The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-02-28
COLUMBIA, S. G.
Saturday Morning. February %. 1874.
Past Duo indebtedness OF tho Asylum.
The General Assembly entarai with

OF Regents of the Lunatic Asylum. This
position affords no salary, and no pa
tronage that we know OF. It has usually
been filed by gentlemen who have lei.
sure, and whose willingness and capacity
30 serve the humane objects of the in
stitution were known and acknow.
lodged. Their reward was the. conscious.
nese of giving their time and talent to
the benefit of the most unhappy and
helpless class in the community. We
have had friends to servo there as visit
ors for the best paEtIo their lives. and
they were more exaoting from them
selves of punctnality and earnestness in
discharge OF these honorable and un-
paid duties than in their other regular
avooations. It has been position not
to be sought. but, when conferred, al
ways regarded as distinction and q
compliment.
As we looked on, yesterday, and lis
oened to the SCORE Of nominations and
eulogies of candidates who were pro-
posed, it occurred to us that it would
not be inopportuno to call the attention
OF the General Assembly to the inoon-
sistency of many appropriations it has
made, when compared with its studious
neglect of this retreat of the insane. 1t
has been carried on with great difficulty
and sacrifice on the part of those
charged with its management for the
last two or three years. It is a matter
within the knowledge of everybody ac-
quainted with its affairs, that it's support
has been more precarious since it was
entirely assumed BY the State. 1t has
been compelled to exist, from year to
year. entirely. upon credit. The war
rants drawn upon it, appropriations
AaYa been sold, in some instances, at a
sacrifice of fifty cents on the dollar, and
when driven to borrow money to pro-
tect it's inmates from starvation and na-
kedness, it has been compelled to pay
heavy rates of interest. The necessity,
too. of buying its supplies on credit. at
excessive prices. has curtailed it of as
much as twenty-five per cent. OF the
portion of its resources applied to that
end.
On the I'd instant, the Superintendent
sent a communication to the Legisla-
ture, in which he pleaded earnestly for
a proper maintenance for the Asylum
and relief from it's embarrass monts.
Since then, some heavy and some doubt
fnl claims have been ordered to be paid.
Nothing has been done in response to
the SUPPLEMENTARY appeal, but to put
in the general appropriation bill $G5, 600
for it's support for the year. This is
less ny 1iv.vvU tnan the sum ne asked,
and which is needed. It is wholly un-
cortain when it will be paid. Nearly
four months of the present fiscal year
have passed, and the only dependence
of the Asylum has been and is upon the
charity and forbearance Of its creditors.
These creditors have been treated shah
billy by the State, to whose relief they
came in 1872 and 1873, and who yet are
kept out of their advances, to the great
injury and danger OF their business cre-
dit. How happens it that 80 little atten-
tion has been given to their claims? 1t
snrely cannot be expected that private
citizens are to bear the expenses Of a
public institution. It surely must be
admitted that their efforts to sustain it
should be recognized with thanks, and
the sum of it's dues to them promptly
iquidated. It will work the most seri-
GUS injury to the good name of the in
stitution, and permanently blight it's
usefulness in the future, if those who
came to its assistance in it's emergency
are to suffer for it as if it were crime
and wrong.
The Superintendent truly says:
The Legislature alone can give the
aceded relief. 1t is our settlsd oonvic-
tlon that unless prompt measures be
inaugnrnted to discharge the pas. in
debtednese of the institution, and TO
make better provision for its support in
the future: it will only be question OF
time when the operations of the Asylum
must cease, and the dispensation of it's
charities be stopped, perhaps, forever!"
We should bo pleased to see some Of
the intereat uhinh boo hodD ,oo,;so,,.a