The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-03-28
TILE GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING FACTS ABOUT
TIE VICE OF lNTEMPERANcE.

julie Pollard, of ST. Lonis, Has n Plan
Of Dealing With Drunks That Is a
Most Humane, Sensible and Effective
Method-Ris Pledge.
The problem of drunkenness is II
which forces itself upon our attention,
and every one who has given thought
to the matter knows how utterly in.
adequate and unsatisfactory is Our
! court procedure in such cases. The
ordinary court method of dealing with
"drunks'' would be positively ludicrous
were it not for the sickening tragedy
wrapped up in almost every case.
Lives wasted, hopes disappointed,
homes wrecked, sorrow. despair, mis-
cry, want, are all compliments Of u
drunk" cases.
"a dollar and costs or thirty days.
is society's method of Furnishing the
Door victims of its own institutions.
"outcasts," who often are as much
! sinned against as sinners. No symp-
tom or sign Of relieving or curing
but only of furnishing. and imposing
that punishment in such a form that
it. falls the heaviest upon those who are
innocent, the wife or family Of the
offender.
Judge Pollard, Of st. Louis, Mo-,
has a plan that is the most humane
and sensible and effective method we
have yet seen.
The st. Louis Chronicle, in a
; recent issue, gives an explanation of
Judge Pollard's method, and cites 4
typical case:
1t gives the example of John Ruth
meyer-drunk, etc. His three little
ones. from two to eight years, took
refuge from his frenzy under the bed.
He was penitent when he sobered up.
Charged with disturbing the peace,
the %workhouse stared him in the face.
Mrs. Ruthmeyer was in delicate
health. Imprisonment for the father
would leave the family unproVided for.
After q heart to heart talk with the
Judge the prisoner pleaded guilty,
and wanted to quit The Judge pro-
duced n Of his printed slips. "You
just sign this temperance pledge for
a year." One year looked a long time
to the prisoner. But he concluded he
would rather abstain from BOOZE for
a, year than break stone Tor TWO
months. He signed the pledge.
"Now, what you want to do is to-
keep away from drink for the first
month. I am going to impose a fine of
s25 on you, which I will stay on good
behavior. But I want to know that
YOU keep your pledge. Now, ON the
18th and 23d of the month you must
report to me at my house. Bring your
wife with you. Come at night, so you
won't have to lose any time from
work. Report to this court on the
! 3Oth of the month, and if you have
kept the pledge L will stay the fine,
but remember that any time during
the veal that you are found drinking
I will put the execution in force n
send you to the workhouse."
After some further advice Ruthmeyer
left the courtroom with his wife, who
carried the Youngest child in her arms.
".As long as the germ of good is not
dead I believe it is the duty OF the
court to save such men from them
selves and their families. I would
rather make my court a tribunal of
reformation than Of punishment. l
have been requiring men to sign this
| pledge for two and a half years, n
! less than one per cent. of those taking
it have broken it. 1t is better to
make this poor teamster keep sober
and provide for his family than, to
send him to the workhouse and turn
them out to starve. The system works
splendidly," said Judge Pollard.
The Star Chronicle says: THE Sec
ond District Court is the only tribunal
In America which requires defendants
to sign a temperance pledge. The in
novation works admirably, and there
are seventy.-fve or 100 men in the city
who dare not get drunk under pain OF
being sent to the workhouse."
This Is the pledge Judge Pollard re
nuires.