Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-01-10
The Coun.x InfirnarI.

For years past the people M Belmont
county have pointed with pride to the
nnuuinentsr resred to their ben+vo
lence in the costly and beautiful lnfir.
mary builGiags, AMI they have epn,
Igrqiuidted themselves with tbs belief
that at least in al mat rial intere f.,
no county ia the State made better
provisions for its needy, iDfirm and
lis bied citizrEs.a The Commissioners
|of Gaernsey County, rreeenily visiting.
our I Urinary, pronounced il mndel
Institution Of lis kind. Perhaps these
verified, as applied to. the empOrai
c1nfort aud convenience of The iH
siates. But there is At present, nnd
for, ,sQIle time past, has been 4 growing
conviction la the mGTals OF that
place were sadly in need of improve.
nent.- lu view OF the prosp etive
change in its administration, Two cor.
respondents in the Chronicle OF last
wes ask for radical change In its
mural and religious training. and de
'nsnd that tha Superintendent shall be
a man uf acknowledged religious hIb-
its. One of them gives terrible mr.
raignment OF thu delinquenc,es ut the
place, and makes stateaIpnts which, il
true, should cause the blush OF shame
to cover. the guilty ches ks nI every
official cs,nnecttsi with ae institution.
itumOrs af u similar nature We're cirCu'
lated prior TO the election last fa /, and
we're used rs arguments in faN or o!
the erertion of . Chiliiren's Huup.
fha cOrruptiuns of the Infirmary were
privately discussed, but the time WIZ
100 short, after the Home was project
ed, for an Investigation of the charges
prior to the election. Without stop
ping To examine them, the people
through HD impulse of charity,
strengthened by disgust with the ne
ported immortality at the Infirmary,
taxed themselves for another reiorms'
{ ~ institution, where the innocent
might be separated from the vile, and II
vi'tl )us ~,ftl:atiOl be i n part With
oft daily conduct with pollution ana
Icrime.- . -.g..
The question of moral reform now
colDes up for consideration AT tine
when the people are free to discuss il.
and il Is tn be hopesi that the matter
will be probed to the bottom, and the
true statement of facts brou: hit TO light.
II The people of Belmont county, rest
ing under the belief of possessing u
model 1nficmary, have sil the while
been supporting place lt:le better
than n licensed ba1dy house, it is high
time that the fact should he known,
and means for the CORRECTION Of The
evil Immediately set in operation. The
people want the poor properly Cared
for, but they do not want the facili'
ties Increased ny law and taxes for the
practice Of filthy crimes and de bBsing
habits.
The Com missiOners of the county
owe il to the peo. lie to thoroughly ven
tiiate the conduct of the Institution.
Cleanse the Augean s(able by the
stream of mprai purific ftion, and an
swer the demands of the writer's above
referred TO by appointing to the super
lintentencya man of known moral
AMI christian virtues. Crimes grow
lnxuriantly without the protection OF
law nr the facilities that professpdly
refornatory Institutions may atfor. .
For the hphOr of our county we hnpe-
II charges against the conduct of the
Intirmary are untrue. Whether true
or not nothing short of the facts will
now satisfy the people, ard the Com
'nissiouers should GOT be slow in ma
king the needed inv. s;igatien.
-BtrneSvllie Enterprise.