Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-11-18
DAVENPORT, IOWA. MONDAY NOVEMBER Is, 1861
Heuort of the Grand y ury ON the
Poor Eio.se and the Eauper
avssenp

Poor Eaouse and the gauper
system.
On the l4th inst. the Grand Jury visited (
The Poor House. They have TO report that /
the buildings aud apartments seem at pres
en-. to be - cleanly and well regulated as
could reasonably be expected. and the Stew |
ard does oil in his power to give the neces- |
ssry attention to the pauper inmates. But
the Grand Jury now again, as they have
done heretofore, desire most emphaticaily
TO express their disapprovAl Of the entire
practical operation Of the pauper system Of
Scott county. II can only be described as
being inhuman, inefficient and unreasona
bly, expensive. Gus county is becoming
notorious for the disgrsceful and expensive
operation Of its pauper system, and tax
payers and friends Of humanity unite in do
manding its reform. During the twelve
months ending September l, 1867, this
pauper system consumed the entire pro
ducts and proceeds OF the Poor House farm.
(of 1870 acres and also drew more than $lT,-
900 in cash, from the county treasury.
When TO this il is added that during the
same period the county paid six thousand
t6.000) dollars faF the support Of our insane
paupcrs AZ the State Asylum, il must be
admitted that for population of 35, 900 the
expenses of our county charities are dispro-
portionately heavy. The Grand Jury be
leve that reform could easily be introduced
that would make the psuper system both
efficient and economical. Under the pres
ent system the Poor House Is simply . re-
scrvoir into which is thrown all the worst
cases Of helplessncss, destitution and dis
ease. Supsranuated imbsciles, innocent
babes aud larger children whether sick or
well, are huddled together with idiots. lu-
nstics, aud male and female paupers sialct-
ed with tho vilest and most TO-
pulsivc diseases. Paupcrs suffering
with malignant fsvers are sent to
the Poor House, and there are scarcely sep
arated from those who are comparatively
healthy. The separation Of the sexes is al
most the only discrimination possible in the
occupation Of the rooms, and even this sep
aration can only be enforced at night when
all the inmates can be kept under lock end
key. Improper intimacy between the male
and female patients 10 Of frequent occur
renee, and within the past year . young
idiot girl was outraged BY male pauper,
and is now mother.
The usual average number Of inmates is
about thirty. Of these. less than one half
are proper subjects for Poor House relief
There are generally from six to ten paupers
suffering under chronic or temporary sil.
ments requiring especial and daily medical
attention. The remaining inmates ere idiots
and children, neither Of whom should ever
be detained permanently in such place.
Besides the sick paupers in the Poor House
there is constant average Of twelve or fif-
teen sick poor in the city Of Davenport who
are treated by the County Physician. and
their families mean v hile maintained at the
county expense. II 10 this class Of paupers
that cause the largest portion OF the pauper
expenditures. BY the establishment Of .
County Hospital at some convenient and
| easily accessible location in the city Of Da-
venport, the sck poor in the city could a.
ways be speedily and comfortably removed
irem the unhealthy and nconvenient dwell
ings they occupy and could be properly
treated and cured in much less time and at
mucn less expense 10 the county, as their
families would be able to maintain them
| selves ~ soon IS the sick person was re-
| moved Ths sick paupers from the Poor
House would also be properly transferred
to such = hospital, aud the Poor House
would thus be relieved Of its most
troublesome class Of inmates, And would
also be then able 10 give satisfactory ac-
commodations and supervision to the re-
msinder. The present Poor House build
| ing can easily give comfortable acconmo-
tions 10 fifteen or twenty healthy inmates.
But it is simply an act OF lnhumanity 10
seId any sick person there. The evils
and detects OF the pauper system Of Scott
county are of long standing and have been
annually increasing both in number and
extent until their existence has affected the
general reputation Of the county. The
Grand Jury however believe that nearly oil
the reforms necessary can be introduced
through the establishment OF a suitable
and properly managed Hosptal in the city
Of Davenport. The Grand Jury have thus
entered into the details of the defects and
the needed reforms in tho pauper system
hoping that the Board of Supervisors will
1 lcheerlully cooperate and authorize the
! adoption Of the necessary measures
The Grand Jury desire ais, t. state that
having had occasion TO investigate sever al
feature of the practical operation OF the
mans ssemsnt Of tie general affairs Of Scott
county, and having had occasion to take
| evidence as - the condition ot sons oi
the departments. have arrived n; the con-
| victIon that Tie history of the Supervisor
| system in this county mas shown i: TO be
almost entirely inadequate 10 the object for
which 1t was intended, and that the inter
ests OF our taxpayers and of the general
management Of our county affairs would be
much better promoted By the abolition oi
the Supervisor system ard the establish
nent of system Of township organizations
and County Commissioners, and the Grand
Jury recommend their fellow citizens and
our Represents in the Legislature, tc
imme medsteiy give their influence to secure
such = change.
,JoaN OsBonN. Foreman.