Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1872-04-11
From the Steubenyille Herald 1854 a
Provision for the Insane of the
Sfate--Public Institutions--The
Legislature------Republican
s5 State Convention. .-r.,.
CoLUMBUs, March 25. 1872.

COLUMBUS, March %, 1872.
Editor Herald: d:-Some weeks ago, in
an editorial of the HERALD, alluding to
County Inirmaries, you made cour-
| teous, but direct appeal to me person
ally, to see that something was done by
Legislation to- provide for the insane
now compelled to'gremain in these
4 institutions throughout the State. Since
! being here, have given much atten-
tien to this subject in connection with.
the duties of the Committee on ReneY-
j olent Institutions. The delay of any
response has occurred only fr0m de-
sire to be able more fully to preseh&
! the facts as they have been developing.
4 The condition of the insane in County
j Inirmaries in Ohio, is the great public
reproach of the State. Itdishonors not
only our Christianity, but our very
civilization. 1t is impossible for the
insane to be properly cared for in COun-
i ty Infrmaries withOuta all the appliances
of regular aSylum--the State of Ohio
is now fastening to meet this great
public need. Three years ago, the Cen
trail Asylum was burned, largely redu-
\ cling the capacity OF our State institu-
i tions of this kind. Our population, and,
i consequently, the number of our insane
is constantly increasing. There are now
i in the State, under public and private
treatment, including those in County
i Infirmaries, about three thousand insane
persons. The Southern Asylum. at
Dayton, with a large addition just COM
pleted, accommodating $50 patients.
This is under the care of DIR. Gundry,
who has made it model of cleanliness,
order and hume treatment. The
Northern Asylum at Newburgh, near
Cleveland, just enlarged and repaired,
can now provide for $50 more. 1t Is
under the care of DIR. Lewis, and its
management is not only an honor to
him, but credit 10 the State. The As
ylum at Longyiew, near Cincinnati, is
a county institution, with capacity
for 400 patients. The State has now
lsnearly one hundred insane there, for
(which it provides by contract. Truth
would not warrant me in speaking of
this institution in the same high terms
i have of the others, SO L will say moth
ing. -Nt .dsir s - .iais5dgIJ .afC
~ The State is building an asylum at
Athens which viii contain 500 patients, \
and which will probably be. completed
in little more than a year. Three miles
west of Columbus, on beautiful rolling
farm of three hundred acres, the Central
Asylum is now in process OF erection.
This will accommodate nearly 1000 pa
tients. 1t is not possible that this can
be finished in less than two years, but
when completed it will be the largest
and most perfectly constructed and ap-
pointed Asylum in the world. 1t will
be. tire proof, simply because there is
J literally nothing to burn, and most
thoroughly ventilated. DIR. Peck,
whose devotion to this great branch of
science, as well las his large experience,
so eminently qualify, him for the post,
gives hisWhole time to supervising all
the details ofthis work, SO that Moth
ing will be lacking which skill, science
and energy can accomplish. Dol .sa 4
These institutions, when c0pleted, are
designed to Accommodate dall the in
sane of the State, and will place Ohio,
in this great, humane and benehcient
enterprise, in the same rank she has SO
nobly earned in regard to all her benev
olent and public institutions. TheSta
is now going on as fast as it safely can |
with these buildings, but considerable
time must be occupied in their compile
ton. In the meantime many of the |
insane must necessary be cared for in
| infirmaries, and it is the imperative de-
mand, not of benevolence only, but of
humanity, that more efficient means
be made use of by every county in the
State, for improving their condition. 1t
is. the noblest characteristic of modern,
and especially of Christion civilization,
that its tenderest care and its supremest
efforts alike are exerted in behalf of the
lowly, the destitute, the helpless, the
unfortunate. Above all others, the in |
sane are the wards of our common hu-
manity. ,..a..,.., ..,..f .fl.,,.....,l.l T. !
AS yet no great number of new laws |
have been passed by. the present Legis-
lature. This is taken by many as proof
that the members are idling away their
time. "What!" says some one, "only /
400 bills presented, and not more than |
thirty of them passed.! What have you,
been dOing?" It is only the Initiated /
who know how much easier it is to pass
a crude bill Into law, than it is to ex-
anime, expose. and defeat it, The mere |
construction and passing of laws is the |
easiest and least important part of real |
Legislation. In our State it has become so
fashionable to depreciate the duties of a |
mere State Legislature, and so easy to /
criticiSe, that almost every man who
comes to the Capitol and lounges about |
| the Hobbies for few hours, goes home /
and rushes into type with q lecture or a
lamentation on the decay of public vir-
tue in general, and the shortcomingsof
Legislators in particular Something of
that kind is SO much spicler and more
readible than more useful knowledge, /
that much of it is written simply to
supply the demand. Then, what are.
these officially but public servants
anyhow, and the selfcomplaisant mas
ter cannot resist the temptation to as
sert his supremacy and his ownership
witha growl and a pick. Probably the
oldest trick of human ingenuity, that
is yet popular, is to proclaim our own
excelency by proposing vigorously, un-
sparingly, to amend somebody else. If
this can be done whith a sort ofwound-
ed, home-m missionary air. the effect Is
greatly increased. | read to-day let
ter criticlsing the construction" of
bill now pending. The spelling of this
criticism was an undeigned imitation
of Nasby, and its construction was
as tangled as O Chinese puzzle. Z W IL
The LATEST man have seen while in
Columbus, is constituent of q Repub-
weeks ago, he exerted himself and Wis
tied the Capitol. He reel ined much on
sofas. He lounged into any seat and /
moved out grudgingly. He smoked /
languidly, and yet even this exhausted {
man, ralIying his. indignant inertia, {
slowly, droopingIy, took the smolder- {
ing Cigar from his mouth and said list q
lessly to my friend, " do hope you aoitl
cy,oiod things along iively." VI it r.
Every Office holder, of whatever pos
ftiOu. In his Official capacity, is but a a