The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-04-23
N1scEnaM2.
Our Bensvolout Institution..


= REMARKS OF HON. EDWARD c. LEWIs. OF
" TUscAEAwAs COUNTY, IN THE HOUSE OF
e REPRESENTATIVES,, wEDHEsDAY, MARCH
. 25, Oh HIS BILL TO REoRaAEIzE rHE
! STATE INSTITUTIONS.
Mr.. Speaker peC,le of the State
OF Ohio distinctly declared at the ballot
e box last fall that they demanded reduc
t ton OF bhe taxes under which they have
been groaning for the past twenty years.
+ say they 80 declare by electing majori
ty of Democrats TO this General Assembly.
That these taxes are heavy, end in the
5 midst of financial embarrassment are hard
! to be borne, is fact painfully patent to
alL Let US look for q moment In what
direction the greatest amount Of their tax
es are being expended.
Not wishing to weary your patience
after having listened to the gentleman
from Athens Mr. Grosvenor) in such q
lengthy discussion Of thus subject, / will
submit for your consideration q few facts
! and figures, IN order to make more plain
the great and needless expense those insti-
tutlons have have become to the people of
this State:
In 1929 We find the expenses of the
Deaf and Dumb Asylum was $3O3, 600 !:
for the first six years, Sic. .352 70. and from
1929 to 1873 thele Was expended for the
benefit of that Institution 81 ,545,562 IL.
For the Ohio Central Lunatlc Asylum
from 1888 70 1873 there has been expend-
ed 81, IA, ,966 Is.
For the Blind Asylum, We find that
from the year 1887 to 1878 there has been
expended 1922. 1863 l9.
We find that from 1912 TO 1878 there
has been expended for LOngview Asylum
$773, ,023 SO.
For the Northern Ohio Lunatic Asylum
from the year 1852 to 1873, there has beea
expended $l.769. .74O %.
For the Southern OHIO Lunatic Asylum
we ind the sum expended 10 foot up ST.
546, ,74s 81.
The expenses of Trustees of the bsnevo.
lent institutions from lS53te 1873 amount
to $26, ,443 81, and yet the gentleman |
from Athens declares that these trustees |
have p4rformed their labors free of charge.
This we find is not the fact. For the Last
seventeen years the IdioLic Asylum has
cost the State SIG. 6l6 IS.
The expenses Of the Soldiers and Sail.
ors' Orphans Home has been $3s7. .26O 43
for the last Iour years, it having been built
in 1870.
We then find the sum total expended
for these State charities TO De $40 $751;
749 o. not including the present appro-
prlatIons, an amount really in excess of
the entire debt of the State.
Mr. Speaker, IN retrospecting to 1850. !
when the present Constitution was framed
we find the population of the State of Ohio
TO be ], $3.50, ,329, and the amount expended
that year for the benevolent institutions
of the State $55, ,s79. Tan years alter
ward we see, by referring to the census
report, that the population of the State
entire was 2. 339, ,5ll, an increase in ten
years Of Is per cent By reference 70 the
reports of the Trustees Of the several be.
nevolent institutions, We learn that SAL
O53 was expended on those institutions,
being an increase of $50 per cent, while
there was only an increase of Is per cent.
in the entire population of the State.
The population of the State in 1870 was
z, ,665. .260, according to our last census
report IA per cent. for the last ten years
while the whole expenditures were $74o,-
no for these institutions, which is an |
increase from 1860 TO 1870 of 425 per
cent.
The gentleman from Athens goes on TO I
state that these benevolent institutions
have been economically managed. l do
not doubt they have been the means I
whereby great coed has been accomplished
and / would not for moment have any
One on this floor think that l would de- !
prive this unfortunate class of society of !
one solitary comfort that would prov e ben :
=ficial to them physically, socially or in !
any way but do sag that there is too I
great difference hssween the increase in q
number Cf these persons who require our !
iull, 5olnIiful and protecting hand and the
per capita Of expense. For instance, We :
ind that in 1850 by reference to our statis- 4
les and different reports, that the total | n
number of deaf and dumb, blind insane and n
diote was four thousand one hundred and \
,ighty-tWo,
In 1860 there were 1888 of this unfor- il
innate class Of society, and yet there was p
n increase of $50 per cent, Of expendi- q
ures. and only an increase Of ~ per cent .
a numbers. There was an increase OF 43 p
,er cent, of these unfortunates from 1860 4
o 1870, classified as blind. insane, idiotic, n
leaf and iumb--belng 8 4S7 in number, p
nd in comparing the ratio IN proportion
o the increase with that Of the per cent,
f expenses, we find that IN the twenty
vears from 1850 to 1870. the expenses
ave been increased 1880 per cent, the o.
roportions for the past twenty years be- !
ng almost from 100 to 1000 per cent. Is &
ot this a WoHderful increase of expense u
0 the people, who, assure you, are a. a
oused ard frightened at the gigantic pro- II
ortions these institutions are Gssum- ei
lg2 Is it any wonder that they cry ''stop CT
hief," when they ara Obliged tU march up d
vice q year to their respective county fr
eats in these panicEy times and pay over Ii
heir hard earnings2 The people Of the q
tate expect a change in these Institu tions "
D regard to management. Every honest o
minded tax payer, be be Republican, or be cl
Q Democrat, Is 9esirous o. some change n
thereby the care of patience or the prepa- p
alton of places will not be neglected; baG
hat these fancy architects who have bsen A
attening at the rate of $67, 600 in six years L
hall be stopped, for the income of the fan q
y designers Of these buildings Is far IN e1. p
ess of that of the well-tO-do taxpayer. Al
am quite certain that the great noun d
ain OF brick and mortar which we examined Il
be other day, located about two miles q
utside 'f this IN q marsh from which ice Is
sed to 1e taken for the market OF this city q
nd surrounded by three hundred acres OF "
and, is an elephant of hage dimensions. u
What do they want to do with this land ? b
% they expect to make use Of these broad fr
cres 10 educate lunatics to perform farm b
york, to till the soil, and 10 make this a Il
irstitutions No, sir, al
ell you that if the people had a voice at &
he oaliot-ooX IN saying whether their u
money should be FILTERED away or not by "
uca set-upjobs as the location and build "
ag of this Central Asylum, for which they b
n order to complete the building Of this 81
tupendous affair, must 60 far down into al
heir pockets for at least from two to two s.
nd half million dollars Of their money, cl
Vhieh is being 30 wantonly squandered- VI
costs ], 900 per capita according TO the
stimated capacity Of this great fraud upon
he people Of OhiO-they would be apt to
,ut a stop to the squandering Of their y
arnings. And now I submit, Mr Speak g
r, whether it is not an obligation on the u
'art of every member on this floor 10 give sC
lis voice and vote for the better protecllon y
f the unfortunates OF the state in the y
natter al least ofTecognizing the Lunatic p
Asylums of the State, upon which nearly 3
hree- -fourths of the peoples taxes are be- 3
ng expended in preparing places for tax = :.
ng care of those persons whom God has u
cen fit to afiIct II