Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1859-01-08

more valuable results would probably oe oo-
toincd from the establishments Of three or four
Normal schools IN different districts OF The
State, giving the preference wlihin each district
to the city or town Which would proFloe the
best buildings Cor the purpose without cost TO
the State. Provision hus already been made
by law FOR the encouragement OF Teachers To-
siitutes but It Is uncertain and inadequate.
recommend the direct appropriation Of an in
adequate SUN, to be paid, on the compliance
With proper conditions, upon the certificate er
the State Commissioner.
TIE indispensable necessity Of securing gen
eral, regular and continued attendance in school
is universally acknowledged. Without this the
great object OF the common schools, namely
good education for every child in the Sia:e fails
Of accomplishment. Tho Federal Census OF
1858 exhibited the fact that over thirly-nVs
thousand persons in Ohio, twenty years old ana
upwards, we're unable TO read or write. ns
number was about one in seventeen OF oil Tue
people Of the same age. IL we reflect tha' DC
/ sides these totally illiterate persons there Is
! large number whose education hardly raises
them to a higher level, VIC shall attain some JUST
| conception of the importance oi lnauequa'e
provision for universal attendance we must
| not be satisfied while one person capaDie OF ln-
| struction remains untaught or I'll tanght' no
means seem better adapted to secure attendance
awaken inter st and quicken effort in the ottain-
ment of knowledge than frequent visits address
es and conversations by properly qualified OH
| GERS of the State. The law recognizes the value
of this agency in requiring the State Commits
sioner to devote q portion OF his time to such
labors. But it is obvious that the thorough
discharge of the other duties imposed on him
! is quite incompatible with efficient abors Of this
kind suggest therefore, that he be author
f,o1f o. MN
to visit every township and urge upon parents,
teachers and children, the duties essential to
the highest efficiency of our schools. This plan
has been adopted elsewhere with the happiest
effects. Ii adopted here, We need not Tear the
disclosures Of any future censur, or doubt that
our system of Common Schools, already re-
| garded as a model for imitation by other States
will vindicate, by perfect success, its claims 10
! admiration and hOnor.s
While me way reasonably hope that the illit-
crate, as d class will soon disappear from OuI
society, no such pleasing expectation can be
INDUCED in respect to that large portion OF the
community whom defect and disease in mental
or physical organization render proper Objects
of public care; aud whose number and relation
to society constitute another element OF our
social condition, which must engage your notice.
The benevoleuce of the State has already
provided three Asyums for the insane, which
have cost for grounds and construction about
| 2474OO0, and are sustained at an annual eX-
pense of $4,000, excluding charges properly
| to the account Of construction aud interest,"
The cost of the Northern and Central Asylum:
has been about 9l53,000 eachj that OF the
Southern about Sl6S,0OO The actual value ol
the Central Asyums is now probably more
than double that of either Of the others
In these Asylums there were at the beginning
of the last year, sos inmates, aud there were
received during the year 4l4. making the whole
number Of participants in their benefits so2;
there were discharged Az; there ed 43, aud
there remained at the commencement OF the
current year, $40. Of those discharged 24O
had been restored to sanity, and 35 decidedly
improved. The average expense OF each III
mate was about Sl58.
The Central Asylum will accommodate 25C
inmates, the Northern l50 and the Southern
l6O Each has been filed to the exteut of its
capacity. Another Asylum is in progress o
construction in Hamilton County, for the re
ception OF the Insane Of that County only
After its completion and opening, that County
will constitute the Southwestern Asylum Dis
trict.
The number Of Insane in Ohio according to
the census of 1850 was 1903 This number
was doubtless understated. am satisfied that
the present number is not less than two thou
f saud. The Superintendent of the Central ASy
lum thinks il does not fall short of three thou
sand. The arguments which establish the du
ty of some provision for some of the Insane
require doubtless adequate provision for ALL
Several plans for such provision have been sug-
gested One contempates the enlargement Oi
one or more of the existing Asylums; another
proposes to provide for the support aud treat
ment of the Insane in the County in6rmares
while third, not necessarily excluding the 9th
. ers suggests the enactment of law for the es
tablishment aud regulation of private Asylums
in which large portion of the Insane would b'
provided for by their friends without charge tC
the State | have no hesitation in recommend
) ing the legislation contemplated by this latte
suggestion. The information necessary to
well grounded choice between the other plan
is not yet accessible. My impression is tina
the first will prove most economical and mos
} benefcent if indeed. after the completion o
5 the Southwestern Asylum and the enactmen
Of judicious law for Private Asylums, eithe
= shall be found necessary.
The condition of the Idiotic, equally witt
r that Of the Insane must engage the attention
, of the philanthropiSt and statesman. iev
years ago this hapless class seemed beyond reacl
: of effeetua relief Recently however, attempt
. ! TO rescue lueuh from tueT dppuichbly hopCioo
condition have been crowned by results whicI
inspire hope and encourage perseverance. Tn
judicious humanity OF the last General Assem-
bly, inaugurated a systematic plan for their in
struction and Improvement, which has been 81
, far executed under your auspices, that ultimate
success is no longer doubtful II is not indeet
to be expected that the Idiotic can be eevatet
to any high degree Of capacity; but very man!
of them can be qualified to earn their own sub
sistence, and nearly all can be trained to hahit
Of neatness and propriely. The whole numbe
Of idiots in the State is reasonably estimated a
J about 1000. OF these, 500 are Of prope
age to receive instruction. In the Asylum, re
Gently opened for their reception, there were a
, the commencement Of the present year, l6
there were received during the year %; ther
: were discharged 6; there are absent 6; the nun
ber under instruction at the commencement Q
, the present year, was 26; the average numhe
T maintained at the States expense 20; the el
: pense Of the year, excluding the cost of pei
t manent improvements has been S3,845 67.-
! The average annual expense Of each paph. wa
: 1892 So When the Institution is full, the ave-
# age expense of each pupil will OF course be les
y and wall not exceed the average cost OF eac
S inmate OF the other Asylums. The question {