Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-25
ITS PROVISIONS EXPLAINED
Participants in Mass Meeting Re.
solve to Urge Enactment.
PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS
Legislation Which Residel is of the
District Believe Should Receive
Favorable Consideration.

After an explanation by Judge William
Fl. De Lacy of the bill introduced in the
Senate, SiXtieth Congress, first session.
by Senator Gallinger. making drunken
ness in the District of Columbia a mis-
demeanor and to provide a hospital for
inebriates. the mass meeting at Good Sa
marian Home last night voted to ap
point committee of five to do what it
could toward revivins the bill and getting
it through Congress.
The bill IS, 6I94 was fostered originally
by committee of which Judge DE Lacy
and Justice Brewer were members. JUS
tice Brewer withdrew from the commit
tee before any very definite work had
been done on the ground that it was
possible that some day the Supreme Court
might be called upon to decide questions
relative to the provisions contained in the
bill
The bill is different in many features
from old act described in The Star
of yesterday. under which an inebriate
asylum could have been built if money
had been forthcoming 1t would make a
habitual drunkard a user of drugs liza
bic to a fine Of 800 or Incarceration In the
inebriate asylum for a period not longer
than two years. or by both. Reservation
TX. formerly used for the main aims
house building. was picked out by the bill
as the site of the asylum. and ii was pro-
vided that this inebriate asylum should
be conducted as department of the
Washington Asylum. to be maintained
from the fund appropriated for the sup
port of the Washington Asylum.
Matter of Jurisdiction.
Any judge of any court in the District
may commit to the asylum proposed any
habitual drunkard or drug fend This
differs from the previously mentioned act
in that the old provision allowed only
Supreme Court justice to have jurisdic-
ton With the vast amount of trouble
unearthed at the Juvenile Court having
drink at the root OF it, it is quite prob
able that Judge De Lacy would avail
himself of this power whenever it should
be found advisable.
The judges of the Police Court
of ten with drunkenness or drugs at the
bottom. would avail themselves of the
opportunity offered to do what is possible
toward retaining inebriates.
Under the bill no commitment to the
hospital could be made however until
there was satisfactory evidence that the
person is not Of bad repute apart from
his habits of inebriety.' and until there
should be filed with the Judge a certifi-
cate signed by two physicians not Off
judge should examine the person and the
accused may demand jury trial.
The inmates of the asylum would BE- re-
CURED to work while under treatment
as far as they were able to do SO.
Other Provisions.
The bill also provides that if any con-
victed drunkard or user of narcotics with
in three years after the da te of his con-
viction purchases or attempts to pur-
chase any Intoxicating liquor opium or
any other narcotic. he shall be liable to
fine of 81 for the first offense and $40
for any subsequent offense. This makes
II expensive for such a person to merely
ask for a drink in a. saloon. He will not
have to buy it to be fined s.. or $40 Any
saloon keeper or seller of drugs dealing
with any of this three-years-from-c onvic-
ton class may be fined so for the first
sale and 500 for the second or any sub
sequent sale to the same person.
The expense Of carrying out the provi-
sions of this act. should the bill be
passed, would be paid one-half by the
Unit I'd States and one-half by the Dis
trict OF columbia.
Addresses on Temperance.
The explanation of this bill by Judge
De Lacy and the brief resolutions to re-
vive the matter and see it through Con-
gress we're the only definite things done
toward securing the inebriate asylum at
last nights meeting.
Several representatives of various tenn
-perance societies spoke, but their remarks
were confined almost exclusively to the
prohibition question. total abstinence and
temperance.
On the platform were:
Mrs Clinton Smith Of the w. &. r. IT,
Judge William II. DE Lacy of the Juvenile
Court, the Rev. Eugene Hannah of st.
Martins Catholic Church, Chief Ruler
Sudwarth of the Jonadabs. Mr.. Bowles Of
the Rechabites. the Rev. II. 3. Butler and
the Rev. Walter Brooke both ardent tenn
perance advocates: J. w. Nichols, Mat
thew f.. O'Brien and the Rev. Zed H.
Copp William +. DOwney of the ST. Vim
cent de Paul Society presided.