The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-12-07
C0HUMtB:}a4AA.zs { q e !: G.
Saturday MORNING.: December Z. 1879.
The Aunssie Asyium-A stery 81 Wran|
and Outrage. 1's'F

rf
Onr new Legislature, has % duty of
justice, as we'll as Of retrenchment and
n,xetorm, TO discharge. In fact, one .is
. but . counterpart OF the other. The
public iustjtutions and many OF tho
pablo officers ,have been fed on husks
: for > year past, Their needs and ueoes-
sites constitute claims wbioh are para
mount to all Others. They should be
the first to be. co4sidered. Unless they
are promptly relieved and provided for,
We do not see how the wheels of govern
ment. dan run much longer. Amongst
s the State Embellishments which have
borety felt the hard hand of trial; tho
:Luastio Asylum stands 'pre-eminent for
the severity and harshhess Of the treat
ment it has received ut the hands of the
State officials. i've do not suppose that
an institution of this character was ever
before 30 grievousIy imposed upon. 80
grossly and criminally defrauded of its
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
starvation. He was compelled to resort
to many disagreeable expedients, and
literally to beg for sustenance. He was
successful in getting through tho year.
owing to his persistent personal efforts
and manly appeala. generously respond
5ia 10 ai gteYt risk auG possible loss by
some OF ,.oir merchants and bankers.
For this he and they ;dessrvg the, warm
est thanks of the entire State. A re-
sumo Of the whole series. Of faots, which
show the struggles and the hardly-won
success of the friends OF the asylum, and
which illustrate the criminality and in
difference of the State' Treasurer md
other State officials, will not be without
interest. To furnish it 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 applica-
tion of the Board of Regents.
The Superintendent says:
..The past year has been one of ex-
treme ! anxiety and apprehension, not
only to t!;s friends and relatives of our
inmates, but to those charged with the
government. responsibility and manage
ment of 1.-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 oh
tanning them. All this anxiety, all these
painful approximations, and these trying
and terrible eembsrrassments, were caused
by the State Treasurer failing, as he still
fails. to pay tho appropriations made
the support Of the asylum. The institu-
ton had no assistance from the State
from July, 1871, to the 18th day of Janu-
ary of this year. T was compelled to
borrow 85. 600 for refurnishing the insti-
tuition. and "a, 600 for heating it. This
was enabled to do at the banking house
of E. J. Scott, Son s. Co., throug the
assistance Of Mr.. @. H. Baldwin. Most
OF the money paid by the Treasurer last
winter was in liquidation of bills due
from twelve to eighteen months. Imme-
6iately 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 pathetic 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. Mr.. Hardy Solomon, who had