The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-09-15
Tbs Pollard Plan
By ELLA WHEELER WILCOX
no you know what is the Pollard


~ plan? 1t is the pledge parole In
stituted by Judge William ]. Pollard
OF st. Louis in place OF sentence and
fine for drunkards
Judge Pollard is an inventor who
does not mind being laughed at When
he first put a drunlsard on parole ten
years ago the old hands of the court
could not contain their derision.
WHAT they said, '1et an offender
off on giving a promise which he is
sure TO break before the day is out?
Sentimental tomfoolery,"
But the tomfoolery has now lasted
for ten years. It has been applied
TO more than 1000 persons by Judge
Pollard himself. IFS principle has
been embodied in our own probation
OF offenders act: and in the lcgis-
Plowden has copied it. though not
on the Wholesale plan Of his Amen-
can friend. Expositions OF the system
have been translated into German
and Swedish and widely circulated,
Judge Pollard has explained how he
came to start his plan.
"A countryman, q good, honest fel
low, came to live in ST. Louis with
bis wife and children. and worked
himself UP to an official position. The
slurements Of the city were too much
day while mad with drink he vlo-
lently assaulted his wife and a. po-
licenan saw him do Il It was a
serious offense. and I was obliged to
fine him $50 and costs, with impris-
onmeDt In default.
His wife pleaded so hard for him
and he looked so penitcnt that de-
cided to give him another chance.
told him that II he would sign
pledge Of total abstinence for twelve
months / would suspend the execution
OF sentence for that period. But II
you fail to keep your word. I said,
you Will be brought before me and
go to break rock In the worlShouse
prison) az once, He readily agreed
and signed the pledge.
.'T made It a condition that he
should report to me at my residence
periodically. He kept his under
standing. He has been a good father
and a good citizen ever since. And
per cent OF the people who have taken
the police court pledge"
Az. the international Congress on
alcoholism at London, England,
II shall speak OF the victim of In
temperance who Is not thoroughly
poisoned by the virus OF drink. be-
lieve In reformation as against pun
ishment-in the, pledge parole for the
victims OF drink as against the jail
in protecting the innocent, helpless
wife. mother and children. instead Of
making them suffer for the drunken
ness OF the oreadwinner. who, " In
carcera ted. brings distress to those
depending upon him
'I shall not forget the poor habItu-
Al drunkard who needs a physician
and not a police Judge IT has been
said. 1T Is about as hopeless to fine
and imprison inebriates into sobriety
as to prosecute lunatlcs into sanity
and self-control.' The sots should be
treated as their af1lction demands.
by being put In care OF physicians
or placed upon q farm where they
prove their condition,
"a judge OF a court should exhaust
every means to reform a victim OF
drink before he sends him 10 jail.
Sending him to jail, as a rule, aids In
his destruction and, frequently de
suffering upon the helpless and un-
offending whose cause would ndvo-
cate. II Is holy cause. Ia sneak for
the wayward and his innocent vic
that tho sale OF Intoxicating liquors
Is licensed nearly everywhere,
TN the police court OF the city Of
st. Louis, No., several years ago |
began the plan OF releasing those
signing a total abstinence pledge IN
open court and requiring them to
keep 1t or suffer the penalty This
plan gave the offender an opportu-
nlLy 10 WOrN OUT MS own saiNatlon
and to reform hirnself--and gave the
state sober and better citizen and
protected an innocent family. re-
quired the defendant to report to me
AT my residence after working hours
and so acted as my own probation
officer
II was enabled by this plan to save
rs per cent OF those. put on pledge
returned 10 drink. they did II SO
sdroItly and moderately Az not again