Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-03-13
Ehs Cleveland Orphan Asylam.

Secretary:
The Board Of Managers Of fhs CleDslaHd Or
PhaR Asylum hsrs'0i@ present 10 ths Public
their EigAth Annual
REPORT.
From the stand point afforded by the close Of
our fiscal year for reviewing the past history Of
this Institution, aud lsgstating for the growth and
support Of its future, we recognize an OnerOus
resp0nslbiity-s responsibility under which we
are placed as the Rlnoners Of your bounty II
successful, we Gsk your sympathy 10 our joy II
discouraged, we claim your counsel and CO opera
ton. Mere human progress could promise moth
log for pelfeoting charity like the one which We
now present. All the patient sef-denisl and un-
waveIing faith which christianity alone affords, Is
called into requsition, day by day, and hour by
hour, for those who would in this domain faithful.
ly execute their trust. For the conscientious
lnatron, as well as the laW-maker, the only safe
vantage ground ia 10 be found In the eomprehen-
slve principles Of our holy religion, which, while il
would by no means ignore the bodily wants Of the
orphans, points beyond 10 careful moral training
which shall educate the soul for its betterlie II
L only in this eDobled view Of duty that the real
gold glitters, beneath the degradation Of habit
and character which we constantly view and COM
bat in the children under our care. Is It strange
then, II with our measure Of human intrmity, we
sometimes falter in our course, and feel disposed
a
we plead for our encouragement not only your
liberal alms, but your prsyersi
In the various philanthropio enterprises Of the
day we see indicated moral culture, which multi
plies obligations TO usefulness, and surely in point
Of usefulness, no enterprise ranks before the Or
phan Asylum. and none from the teaching Of Gods
word more imperatiyely demands aliberal support,
Thus promising, we lay before you the encourage
ments and discouragements Of the year just
closed
The special collection made in the spring of
1859 for the completion Of the Asylum building,
has been sacredly appropriated to the object for
which Il was raised The smount It will be re-
membered, was, In cash and orders, S2,3ss, 81
At the present time the building is entirely COM
pOted, with all its interior appliances Of bathing
apparatus Wardrobes, &c. There remains on hand
a balance Of S625, ,95, with which we hope to pur.
chase blinds, and additional bedding for our in
0reasing demands.
The warmest acknowledgements are due to
Messrs Benjamin Rouse and Philo Scovilie for the
zeal and energy manileVted by them as our build
ing committee. We are not only indebted to them
for kindness and courtesy IN satisfactorily carrying
out our wishes, but for an economy and foresight
which, we are confident, have been great pecu.
MARY benefit to the Institution.
We are DO longer then, on debatsble ground, as
it regards our building. The success achieved in
its completion is entire, and we think that We
have some cause for self graduation when we pre-
sent il this day without the smallest debt to stain
its escutcheol. For the means to accomplish so
much, we are mainly lndebtedt IN your liberality.-
Like the patient ant who, grain by grain, builds
his mammoth structure, we have brought your
grains whose aggregate has produced mighty and
creditable result. In a far reaching charity, like
the one before us-whlch embraces in itself
little gOEernment-theTs inheres life and power
which will extend to generations whose DAY shall
come when even the names OF some Of its present
ham Eaafnr boll hn Is
enlarged appreciation Of our trust that we realize
how carefully every stone should be lsid,-
both in its external and internal econOmy-stones
wrought out by wisdom which will preclude the
possibility Of future revolutions in its laws or an
archy in its members.
The original plan of the projectors Of the Asy-
lum, was las we understand) to raise two separate
funds the one 10 erect suitable building for the
orphans the otbeF TO be invested for the
current eXpens es Of the same. The building fund
collected on this basis, fell short about two thous
and dollars of the requisite sum. The Committee,
as all are aware, after progressing as far as their
means allowed, chose rather to leave the building
unfinished, than incur debt in its completion. In
the meantime, the amount raised for permanent
fund was supposed to reach $4,000, which, suita-
by invested, would afford liberal income for the
support of the Asylum. As the money was not
paid in principal but the interest secured, the
commercial disasters which So soon followed this
donors, had in 1859 diminished the permanent
fund to little more than $4,000. A part Of this
sum has been paid in principal and reinVeste the
rema inder drawing interest from its holders. The
increase Of our population on the one hand and
the MULTIPLICATION Of paupeTs from the pecunary
distress Of 1858 the other greatly increased the
number of applicants for admission to the Asylum
in the succeeding year. In this reaction Of embar.
RAISING causes we found ourselves with diminish
ed income, and an increasing family, which imper-
atively called for additional appliances, and room
in the Institution II was under this pressure that
the special call was made Ou our citizens which
resulted in the completion Of the edifiGe, In thus
defining our position at the commencement of last
year, YOU will see tha. it was ushered in prOpi.
tousiy, and here we expose the bright side of the
picture But the fact now forces itself upon us
That this grand and benefcient charity, cannot,
like the tabled bird Of old, feed itself that our
present available means fall far below its actual
demands. Then follows the question: In what
way can permanent income be secured, which,
with the annual dollar subscription, will place
us beyond the contingency Of debt for cur
rent expenses We frankly admit that there
exists a diversity Of opinion in the minds Of our
citizens as to the more expedient way of attaining
that end. Often as this Board has brought before
you the suggestion to initiate other cties and make
application to the State for an endowment just as
often has the cry Of opposition to such aprocedure
sienced the discussion. If fthen an application of
this nature is not to be dreamed Of by those to
whose opinions-in right Of superior legislative
wisdom-we yield, to what means shall we resort
for the support Of the Asylum in coming years
To make the question more pOinted-hOl1 shall Ige
pay the current expenses of the year 1860? We
commenced our fiscal year with nearly one thou
sand dollars in the treasury; we shall end it with
empty cofers, or with q sum barely sufficient to
carry US on two months longer Shall we at this
time, when prosperity is but dream of the past,
call on you TO increase the permanent fund? We
think wisdom would not dictate such a step.
suggestion was made in the Report Of the prsce-
ding year, that gentlemen's list Of annual sub
scribers be added to our present one, and in this
way surmount the obstacle before us. Probably
Eve hundred men could be found in our city. who
would gladly pay the sum Of one dollar per year
for this object. This, with the ladies' subserip-
ton, and the interest our permanent fund would
relieve Us from pecuniary anxiety. Should this
prove well as feasible plan, wemsy deem 1t we'll
to adopt 1t as law, or one that might continue in
force until such time as prosperity should sane
ton the effort to increase our permanent fund.-
Too much stress cannot be laid upon this feature
Of our Report We would, if possible, save those
who shall succeed US in our trust, the ungracious
task Of making personal application for the sup.
port Of the Asylum, beyond the collection of the
annual subscriptions, Far be it from US to imply
that our appeals for this object have met mig
gardly response. But there is class Of our eiti>
Esns with whom the opinion obtains, that our de-
mands are increasing, and with them the same
ground must be gone over year after year, the
same objections met and refuted, until the appli.
cants are unWittingly made to feel all the embar-
rassment Of pleading for a selfish end. Hereafter
the city collections will be regularly made in the
month Of May, as it has been demonstrated that
carrying the subscriptions through the year, gives
rise to misconceptions and materially diminishes
our revenue from that source. We leave the grave
question involved iu the foregoing remarks, with
the wise and good, convinced that they will never
allow our orphan family to want bread, nor re-.
suire Of the Managers extraordinary means to
obtain it.
The city continues to US the stipend heretofore
accorded Of $50 for the support Of teacher,
while we from time to time receive from the In
hrmary those children whom, by age or circum.
stances il Is our pTerogative 20 claim
The Asylum at this time numbers 81 in its family