Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-11-18
:LOOKER=ON in IOWA


Montour Nov. 17.-Just now there is
considerable newspaper talk concerning
our inebriate law, the treatment these
unfortunates are receiving at Mount
Pleasant and Cherokee, and John Cow
ME, member of the board of control, is
on record as worrying over the effect
such commitments have in the insane
patients themselves. Again, the legal
fraternity, lie. some of them, are doing
their best to get ruling that the law
is unconstitutional, in that commit
ments are made and persons deprived
of their liberty without trial by jury.
The latter point turns on whether an
inebriate, one so determined by the
courts and sentenced for a term in the
insane asylum, is not an insane person
in the eyes of the law, as we'll as in
fact Mr.. Cownie, In his reported in
terview denying the bad treatment of
ment sent to Mt. Pleasant, and claiming
such men are all liars, only is in line
with his previous record in the matter
of public utteranceS. There is quite a
af- trf IF ly up ofnud thmb mbmbmbmb
general feeling that VI. CowEie's sery-
ices are worth more to the glove COM
pany he so successfully manages than
to the state of Iowa. And with this
goes an opinion that he fails to remem-
Der that he is a servant of the people
and is bound to carry out the provisions
of the inebriate law, fully as much in
intent and detail as that of the laws
governing insanity and our public in
stitutions. And others would do well to
bear in mind that this law, or one SIM
liar in effect, has come to stay. The
next legislature may make necessary
amendments. 1t may possibly remove
such patients from John Cownie's con-
troll, but this law has already done so
much good in removing from long suf-
fering communities, as well as drink
cursed families, unfortunate men with
an intrenched drink habit, that the
public will demand some place and plan
where such men can be confined and
given medical and moral treatment.
And this is also a fact, that many of
these men, after a confinement of few
months, come to their senses sufficient
ly to write back to friends and family
that they are glad they have been sent
there. The writer hears of several such
cases. There is also another fact con-
nected with this law. Many men in
Iowa are today keeping straight" be-
cause of the threatened commitments
eff they go on another tear" The writer
overheard not long ago in railroad de-
pot two women discussing this law and
it's effects One of them said to the
other: "She just told him if he came
home drunk again she'd send him to
Cherokee, and he knows she means it..
and hasn't been drunk for two months"
Again, let it be recorded, some kind of
an inebriate law, in whose provisions
are confinement and possible cure, will
remain on the statute books of Iowa for
long time.
"One has to go away from home to get
the news" The other day in a little
country hotel the writer read in paper
on the table the following:
A HEROIC ACT.
There Is Grinnell citizen, says the
Gazette, who served in the war of the
rebellion and was in some of the hard
est battles, who performed an act that,
had 1t taken place In the Britt. h army
he would have been decorated with the
Victoria Cross, which has the words,
For Valor," on it's face. 1t was at
the battle Of Cold Harbor, wherei 10. 900
men fell in twenty minutes. The line in
which our friend was fighting was in
danger and an aide came dashing UP to
the commanding officer. saying: Get
out Of this! You are almost surround
ed!" A few minutes before brother
of our hero had been shot thru the
groin and was lying helpless on the