Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-01-18
STATE REFORMS NEEDED.
(From the st. Johnsbury Caledonian


Although candidates for State offices
are In the field and advocating political
panaceas for various ills 1t Is enrouras.
ing to note the serious discussion that is
going on in the State press of social
rather than political reforms. 1t indi-
Gates deep conviction among men con-
tinually concerned with public matters
that Vermont can make real progress III
the care and restraint OF Its criminal and
unfortunate classes. The frank discus
sion that is being made Of these matters
cannot fail to awaken a healthy public
sentiment that eventually will force ac
tion.
There are three matters that deserve
careful thought and intelligent legislative
action at this time. The care OF the
drunkard, the care Of morally and men
tally deficient adults and children and a
more prompt and efficient method Of de-
tecting and furnishing crime. To treat
all these subjects in one article wou,u
make II so long few could read II. So we
will give attention to only the first at
this time.
Vermcnt's law making the drunkard
criminal and attempting to punish him as
such has proven failure because the
offence of intoxication IL not serious
enough to merit SUFFICIENT punishment to
effect any moral reform In the criminal.
Perhaps It would be diflcult to find a bet
ter method for the punishment Of most
first offender that the present public trial
and imposition OF a small fine because
these first offences should be treated early
enough so the offender could reform OF
his own free will and the disgrace Of a
public conviction should spur him TO make
such reform. But for the man who has
become so confirmed in tho habit of using
Intoxicating l,quor to excess that legal
punishment 10 no deterrent. the fine anu
short terms of imprisonment are general"
~ harmful In the first place the i'm
prisonment is SO short that he cannot
gain the moral strength necessary to re-
form himself and 1t also brands him as
a criminal and handicaps him in An ef-
fort TO secure n respectable living after
he is released Thirdly, /, often leaves
his family without means OF support and
abets pauperism.
The State should cease its attempt to
make the convicted drunkard pay the
cost of his trial and punishment and then
make the penalty of his offence Simply
enough 10 care for these expenses. 1t
should make the confinement OF the VIC
tim long enough to i've of real assistance
in breaking him OF the habit. 1t should
allow him fair compensation above the
expense of his board and restraint. In
the case Of married man this compen-
sation should so for the support Of his
family and he expended by the overseer
Of the poor II the family is not competent
20 use II judiciously. In the case OF an
unmarried man II should be deposited In
bank subject 10 his call when he has
been released. Confinement under these
conditions would work little hardship on
the man himself and would certainly be
more beneficial to his family than TO have
him at liberty and spending his money for
liquor ana subjecting them to the abuse
OF an intoxicated brute. The ameliora-
ton Of the conditions OF his confinement
would justify the longer term. 1t might
transform the confirmed drunkard from
worthless and irresponsible person into
self-supporting and sef-respecting man.
II certainly should be continued until 1t
had accomplished These ends.
This work could probably be best done
in a State reforma,ory rather than
State penal institution. But as Vermont
has only penal institutions It might first
he undertaken IN them as an effort TO re-
form. ~ 1t proved successful II would oe
but a short time before another institu-
ton would he necessary. Release from
such confinement should always be on
probation for "A term long enough to es-
tablish a mans mastery over his appetite
and violation of his parole subject him to
another reformatory period Of conine-
ment. In using the word confinement we
do not mean absolute confinement. This
class Of prisoners would be one In which
the honor system might be tried with
most beneficial results and 1t might even
be carried so far as to allow them TO be
housed In buildings separate from the
penal institution II our statements
arouse serious thought on this matter II
will be an aid TO what we believe wor-
thy cause.