Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-10-08
interest in the success Of their administration AMI
IL mrse direct responsibility to the people.

Interest in the success Of their administration AMI
IL hi'Fedifect responsibility TO the people
IssASE ASYLUM.
The institution Is exr,ncntiy managed, AMI ths
commissioners have discharged their duties well
The present system u an Improvement Cu The Old
one, but would II not be better to give the appoint
mpnt of the commissioners to the Governor by and
with the advice and cousen, Of the Senate:
Ordinarily, such appointments are left with the
executive, not 81 much VITA i VIEW of securing
better appointments, hut principally - avoid dis
turning element IN 4 larry . -.A''t '"l' II Tins
KIND. | certainly could not haze s.u.r",.t upun
The choice Of the last Legislature.
The number OF the insane poor has increased
rapidly since the State bore the expense some are
sent to the asylum 10 relieve towns or friends OF
their support, who are merely denenied but quiet
and harmless, and might he cared fOc elsewhere.
Bui the superintendent must Keep Them, a. they
are technically insane. There would lie fewer III
sane pOJr, fewer lipOitiiions OF transient lhsdie
from nelghboring States ana more careful lnveStl-
gallons Ut questions Of legal settlement, II the
towns paid the expenses.
The iirlr- submitted by the commissioners Will
show you what part of this expense Is borne by the
State and what by towns, AMI suggest a careful
examination of Them. Il will be seen thai, as a
rule he proportion pli by the State IL much larger
from the large than from the small towns. This no
doubt, from The fact that more Of the tran
silent insane Ind their way there, and perhaps less
care Is exercised in asceraning whether they have
n legal art!cmeni-or TO send them to their homes
II they axe from out Of the Stafe. II every town
WIS obliged 10 support the transient insane thrown
upon II al tins way, they would be likely 10 take
effective measures 10 tinl where they belonged
bat a II now is, they have nothing 10 do hui to
throw the burden the STATE and there Is pro-
| per guard against this being done unJustly.
We have now an ingenious device for getting up
law SUIT between the town and State on this ques-
ZION OF settlement, in which the people have the
privilege ct paving the expense on both sides ami
supporting the pauper Al last. Other States have
/ systems Of returning persons who become public
charge within certain tint, and require the rail-
roads ant vessels which brought them in to furnish
them transportation to the place from which they
took them They are returned to Us IN that way.
We have no state method oil guarding against these
| importaiions on the part Of neighbOrs, but
where the towns have the bills 10 pay. there is no
danger The State ought not to pay any part Of the
expense Of that class for which 1t now pays sioo
per week.
In regard 10 the other class the transient insane,
so called uraning those who have no legal settle
meni in any town in this State, II may be said that
II their support fell upon the towns they would not
send them 10 the asylum IN some cases where they
ought 10. and thai they hight not he properly cared
/ for. There should he 4 method 10y which Il com
plant could be entered. and the town required TO
do its duty. II is stated on good authority that the
| insane inmates of the Massachusetts, cities and
towns alinshOuses are well treated and those best
yerScu Ia st.Ch MATTERS. Keep the harmless insane
away from the asylums. II is admitted, too, that
We have gone too far In building great sanitary and
rciOriIatory Institutions, and that truer method
Is 10 separate, whether we consider taf expense or
the results of cure or rcfUr!d.
Salne will claim that humanity requires thai every
person of unSOund mind should be sent To the asy
luin. Ihls Is an easy way of putting disagreeab!e
line WHERE reason loses sway and insanity com
meGce-. \ better humanity would send 10 an asy-
lum those who need its special treatment or re
strainiwculd require that all such should go, and
allow none to go who would be as well cared for
elsewhere. ami would receive harm rather than
benefit from the association. What should be done
with the cpLsiCt criminal insane Is fully discussed
In The rei'o of the asylum and prison officers