The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-12-07
C0QlhUMBIAzlS.1 g { !. q e |! ) + G.
Saturday Morning: Deoember z, 1879.
lHns Aunatio AsyIana-A stery az wran |,
and Outrage. HsN@'i.


Onr new. Legislature, hes "a duty Of
Justice. as well aa of retrenohment and
reform. to discharge. Tn fsot, one: .iis
'obut q oounterpart OF the other. The
public inatjtuions and many Of tho
public officers have been fed on husks
I, Tor b year past, Their needs and ueces.
sities constitute claims which are para
mount to all Others. They should be
! the Hrst to be. coIaidered. Unless they
are promptly relieved and provided for,
We do not see how the wheels of govern
ment dan run much longer. Amongst
the State Embellishments which hav @
,horely felt The hard. hand OF trial: tho
'Luaatic Asylum stands. .pre.eminent for
the severity and harshhess Of the treat
ment it has received at the hands of the
State officials. Ave do not suppose that
an institution of this character was ever
before 30 grievously imposed upon, SO
grossly and criminaiiy dsfrsuacd OF it's
just support. We have read, with CLOSE
attention, the report of the Superintend-
ent Of the asylum. and Of the commit
tee OF, the Board Of Regents, which was
laid before the Legislature on Thursday.
It is Q record OF brave, efforts made by
tho Superintendent to keep the, helpless
people committed to his charge. from
star rvation. He was compelled to resort
to many disagreeable expedients, and
literally to beg for snstenance. He was
successful in getting through the ycar.
owing to his persistent personal efforts
and manly appeals. generously respond
81 20 at great ;riak aud possible loss by
some OF our merchants and bankers.
For this he and they: :deservs the, warm
est thanks of the entire State. A re-
sumo Of the whole series of facts, which
show the struggles and the hardly-won
success OF the friends of the asylum, and
which illustrate the oriminality and in
difference Of the State Treasurer md
other State officials, will not be without
interest. To furnish il VIC shall draw
freely from the Superintendent's report,
first promising that the Legislature had
appropriated $4,000 tor. the support of
the asylum. to be paid on the warrant of
the Comptroller General. on the applioa-
tion of the Board OF Regents.
The Superintendent says:
..The past. year has been one Of ex-
treme anxiety and apprehension, not
only to the friends and relatives of our
inmates, but to those charged with the
government. responsibility and manage
ment of the institution. Many have
been the days thas we have not had sup
plies of food for the morrow. and when
there seemed no possible chance Of OBJ
tanning them. All this anxiety, all these
painful apprehensions, and these trying
and terrible embarrassments, were caused
by the State treasurer failing, as he still
fails. to pay tho appropriations made
last winter by generous Legislature for
the support Of the asylum. The institu-
ton had no assistance from the State
ary of this year. 7 was compelled to
borrow IS. 900 for refurnishing the insti-
tuition, and $4,000 for heating it. This
was enabled to do at the banking house
of e. j. Scott, Son Sc Co.,, throu gh the
assistance Of MIR. 9. II. Baldwin. Most
Of the money paid by the Treasurer last
winter was in liquidation of bills due
from twelve to eighteen months. Imme-
diately after the appropriation for the
support of the asylum for this year Was
made, presented the claims Of the in
stitution to the State Treasurer, and was
informed that there was no money in the
Treasury. They were presented again
and again, and the sore needs of the in
stitution and its threatening distress ex-
planned in the most pathetio language ut
my command, but without avail"
To an official letter of the Superin-
tendent, Of April II, clearly and dispas-
sionately setting forth the true condition
of the asylum, the Treasurer replied,
that "the Treasury is not in funds" and
that it was impossible to make any pay
ments to the institution. Nor did he
promise any. It was compelled then to
look elsewhere for support, the prospect
of which was gloomy in the extreme, as
it was indebted already to all the banks,
butchers, grocers and dry goods mer-
chants at home, and without credit
abroad. MIR. Hardy Solomon, who had