakota authorizes the commitment. at
county expense, of habitual drunkards
TO any reputable institution for the
treatment of drunkenness" designated
by committee appointed by the gov
ernor The victim must express a de-
sire to undergo treatment and must be
impecunious and he cannot be commit
ted a second time at the public ex-
pense. In the Territory OF Oklahoma.
where the law is substantially similar.
not more than four persons can be sent
to the institution from one county in
a year. In North Carolina the period
of treatment cannot be less than three
months nor more than a year, and a
drunkard may commit himself. upon
application Endorsed by a respectable
friend.
Legislation providing for the suspen-
sion of the execution Of sentence and
the conditional release of a convicted
drunkard upon parole under the super
vision Of a probation officer has been
enacted in Massachusetts, New Jersey
and Rhode Island The probation sys-
TEN was introduced into Massachusetts
more than dozen years ago, and ii
has become an important feature oil
the penal policy of that Common
wealth. Proposed laws establishing
probation machinery based upon the
Massachusetts practice have been un-
der advisement in the Legislatures oi
various States this year.
The conventional treatment of con.
victed drunkards in the United States
is retributive rather than reformative
and II is not justified by the logic oil
results, some students OF the subject
say Experience, they declare, has
proved with painful positiveness thai
the imposition of fine or Jail sen
tence does not operate on the inebri
ate as a regenerative agency and doe.
not tend to divert him from his anti.
social tendencies. The most hopeful
experiments, they think, lie along tn,
line of the application of the proba
tiOn system to first offenders and the
commitment of habitual drunkards Il
n special institution under an indeter
inmate sentence. where they may b.
confined at hard labor and undel
scientific treatment until their appe
tite for alcohol is deadened and mo
tives for sustained good conduct ar
y created.