Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-06-04
Placerville, June LIST, 1859.
For the DsmOcrat



MESsRs. EDITORs: Having Witnessed for years the
immense and unDvceSSaFy amount IT funds drafted
rOnI the Tax-Payers VI this County Er tile nupp.rt
Of tue County Hospital, permit me, through yuur
columns tO Gull the attention Of the Board l SuIe
visnrs aud Tax. ers Of 81 Dorado u the means ii
relief from the buI den, thst W heavily OppreSser
the people.
10 the first place. II has cost this County full For.
ty.Hve thousand d"llarr,- S45,oW-u"der she con-
tract sySlem, To- keep up tue County Hospital the
past SOur years, with no year Vt the number excrp-
Ting the preSen: year, having over an ave rnKe VI
twelve patients inhabIting the institution.
sacramento: with tue Hospital directly under the
eOntrU Of its Beard IL Supervisors, maibI iDed ON
an average, seventy Gve patients fOV tbe hast year.
nt cust O ten IhOusV1d dUIlAPs, pRyisg Oua Ut the
above sum, the SDtWe sxpeSses VF The Hospital eVen
to furnishing stoves, sew beds, etc.. eI2.
In contrast With the above, under the ~ stem 81.
lowed by the Supervisors Of this county, we pay the
sumo amount to the C0utractOFa thew each ,,r,th
presenting bills to the Board fur the keep 81 vmu.
pers clothing. end "iier iuCdeniAls, aside STOnf the
original sum they contracted for. IT tie SSn1,er ~
sOrS wOuld but purchase . proper building aud
grounds, the sane cMld Be rSs6 Er, furnished, and
the INDECENT kept toT One year, 6r the Aame amount
yearly Pu.d u the care Of The indgpnt alone. Here
then would be direct saving To TIE tSx.Iay crs If
ter the first year, 1t four thousand dollars per un.
mum. aud had We adopted the plan Of keeping the
bUdgent in this mHnDer Immediately after the pass.
age Of the law concerning County Hospitals, the dit
frrent Boards Of Supervisors would have saved Ia
IN.
snug little sum Of twenty 1--we thousand dollars. All
the large counties in the State abolished Iwn and
three years ago, the mode If contracting the in,-
geut to the IOwest bidder; and took in,snediAte
charge Of their respective Hospitals San EraucincO
Sacramento. Yuba, San JoAqaii. Santa Clara, Gals.
Veras, Placer aud Nevad0, are examples Ur the
metlnd, and the HAviDy III keaNs lair s1,tu pMTis
~ that Of FL D0rndO aud SaCVnaseniU Ab,VS refer.
red to. While ibis iS the ar u the large 4,uuIiea
that continues the expensive and iSbuMan practice
If farming out the INDECENT sick Under the contract
system The COMWiy Hospital il VAdc bsIVIs%lue
charity for it is evident that the cont es.us y
endeA vortMg the iuA6s tI.e Dusars ;,
outlay, and consequently, 10 H. his ipseresS have
as few applicants, registered inmates IS she Hos
pitsl, possible. Not only is this the ease but il
70 daily affecting the cOntrActOTs puVsr Issu unce
admitted, the patient be mot dismSssd the saihes,
period, aud that vt time hvn he Is far GOH cur
valcscent.
The abOve are some Of the evils that result SrVm
the adoption Gf tie inlIuHan system Uf selling of
the poor aud friendless sick at auction. Now fall
the disgusting vices that make 'nrOad upon the
characters Of Christian communities, this to our
mind 10 the most heaibenish and uuutteruble cruel.
" that was ever inflicted upon The Eenq ii III
moral and accountable ceisITRs
Why 90 moi Ihs Supervisors, have the moral
courage TO provide bene Asylums that are I'D.
eQuate 10 the dictates Of humanity. To render II
impossible that the poor sufferer be deDiDed admit.
tA1ee, Othe County charities; and when admitted
that they should not be ihruat 1rOu the uFtals al
ts institution until their Recovery beyond per.
adventure. That being the policy tie lizard of Su.
perviSOrS, would find 40 outside sentiment concur
ring with action, which would strangle any kind Of
speculation, that sought TO enrich itself ~ the e1.
pence Of the charity intended The many poor
though iDtelligent sPphcAnta that thus sPpeaed 10
the Kindness aud care Of public charity. would not
be continually having their expectations frustrated
through the heaFtess intrigues Of speculation. 10
ell things the institution keeping with the 9th.
ers mentioned, would be regarded % most worthy.
ali; "a Az
poor are YET ignorant Of their right aud too humble,
u not too seFVile 10 exacting what belongs to them
BY natural and unalienated principles % justice.
Institutions provided for the care and aSn touauce
Of the poor, sick aud destitute, are not charities
considered by the light Of those social and moral
Obligations, that spring from the covenants and con.
tracts OF government and Aws.
Life IL . social cnmpact for fo0d and raiment,
but,Uot with the brutal understanding that be or
she who faIs shall therefore suffer and die for the
want Of these essentials. In the organization Of
society II was known and conceded lhst all could
not be independent and - matter Of cOurUe, 90 Q
principle Of justice and necessary confederation Of
equity not charity. the dependents were guaranteed
fore, 10 any cCuutgy, anong. whatever people, the
poor are not Handsomely cad comfortably provided
tOF, h because tAeF humility ssd pn6lSc dishoa.
eyty combine 70 cheat them out Of Hherene aOd 10.
Alenable rights The California people Of all 9th.
era, should work for an immediate change Of seDti.
n.ent upoS this subiect; for To M quarter Of the
globe are people little uasd 70 being led aUA cared
for like dOga, and il no country is q % pFohAbIs
that man overseeing hospital tO-dsy, may Be
care tomorrow"
From he above II will be manifest u the tax.
payers, that the Board At Supervisors have il IL
their power N establish County InsIitation on {
proper basis. as home sGs ,be INDECENT Sick, and
BY 90 doing reduce the hospital annual expense "a
A TAXPAYER.