The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-12-25
TAKING CARE OF iNEBRIATEs

n HoNenlent mas Dcen started 10
establish a state hospital for ine-
briates exclusively, this action being
considered necessary since the State
Board Of Administration has ruled
against receiving inebriates as pa.
tients In the state hospitals for the in
sane. says an Illinois exchange. With
out making any recommendation for
the disposition Of inebriates who come
before them, the state board of admin
~istration has instructed county judges
to discontinue the practice of commit
ting such persons to the state hos
pitfalls.
DR.. Rolph T. Hinton, superintendent
of the Elgin state hospital, advocates
the establishment Of a hospital for
inebriates exclusively. He says:
There are numerous men in the state
hospitals at present who have no right
there. They are not insane, but they
are not fit to be at large so long as
they can get liquor. There should be
an institution for such persons"
We agree with Mr.. Hinton that
there should be an institution where
inebriates can be taken care of, but
why ask the taxpayers of the state to
bear the expense of establishing and
maintaining an institution of this
kind? Why not compel the distillers
and the brewers and the saloon keep
ers to take car of their product, or
rather their WI waste or refuse?
Why permit the liquor traffic to rob
a man of not only his money, but his
manhood and his honor, his will power
and his very soul, and then dump
what is left--a physical and mental
wreck-upon the taxpayers of the state
to take care Of? It is a most ridiculous
proposition.
Stringent state laws end city ordi-
nances compel other manufacturers to
take care of their refuse at their own
expense, and why should not the man.
ufacturers of inebriates be compelled
to do the same? Why not allow the
manufacturer of gas to dump his waste
into the street to be taken care Of by
the city and at the expense of the tax
payers of the city? Why not permit
the woodworker, the foundryman, the
and the manufacturers of
the various other commodities, to
throw their rubbish into the street to
be taken care of by the city or the
state, at public expense? It would be
just as reasonable as to establish an
at public expense. to be
maintained at public expense. for the
care CT the refuse of the liquor traffic
the "downrand-outers" who are down
and out because of the liquor traffic.
That these poor unfortunates should
be taken are of no one will deny, but
they should be taken care of by the
men who are responsible for their con-
AIAO AZ tsotAAACAS AAO W anu
saloon keepers-rather than at the
expense Of the state. II there were no
distillers, no brewers and no saloon
keepers. there would be no i%nebriates
let US put the blame where 1t be-
longs.
The taxpayers Of not only Illinois
but Of every state In the union, are
waking up to the injustice Of PROPOSE
tions Of this kind-they are at last
beginning to realize that the liquor
trafic 10 the greatest Of all robbers
that yer infested the earth. and with
their awakening to the truth comes .
determination to pnt this arch robber
out Of business for all time to come.
The taxpayers are going to take
Of inebriates by killing the trafnc
that makes men inebriates. and that
before very long. This 10 the only
sound. sane and sensible solution
Of the whole inebriate proposition.