, 1874-12-11
nlono will bo accepted by the country as coll
elusive evidence Of the bribery aud corrup-
ton Of those who vote for tlonl.


4 DESERVING STATE CHARITY.
Ono Of tho most deserving objects Of Stato
aid which can engage tho attention Of tho
forthcoming session Of tho Legislature IL tic
Institution for Feobc-A1indcd Childron ut
Jacksonville lis purposes are no humane,
and It's sl,horo Of operations no important,
and in fact indispensable, TINT no obstacle
should bo allowed to stand in the way Of tho
complete fulfl1ment Of its mission. There In
no State charity more deserving than this,
and yet 1t IL not only unable to make pro-
vision for tho demands which continually
crowd upon it, but ii In restricted oven III it's
attempts to cnrry out its purposes within
oircumscribod limits.
It is almost unnecessary to say word in
Endorsement Of tho work dono by this in
stitntion. 1t occupies field peculiarly its
own. Tho work dono thoro cannot be done
elsewhere. It is next to impossible that
foeblc-minded child can DO ctlucated Mt homo.
Such an education necossitatos q special
systom of training which the parent llas
nolther tho skin nor tho time to givo. It is
III education which demands the most cure
fnl wRtchfulnegs md unweariod patience,
doltcato skill md constant application. No
parent is 80 situated TINT ho can do
this. Tho only alternative is to find n tcacher
competent for the task, and this is a matter
Of extreme difficulty. When found, tho OK
ponse OF such teacher is necessarily worry
large, md even then the child cannot bo
treated as successfully MS in an institution sot
apart for tho purpose. The objects Of this
institution, therefore, are not only charitable
and humane, but they arc imporatively de-
minded, and supply want which cannot DO
supplied in my other manner. The State
alono can successfully establish m institution
competent to do this great work.
This being Tic cnso, it is Of tho highest in,-
portanco that this work should DO done well,
and that tho resources of the institution
should be sufficient TO meet MI tho demands
made upon it. Tie number Of idiots is as
large as that Of tho insano. Out of ninety
seven applications from Cook County, tho
present institution can only accommodate
fourteen, md these by crowding the Ca
pacity to the utmost. Aa regards tho pro-
visions for taking caro Of the unfortunate, the
following extract from tho report Of tho COM
1nittee on Idooy, matle to tho Illinois State
Medical Society last May, is pertinent aud
suggestive:
Tho Stale Institution has now been In operation
eight ycars. Tho applications for amlsnlon havo n
really been oror SIX hundred, suce its opening. Tho
accommodations aro very poor, and, though designed
for nbou eighty pups hundred arc now inmates.
The buildings arc cheap, pino structures, ablc, in
caso Of ro, to burn rapdly au The lives Of Its IN.
mates aro sadly exposed to thu d.ngera Of fire. an
institution with
tho present donnnds Of tho State should bo built for
Mt toast 900 pupils. Until sc buildings are furnish
cd, but little can 10 ol,o towara answering fayorably
tho fte1uopt requests for pf5sIcRns for tho admission
Of thu children Of their patroua.
This extract shows very conclusivclY TINT
the institution is crampcd in its resources aud
unable to carry out the purposes for which it
wasestablished. The Stnto Medical Association
hes alrcady recognized the Importance Of the
work, and will present n memorial to The
General Assembly recommending appropria-
tions for the erection Of proper buildings and
/ accommodations, which we tr.,st will TO-
ceive careful attention md prompt action
The people Of this State will never co,n-
plain Of taxation whom it is devoted
to such q charitable purpose as this. Tho
Success which has been already accomplished,
in the foco Of so many Obstacles, is IN I'd
ditional reason why tho managers Of the i'll
| stitution should bo allowed an opportunity to
extend its blessings rs widely rs possible. 1t
| is n rcproach to tho State that its idiots and
| fceble-lninded children should be consigned
to jai1s md a1nshot,Bcs, where they can re-
ccivo neither tho proper care nor education
for want Of co1n,notlious asylum.