The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-03-08
FIFTY DOLLARS OR SIX MONTHS

iHufsuhy INC NtTmOnL senate
passed a bill imposing fine of fifty
dollars or six-month's term in Jail
upon a citizen who shall be three
times convicted of intoxication dur
ing one year. Most of us know the
kind of men who are likely to be con,
victed OF intoxication three times
during twelve months. Every com.
munity has them, For the most part
they are .poyerty-stricken, nerve-brok
en- wrecks Of humanity, for whose
condition the state in its failure to do
aught but devise new and more rig
orous methods. of punishment is, to
considerable degree, responsible
Medical men who have made a
study OIL the conditions arising from
the excessive use of alcohol ars
agreed that the type Of individual
who is fined for intoxication three
times a year in the Vermont police
courts is physically and mentally
diseased, but the only treatment that
the lawmaking body of the state pre-
scribes is an operation upon the
emaciated and aenemic pocketbook Of
the victim or six months of inactivi-
ty in the mwholesome surroundings
of the average county jail.
Under the present statute the
pocketbook operation has not been
particularly serious, ten dollars
with court costs of half as much more
for first treatment, but now It Is
the purpose OF the senate to raise the
third offence to the dignity Of major
surgery. It will require some deer
cutting to remove fifty dollars from
the anatomy OF the man who pay:
such continuous attention to the con
sumption of booze that he becomes
eligible TO the third degree clinic
Usually the poor devil has no more
symptoms of filthy lucre than on tlit
day when he frs made. the aequaint
ance of an NJ. D.
In case thig oil becomes law
however. tee win still remain agel
parents, wives, children and good
hearted friends, all Of whom usual,
needing the money, who will conn
across with the fifty dollars am
costs to keep the thirst victim out o
jail. On the other hand II the 81,
months sentence is imposed the MAJ
will be placed in enforced idlenes
for half year and human energy, a
the lowest estimate worth from $50
10 $500, will have been wasted. Dur
ing this period the man must becom
b burden upon the state for his exist
. ence, II he has a family. and NOR
often than not he has, those depend
ent upon him are deprived of what h
might otherwise be earning. Afte
the sentence has been completed
turns out that the released prisoner
the state and his family have al
been losers and 1t is difficult to Sc
wherein anything looking toward a.
Improvement OF conditions has bee
accomplished
Some day an enlightened society /
going to take, steps looking towar
the recovery instead of the punish
nient Of the habitual drunkard. Whei
man reaches the physical an
nervous condition tina, makes hin
eligible for the new regime propose
by The senate he isn't going to deriv
any benent from q treatment tina
merely deprives him of fifty dollars
Neither Is he going to be in any bel
ter condition to tackle the probler
ofsexistence after half year of il
activity in a county Jail.
Instead of depsiyins such an ind
vidual OF the few dollars that he ma
have or may! be able TO secure fror
his relatives the atate some day
going 10 make an etfort to put int