Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1866-02-07
For the Seatiat
THE POOR HOUSE.

The comfortable support of the Poor
is not only dictated by humanity, but 1t
is also epjoined by the Scriptures. 1t
becomes a serious question then, how
can the Poor be supported with the most
comfort to them, and the least hurthen to
tie public: Both these thoughts deserve
grave consideration. In this country,
there have been heretofore two different
methods employed for supporting those
unable to support themselves: One meth
Oh gamers Thorn all, or principally all,
into an asylum planned and built express
" for the purpose; furnish them sui,a-
bic food, clo:hing and employment looks
diligently and daily after their general
well-being; and aims, constantly, 10 im-
prove them, socially, morally and relig-
%iously. The other method is content to
distribute the Poor amongst then friends,
or sell them out for keeping to the lowest
bidder, often sending them to distant
places far from their proper place of resi-
dence, and totally ignoring all proper
oversight Of them, as to their general
behavior and moral culture. Both meth
DDS raise all the necessary funds by taxa
ton. But the first method (Which is most
generally adopted in this country by
Furnishing suitable employment to the
Poor, enables them, in a great degree, to
support themselves; thus both ~increas-
ing their self-respoct, and elevating them
in the social scale, whilst it lets but a
light weight rest upon the shoulders OF
the heavy-laden tax payers. But the
other method resorts to tax, and to tax
alone, for the whole expense Of keeping
the Poor; and after it has dis ributed
them to the various ''lowest bidders it
leaves them there. subject to such influ-
euces az may bear upon them in the va
rious places in which they may happen to
tall. But this latter method must not
only raise tax enough to support the poor
but also additional tax to support the
various families of those who IBID of"
the poor for it is notorious, that many
persons resort to boarding the poor for
the sake of making a livelihood for them
selves. This latter method is also likely
(indeed it is almost under the necessity
TO increase the tax by expensive litiga-
ton. When there is a county Poor
House, all necessity for litigation between
the different townships and boroughs is
done away with; but when each little
district is managing its v poor affairs,
how many, how vexatious, how discredlt-
able, and how expensive are the legal
quarrels constantly distracting the COM
muuity. For instance a few years ago,
a pauper died in Milford township by ac-
cidentally drinking s%trychnine. His fu-
neral expenses, &c, were about $4,000
A dispute arose between Milford town.
ship and P~errysville Borough, as to which
should pay this debt OF $1,000. Both
refused to pay: both employed able
sci and little milford" came out of the
contest with a bundle of debt and costs
upon her back amounting to about $3.50 !!
If we had had a Poor House, that pau.
per's burial would not have cost the coun-
ty $50. But the latter method is gener-
ally discarded for another reason it does
not, it cannot, take proper oversight of
certain classes of the poor. How often is
the sight panied, at beholding young fe.
males, partially insane, rowing about at
large. stopping wherever they can find
hospitality enough to entertain them, in
commoding the neighborhood, and expos
ing themselves to insult and injury from
unprincipled men. We are not without
some illustrations of their kind in Ju.
county.
l will now illustrate the above thoughts
by a few statistics, taken from official
and authentic records: and | ask for
these a careful consideration on the part
Of every man who has either any regard
for the welfare of the poor, or for the
Of those who support them.
In this county, there are nine accept.
ng districts, with a property valuation
# $ 1858, 792. On that valuation these
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