Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1904-01-21

rolled prisoner is the period which inn
| mediately follows his release. I have
made 1t a general rule not to dis
charge anyone unless I know that
employment of proper character Is at
hand. I very much need one or two
persons to assist in securing work for
| prisoners who are without friends;
and to watch over them and lend
helping hand until they again are
f-irly established among their fellow
| men. With these additions to my
force, and until the present popula-
ton grows much larger than 1t Il.
the work can be done as efficiently In
my Office as through board OF par.
dons. .t..
Touching the same general subject,
beg to call your attention to the
| movement which Is now general
throughout the country, to. better care
for the boys and girls who are led
into crime. There ought to be
marked difference between the treat
ment given to the mature and the i'm
| mature criminal. BY far the greater
number of the boys and girls who are
arrested and convicted. could be saved
| from lives Of wrongdoing, IL intelli-
gent and merciful supervision were
exercised at the time they first violate
the law. 1t is cruel to them and
hurtful to the State to consign them
to the association of hardened and
habitual lawbreakers. There Is no
| subject which better deserves your
careful thought than this. ......
' The inebriate Law.
The report of the Board Of Con-
troll, concerning the operation OF the
law for the care and confinement Of
| inebriates, passed by the Twenty
ninth General Assembly, merits your
most serious consideration. Being
charged with duties In the enforce
ment Of the statute. have given to 1t
| and to its results the most careful
thought and investigation. I believe
that the general principle Of the law
should be preserved, for its influence
upon men given to habits Of intemper-
ance, but who fear the humiliation OF
confinement, has been widespread and
| effective; but I say without hesita-
ton that If 1t cannot be amended, 1t
should be repealed.
The plan of sending inebriates to
insane hospitals IS bad, not only for
| the inebriates, but for the insane.
This Is the unanimous opinion of the
Board of Control, of all the superin-
! tendents Of the hospitals, and | have
seen enough of its i'll effects to lead
me into an earnest appeal to provide
some other place of detention.
l believe further that the minimum
! term Of confinement should be one
year. To me it Is absurd to declare
that any person who Is in such condi-
, ton as to warrant his involuntary
withdrawal from the community upon
the ground of inebrity, can be cured
in thirty days.
believe, further, that when physic-
ally able, inebriates in confinement
should be given an opportunity to
work and be required to do So 1t Is
clear that, wherever they are con-
fined, they should be so guarded
either by walls or attendants, that
! they cannot escape.
Under the present law 1t Is made
my imperative duty upon the certi-
ficate of the superintendent of the
hospital that in his opinion the pa
tient is cured. to issue parole. I
have no discretion in the matter. 1t
certainly ought to be true that upon
a violation of the terms of the parole
the patient could be returned sum-
marily to the place OF detention, and
yet, as I understand the statute, if
the paroled inebriates makes his re-
ports, regularly, he cannot be return
ed, even though it is known that he
Is drunk every day.
have found. also. that for the
efficient working OF such a law, 1t will
be necessary to create a fund, either
in the county or state treasury, for
the return to confinement of ineb
rates who break faith.
Taking it all together, the statute
while growing out Of high concep
Etion of the duty of the State to its
citizens, needs thorough revision, and
sincerely hope that you can give
to the work OF recOnstructing 1t the
attention its Importance demands.
A Primary Election Law.
: There has been much discussion II
Iowa during the past few years re
, specting a primary election law, ant
believe that public opinion has grad
, ually ripened so that now there Il
great preponderance OF sentimen
in favor of some regulation that viii
insure common decency and fairnes
in the nomination OF candidates 70
= Office There Is practically no fraud
!, dishonesty, nor even unfairness In tn
a conduct of general elections, but tn
a manner in which caucuses, party pr
q maries, and other proceedings leaC
:, ing up to nominations are held, an
y the practices which attend them /
= many parts OF the state, have becom
:, intolerable with clean, fair-minde
a people.
II Corruption in this important stag
"a of government poisons free instit'
"a lions at their fountain head, an
d there Is nothing that can be done fc
I the removal of this blot upon OF
q affairs too difficult or too expensive
ia be undertaken. need not recount til
a. evidences of my statements. The
Ia are all around you, and are we
u. known to every man who gives II
ia most casual attention to what
,e going on.
is commend the subject to your car
N full consideration, and earnestly re
,e ommend the passage OF a law whit
at will surround the selection OF cane
n dates with the same safeguar
IS, against intrigue, dishonesty, and u
er fairness, that already exist with \
to gard to the election OF candidates
be office.
While recognize that there a
IT. wide differences of opinion concer
he ing the scope, as well as the detail
n. such law, l venture to express Il
ty opinion that it should have the f