The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1859-01-14

no hesitation in recommending tho lep;sla.
ton contemplated by this latter suggestion.
The Information necessary to well ground.
cd choice between tho other plans is not vet
accessible. My impression is that tho first
will provo most economical and most bencfi.
cont; it indeed, after tho completion Of tho
outh-WCstcrn ASYLUM and tho enactment
Of judicious law for Private Asylums eth.
or shall 10 found necessary.
The condition of tho IdiOtic, equally with
that OF tho Insane, must engage tho attcn-
ton OF tho philanthropist and statcsmau.-
lew years ago this hapless class seemed
beyond reach Of cfiuetual relief. Recently,
however, attempts to rescue them from their
apparently hopeless condition, have been
crowned by results which inspire hope aud
encourage perseverance. The iudicions hu-
tnanity of tho last General Assembly inau.
gurated systematic plan for their instruc.
tion and Improvement. which has been so
far executed under your aus pices. that ulti.
mate success is no lorgcr doubtful. 1t is
not, indeed. to be expected that the idiotc
can ho elevated to any high degree of capac
ity; but very many ofthum can be quaili-
cd to earn their own subsistence, aud noar-
| ly al can hc trained to habits of pcatnoss
aud propricty. Tho whole number of IDIOTS
/
1000. OF these, 500 AFRO of "A propcr ago to
receive instruction In tho Asylum recent.
ly opened for their reception, there were. at
tho commencement of the present year. lG
| thoro were received during the present wear
"; thcrc wcre discharged 6 there are ab.
sent 6 : tho number under instruction al
the commencement Of tho present year, was
26 tho average number maintained at tho
States expense, 20. Tho expense of tho
year, excluding tho coat of permanent i'm.
! provomcnts had boon So S45 81. The aver.
/ ago annual expense OF each pupil was Sl92
When the institution is full, tho annual OK
pcnso of each pupil will DO of course less,
ana will not exceed the average cost at the
| other AsylumS. The question of tho per.
manent establishment and location of the
lhstltution should be promptly decided. II
uecided nilirmatively, provision should be
mado Tor tho purchase, either of tho prop.
erty III which IL 10 temporarily established or
Of some other site. Aftur careful considcra-
ton of all circumstances. think il my duty
to recommend the first of these alternatives
as most judcous and most economical.
Doat mutos constitute another class for
whose education public provision must nee.
essarily he made. To our State belongs tho
honor of first recognizing this principle
and nearly thirty years have now elapsed
since her Asylum was first opened to these
unfortunatcs. Tho number now in the
State is estimated at ! 200. Ofthcsc, more
than Onothlrd have received instruction in
tho Asylum, and probably another third are
of suitable ago for admission. OF this lat
ter number l5O aro IN actual enjoyment of
its benefits, while $50 are necessarily exclu.
ded. Tho number admitted during the
year was SO. and tho same number was dis.
charged Tho expenses OF the Institution
paid bY the State during tho last year were
SCI l77 % Tho "'uIagc cost OF cacn NJ
mate was Sl4l. Tho importance of adding
to tho instruction in tins Asylum, proper
training for some industrial occupation as
well as tho necessity of somo further pro-
vision for those whom its limited capacities
exclude from admission, will doubtless en-.
gage your serious consideration.
Another class whose situation eniists tn,
warmost sympathics of every feeling heart
and invokcs irrcsistibly the providunt ben
evidence of tho State, is the Blind. The To
tai number of this class is estimated to b,
$40. OF this number 200 arc of proper ant
and legal ago for admission to the Asylum
OF these about so have either already ro
cGivcd its benefits, or arc thought by thci
J l40 who should be under instruction. Thcr,
were in tho Asylum last year 100; there
were admitted or rc.admittcd during the
year 2S; the whole number under its in
struction up to its close was l05. Tho aver
ago number in daily attendance was "a -
Tho expenses, excluding So 500 for perman
cut improvements, were 1913 $780,, ,05, show
ing an average outlay for each inmate o
near &l42,
) Ii thus appears that tho whole number u
persons rendered iufilm aud don6udcnt b.
, defective or diseased organization is 6,0i0
! that of those 30l0 are in conditions requr
ing provision tor tliom in public or prIva;
institutions; that S41 arc actullay in tbcStat
Asylums, leaving two thousand ono hundre
and ninety three unprnvided for. except S
D far as they may find relief Co. Infirmarics o
Z private families; that the average number con
. SANITY in the AsyIums through the last year wa
S3l that the total cost to the State of their main
tenancc during the year was SlSS,ilu; that Ill
cost Of each Inmate for the year was Sl5i tha
Y 10 provide lor those nccdag but not now Tecv "
il ing the benefits OF the Asyums, at the same rate
:, would require an annual additional cXpcndiur
- OF 1887 ,I22, ma kinga an aggregate annual outin
II OF SG6 t32, and that these estimates are e%c't
}. sive of interest, about $50 900 on the capita
9. about SGOU,C00 invested in the existing Asylum
n and ofthe yearly cost of permanent improvement
= which was last year about : 3UOO; aud the cap
= tai yet TO be invested in new sites and structure
}. and ollhe interest upon that,
is No one desires more earnestly than | do In
otI the General Assembly may fully discharge Il
obligations assumed in the Constitution uy III
whole people 10 the children of sorrow. The dut
u OF fulfilling them is clear, and the benefits of il
~ performance evident The social condition OF n
1. people can he what it should be, while class
is guitltss aud he pess victims of phl lsical or mer
IA tal disorder remains unTeIiCvCd. Nor is the Gut
" of relief less impcralivcy dictated by considers
IL tions of economy, Ihan by considerations of PHI
D. authropIy The dependent iHtim must he sll:
ID tanned by society in some form. The only choic
le is between modes. Aud how much hctler Iha
!, mode which rais,s so many Of them from depth
ot hcpcssness and wrclchcdncss. and make
tlem sc,i-supporIlng and even useful member
10 OF the community, than that other mode wlic
le wastes resources in h'iul and inadequate rtlir
le drops its wrclchcd objects in their sorest necC
Is and inncis upon society the moral and sociI
evils necessarily Tcsu ing from tie presence
- such a class neglected in lis midst.
D The statements have submitted are dcsigne
g TO set clearly before you tine nature and magn
t. tude of the evil. for which you are called upon
provide n remedy. They will .perhnps, convnc
- you Of the necessity OF restoring the policy adopt
< ed al the opening, ana pursued tor twelve year
l. in the administration OF the Asylums Of reluir
S. ing that the cost of maintenance in them be de
n fraycd by the parents or guardians oithe inmates
n in cases where the circumstances Of the pare
;, fully instify it, They will, think, also salisl
!, YOU Of the eXpediency of encouragement. by law
" of the establishment of private intrmaries an
" asyums in which there is reason to believe man
J. will be maintained by their own means or by re
,r latiyes and friends and that others, needing he
N from the State, can, in many cases be provide