Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-09-15

NolnesJ
Certain offenders are like the poor,
always with u.s." There is the habit
ual drunkard Of different classitica-
tons. The lazy and utterly disreput-
able drtlnkard who lives on his wifes
labor and works only when the crav-
ings of his appetite drives him to toll
for the means OF intoxication. The
fellow who collects for the washing
done by his wife and gets drunk on the
earnings of her hopeless labor; the
drunkard who is physically unfit for
labor but retains an unimpaired appe-'
title for red liquor; the drunkard who
Is willing to work and does work, but
who cashes his pay-check at a saloon
and goes home fighting drunk with
half a dollar, where the family needs
every cent he can earn and more, and
who comes in on a wagon CALL after
his wife and children have been maui
ed about sufficiently to attract the at
tention of the neighbors. You know
them all; there Is the worthless vaga-
bond who hangs about town, refusing
to work and not unwilling to steal,
and half dozen other types, all close
ly akin in the trouble they give the
magistrate. Some of these men have
decent wives who plead for them.
Some of them have bright daughters
in the public schools or in respectable
employment in the city. These women
are ready to bear the strain at home,
to escape what they assume is the add
ed disgrace of newspaper publicity.
What shall we do with these? had
case recently where saloonist who
had failed in his business, took the
road he had assisted so many others
to travel, and became an "habitual."
fined him and he paid as long as he
had funds Then he took six days.
He was back again as soon as he could
make the rounds of the saloons where
peculiar idea of generosity fills up
the habitual drunk who has been
salocnist or a personal friend. This
time he had threatened his wife and
baby with a revolver. Sooner or later,
these fellows always threaten the lives
of their families. I gave him thirty
days with the dandelions. Next morn
ing his wife appeared with he young
baby In arms. She was hungry and
hopeless One milk ticket represented
all the food and money in the home.
She got the pint of milk, drank it and
sucked her baby. She was given tenn.
porary aid as she deserved The local
daily printed picture Of the case and
the conditions and he read 1t and
sauirmed. The man came from his
dandelion stunt, anxious to do better.
He was informed that relapse would
certainly draw thirty days more. He
had had time to get the whisky out of
lox,1
during his sentence The certainty OF
severest penalty hangs over him. He
reports bi-weekly. He has not been
drunk since. He is working every
day. How long it will last 1 don't
know But am convinced that if he
concludes to break over he will begin
somewhere else than in Marshalltown.
Gentlemen. my experience with
power has led me to crave for more
power for the mayor and magistrates
who deal with common offenders We
have renovated Marshalltown, so far
as it has been renovated, by mingled
process of elimation and reform.
want to extend the process to the linn
its of the state. Work is the cure for
most diseases that afflict our society.
want the power to set these Offend
ers at work. not digging dandelions as
a, make -Shift, but at labor that shall
have permanent results it+ public inn
provement and benefit the whole peo-
ole. I am not lawyer nor a legisla-
tor. but know what / want as a Cit
izan. and what | need as mayor
Road Improvement and this reform
go together 1 wish a law may be en-
acted to cover the following points:
Providing that the penalty for con-
yiction in certain offenses by habitual
offenders shall be sentence to dol
hard labor on the public highways;
That the first sentence of the con-
yfcted habitual shall be ninety days:
that a relapse into former habits shall,
upon re-conviction, be punished by a
six months sentence; that the third
offense shall carry sentence for a
year.
That each convict with family or
relatives legally dependent on him,
shall be paid the value of one dollar
:. day and board and be expected to
earn the money. and that all wages
Thus earned shall be turned over to his
dependents in supplies or necessities
or in cash, as in the judgment of the
local magistracy seems advisable.
That no payment of fine or other
compounding of the offense be permit
ted and no paroles be granted, except
upon a two-thirds concurrence of an
advisory board; that every person
convicted of habitual crime and sem
fenced to road work report monthly