The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-08-21

comprehensive to the sober. The ha-
bitual alcoholic. like the morphine
habitue, and like certain types of the
insane, lives in a world of his own. He
has his decisions and Authorizations,
and while subject to them he is una BILE
to distinguish between right and wrong.
The chronic alcoholist is psychopath,
who ought to be adiudged and treated
accordingly. The heavy drinker. be-
reft of any moral sense, is without any
ambition or energy. He is a coward at
heart, but under the influence of alco-
hol he may vacuously commit daring
act, of the consequences of which,
however. he has no clear conception.
He cannot resist temptation, and in
the association with criminals he soon
becomes criminal himself. His will
power, seif-determination and clear
judgment being undermined. he is
often a willing tool for their adven-
lures and culpable enterprises. Hence,
association with low characters is an
other cause of the further downfall of
drunkards
If the purpose of punishment is pre-
vention of crime, reformation of GRIM
inals and the protection. of society,
then the prison is the wrong place for
the inebriate offender. There the al
coholist is rarely cured of his disease;
there he develops a still stronger crav-
ing for liquors, and from there, in the
great majority of instances, he gradu-
ates a full-fedged criminal, fact Of
which every police officer of expert
ence. philanthropic institutions and
magistrtes are well aware.
But in spite of the disastrous condi-
tion confronting them, they have not
devised any means to successfully
cope with it. As the main object of
sanitary science and modern medi-
cine is prophylaXis of disease, so pre-
vention of crime should be the en-
deavor of the sOciologist and legisla-
tor. Agreed. if we are convinced that
the drunkard is prone to commit
crime, there is no reason why he should
not be confined before he has occasion
to do wrong. There ought to be at
tached to every police court an eX-
perienced medical officer, whose duty
it would be to inquire into the ante
cedents pertaining to the physical and
mental condition of the accused, and
to determine whether he is suffering
from the consequences of an alcoholic
toXicosis. The officer should classify
the different types of inebriates at
least into two great groups: (a) the
occasional offenders. and (b) the con-
firmed alcoholists. The result of his
examination should be taken into due
account by the police magistrate, who
should sentence both the first offend
err and the ''rounder" to confinement
in public reformatories devoted to
their detention, and to the rational
treatment of drunkards. The two
classes would be kept separately in
these institutions, or, what would be
still better. separate institutions
should be provided for the trea tment
of culprits of each of these groups.
The asylum or institution. which
should be managed by special honor
airy state board. or by a commission
err, should be established in farming
districts. so that the convicted drunk
ard may engage in agricultural pur-
suits, which, in the great majority of
instances. are best suited to his pc
culiar mental and bodily conditions.
An institution of that character, con-
Il tod nj L.,
where moral, dietetic and medicinal
treatment go hand in hand, where the
convict is put to such manual la Dor as
his constitution demands and permits,
where rest and recreation are pre-
scribed as the individual case exacts,
such an institution will produce far
superior results than may be obtained
in general penitentiaries and behind
prison bars. At least a part of the
revenue derived from the liquor tax
should be appropriated to defray the
expenses of these penal institutions.
To what better advantage andpurpose
could this revenue be devoted than for
the amelioration of the spiritual and
bodily condition of these individuals,
who, by their incessant consumption
of alcoholic beverages in public places,
are almost the main source of the
liquor tax income? The establish
ment of asylums for the criminal al
coholist would cause the transfer of
at least half the inmates from the pen
itentiaries. A paratively large
sum, therefore, which is annually ex-
pended for the maintenance of the
latter could then be devoted to the
support of these institutions. Fur
thermore, some penitentiaries, par
ticularly those in rural districts, could
be transformed into asylums for the
criminal alcOholist, such changes in
volving little labor or expense With
some good WILL and with the assist
ance of the medical and legal profess
sions, the object in view may be read
lily called into existence, so much the
more so as it is not a question of
funds, but only one of system.
The criminal alcoholist who has
spent his penal ervitude-which
should continue until he is cured, or
if incurable, indefinitely-in an insti-
tuition of such a character, leaves it
regenerated. With the newly-ac-
quired or regained energy and vigor,
the former alcoholist is well equipped