Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-14
REFORM DRUNKARDS
By PLEDGE METHOD
Special Correspondence Of The Star.


LONDON. August ). 1909.
TEW men who institute a great re-
form live to see its fun fruition. but
: there is every Indication that Judge
William Jeff Pollard Of St Louis, Mo,
the inventor of the pledge instead OF
prison method of dealing with drunk
ards will live to see his plan adopted
IN every civilized community. BY far the
most interesting figure at the world con-
aress on alcoholism. which has just con-
cluded its sittings in London. was Judge
Pollard, vino was i'm attendance as the
representative of the United States gov
eminent. There were more than 100
delegates, many of them Official repre-
sentatives of their governments and 9th
ers representing temperance societies. but
no one delegate was SO eagerly listened
TO as Judge Pollard. when he explained
his plan on the closing day of the con-
yention.
Two incidents showed how deeply the
delegates were interested i'm hearing from
the lips of the man who inauguratd the
new treatment when 1t really meant and
What he was aiming at One was that
before Judge Pollard spoke a French
delegate rose and said that he had been
asked by large number of the members
OF the congress to move that Judge Pol
lard's time for speaking should be
doubled, and the motion was carried
without division. The other was that
although under the constitution of the
congress no resolution could be put, a
declaration in favor Of the plan was
signed by practically every delegate i'm
the hall. The declaration reads as fol-
lows:
I'VE, the undersigned members and del
egates attending the International Con-
gress on Alcoholism. assembled I'm Lon
n
qualification at the recognition in statute
law by Great Britain. Vermont, L. S. A..
and Victoria tAalstraliaD eff the principle
of reforming drunkards by the probation
the Pollard plans The possibilities of this
wise and beneficent policy are so great
that we desire to commend its adoption
throughout the world"
Among the signatories were Official rep
resentatives of the following countries:
Austria, Belgium, Denmark. Finland.
France. Germany. Holland. Italy, Nor
way. Russja. Servia, Sweden Switzerland
the United States. India Palestine, New
Zealand. Az stralia and Canada
1t is hardly necessary to explain that
Judge Pollard's plan, inaugurated in the
st. Louis police court nine years ago and
since officially adopted by many Ameri
can states and number of foreign coun-
tries. consists In giving the drunkard a
chance to reform. Instead Of sentencing
them to prison or fining them Judge Pol
with drunkenness to take the pledge. If
they do so he suspends sentence on them.
and If the pledge is kept for certain
period they hear no more about the mat
ter. If it is broken the fine or sentenS4
is enforced. 81
You have been talking about nre7
vention and punishment" said Judge4Pbf-
lard to the convention, but I anf44o-
ing to talk to you about reformation. 0Nle
law should know nothing of venee&ae.
Its business is to protect society ag1 tst
the wrongdoer, and [ believe that III tXe
discovered the way to stop men who 5(e
made the first step in the downwar&$A-
rection from becoming serious erinfGafs.f
1T is all nonsense to talk about ta&f.lg
a poor man who has taken too much. 10
drink and got into fight from his wife
and children and locking him up for n
month. or making him pay heavy fine.
You are not Furnishing the man. You
are furnishing the wife and babies. who
will suffer when the wage Garner is away.
My plan is to remove the cause of that
mans downfall and send him out of my
court a better citizen than when he
tered it,
The Pollard plan has now been Off
cially recognized by the law of England
magistrates throughout Great Britain and
Ireland. 1t has also been adopted by
Victoria. Australia. and will soon be rec
OgniZed by the other states OF tnS COM
monwealth. while in New ZeaNIhd
strong agitation is being carrieR on in
favor of it's adoption. 1t is recognized by
temperance workers all over the world
agreed to by every one. no matter what
his views may be on the question OF total
abstinence or the abolition of the liquor.
traffic