Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1869-01-27

conhned In our Jalls. They take the re-
sponsibility of purchasing farm and
erecting upon it a building alta cost OF
100000, when competent architect
says the present building can be recon
structed for S219,O 900. If the estimated
cost in the beginning is 100000. taking
the history of the Asylums built hereto,
fore-and it will cost this if built. ac-
cording to the plan Of these specialists
who claim to have the special privilege
of judging in reference to this speciality
la million or million and a half of
dollars before you get through with
it, while we can repair and rebuild the
old asylum in a few months at cost of
one-fourth of million. z si}gH
This committee, however, tells us as
one of, their most important reasons for
the removal, that farm location is the
proper location for an institution; and
they, as we'll as gentlemen on this floor
who favor the removal, argue atlength
upon its economic advantages-thegreat
saving to the State from the agricultural
labor of the insane. 1 b. --ai
1t is argued that if large farm is con-
nected with the Asylum and farmed by
the insane patients. they can raise the
corn and potatoes, hogs, horses and cat
tie necessary for the uses of the institu-
tion cheaper than they can be purchased,
and claimed results of such course in
other States are adduced in support of
the argument.
Sir, am not specialist on the sub
ject of insanity, but ! undertake to say
that you cannot convince any scientific
agriculturist that an insane person can
farm better than sane person. 1t is
not to be supposed that any scientific
agriculturist ever thought that agricll-
tural improvements, agricultural reports,
and agricultural works were being
brought to perfection by this means, and
that it required the work of the insane
in this direction in order to produce the
best results Ea- etf ts fss.<
1t may be possible that economic. as
well as scientific, advantages have result
cd from such course in other States,
but in the absence of facts and figures
to show us how much each particular ar
ticle cost in its, production, I must be
permitted to doubt the accuracy of the
conclusion, especially as it comes from
gentlemen who ask this House to believe
the absurd proposition that the insane
of the State are better cared for now
than they were before the Central Asy-
lum was destroyed. Our own expert
ence does not justify the adoption of this
theory, We have occupied sixty-eight
acres for the purposes of an insane asy-
lum, for period of thirty years, and
not single acre has been farmed by the
patients How thencould or would the
same patients farm two hundred and fifty
or FIVE hundred acresl Certainly. il
| there are such advantages to be derived
in this direction, our, specialists must
admit they have been sadly derelict ir
their duty in that7they have not sooner
called the attention of the Legislature tc
so important a fact r lsri1 ,aaa 81
To sell the present site and purchase
farm outside the city limits, would
doubtless accord with the views of lan6
spectators in the city of Columbus, ane
land Spectators out of the. city of Co
lumbus, and to that, rather than to any
desire to benefit the State, or improve
the condition of the insane, attribute
the new born zeal of outsiders to induce
the State to embark in the hazardous
and expensive experiment of insane
farming. .sf5.t5 B. safs,.s, -d ..-a,,,
| Again, sir, these institutions should be
at your immediate Capital, for reasons
that will be obvious to all. How is il
with those at a distance? 1t is duly
telegraphed to them that a Legislative
committee is about to pay them a visit o.
inspection. Everything is put in order
for their reception. A fine dinner il
served, careful attention is paid
them during their stay, and not
withstanding their earnest endeav.
ors to faithfully perform their duty in
the limited time allotted them, they
come away but little wiser than wher
they went. In this regard an institu
tion located two or three miles from the
Capital would stand in no better posi-
tion than one further away. l have al
illustration in point. / ask how many
members have been this winter to visi,
the Idiotic Asylum. l undertake to SAY
that very few, if any, have done so.
don't know but that the committee OF
Benevolent Institutions may have Wis
tied it, but their report has not yet beer
made. Such institutions should bt
within the immediate purview of The
Legislature, and not where set commit
tees go at set times; but situated SO thai
members of the Legislature may go in
at any time and see how they are con
Quoted, That is the way, and the only
possible way to judge of their manage
ment. say, for the interest of the
State, for the interest of the insane,ant
for every interest can conceive of, thi:
Asylum should be here in the center O
the State, at its Capital-where W,
can go and see how it is managed, eacl
one of us, in his individual capacity
any day We choose.
i Among other things the committee
were charged with inquiring into, was
the causes of the fire that destroyed the
\ Central Lunatic Asylum. Under that
head a great mass of testimony was ia
ken as to the conduct of the Columbus
Fire Department, at the fire, matter
foreign to the objects of the resolution
under which they were acting, or al
least but remotely, connected with it.
Sir, 1 am not especially deputed tc
the defense of that department on thi
floor, but l must say that it is some
what singular that the words "Colum
bus" Fire Department always occur to
gether.- Fire Department alone does mo-
suffice-but it is especially inquired and
ascertained that it is the columbus
Fire Department. Whatever the con
duct of that department might have beer
at the fire, there is one thing certain,
they acre not there sohen the fire commenced
nor were they charged with the duty
of sunerintendinp and protecting the