Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-10-02
1nebriate Laws Balk the Board.

| get out O here" said an inebriate
in the Knoxville state institution to
the Hon. John Cownie of the board
of control, who was visiting the in
stitution yesterday.
Mr. Cownie kept his temper and
came back to the board offices at the
state house where he was found
studying the wonderfully made law
regulating the detention hospital.
Two provisions of it loom big as a
mountain before the board Of con-
troll. They are those requiring the
board to employ physician for su-
perintendent and providing for the
discharge Of inmates when cured of
| the liquor habit.
"There are two classes of inmates
at Knoxville" said Mr.. Cownie.
Zone is typifed by the fellow who
said to me that he would sure have
a thirst on when he got out of the
institution. The other class is COM
posed of unfortunate men who want
to quit drink.
Under the law, the board of con-
troll is powerless before the first
class. Its members will not work.
They do not want to quit drink.
They go to the detention hospital for
a vacation between debauches. 1t
is an elegant winter resort for them.
There is no way to get rid of them,
until they find the atmosphere out
side to their liking, and then they
make their escape.
I Nov if the law did not require
the board to select a physician for
superintendent we could get prac-
teal man who would give them one
of the cures for drunkenness, cure
them quick aud graduate them out
of the institution. But the physi-
clans will not administer patent
medicines. We have to have ply
stefan for superintendent. And there
you are.
THE institution was never in.
tended for these men. 1t was plan.
ned for the second class. These men
} want to quit drink, they are willing
to work, indeed they are very glad
to get the chance to occupy them
selves, and very often the regimen
of the institution cures them of their
appetite and with exercise of will
power and absence from circles OF
associates who have had bad in
!, fluence, they are saved to society
and their families.
!, ga few weeks ago the baker of the
J, institution was due to retire. One
Of the inebriates said he was baker
and would be glad to get chance
to do the work. We tried him out,
found he was an expert, hired him
and he is doing the work. We have
a man there who is a sign painter
and has covered the lawns with
keep off the grass and the buildings
with mo smoking allowed signs.
We have a carpenter who does
splendid work.
This man was in the institution
once before, by the way, and volun-
tarily returned to it when he began
drinking again. He is there fe1
business and there is an excellent
chance of saving such man. 1t is
for men such as these that
the institution was founded. not fer
the sots who do not want to quit
drink, who use the institution as a
winter resort and escape with the
first breath Of spring.
i ut is ridiculous. for the tax pay
ers of the state to have to put up
funds to maintain q fine institution
like that for the benefit of willing
sots who won't work. What we
need is some means to make them
work or to get out Of the institution.
"lf we didn't have to have ply
stefan for superintendent we could
prescribe the necessary patent med
icine and cure them. But since we
must care for these fellows, lazy and
living to joyful anticipation OF the
day they can take the heavy thirst
they have on, as this fellow said,
out to convenient bar and slake it,
we are looking for man who can
do the most he can to make. them