Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1881-10-04
A CRYING SHAME.
PATRICK Courthouse, VA. !
September 20, 1881.

September 20, 1881.
TO the Editor Of the Whig:
The communication of Mr.. Overbey,
Of Pittsylyania, see in your paper in
regard to the insane unprovided for in
this State, is one to which the attention
of the public should have been called be-
fore this. In this county (Patrick) there
have been five lunatics-tour women and
one man--scnt to our Jail, and repeated
efforts made to get them places in our
lunatic asylums within the last eighteen
months without success--the invariable
answer being-'no room." One case is
ptable one-a mother of a family of
small, helpless children. All these un-
fortunates were respectable and of re-
spectacle families. Our law requires
them to be sent to Jail until Il place can
be secured for them in our assylums.-
If this can't be done they must remain
in Jail, and, of course, receive the treat
lncnt of other persons confined for Grim
ina offences. This is horrible and re-
voting to every feeling of humanity.
The law allows the judges Of the
county courts to employ persons to take
charge OF them for compensation. This
have succeeded in doing in this county,
and there are none now in our Jail. 1t
was with trouble | succeed in doing so,
and very recently | was informed by the
father of one Of them that he would have
to return his child to Jail, MS he could
not manage him. This is the state of
affairs here. If this county be an aver
are there cannot be less than five or six
hundred lunatics unproYided for in this
State. But this being Il backwoods coun-
ty, it may be other counties may be bet
ter provided for. But have no doubt
there are many lunatiCs all over the State
whose misfortunes are concealed by their
friends 10 keep them from confinement
in our county jails, knowing there is no
chance to get them provided for in our
asylums.
The condition Of this class Of our peo-
pie appeals to our sympathy for help,
and yet we are unable to render that
help in the present financial condition Of
the State. We need new assylums or the
old ones greatly enlarged, but are una-
BILE to do so. Leaving out Of the ques-
ton the taking from the public schools
that which belongs to them by the Con-
stitution, can any man who claims to be
guided by the instincts Of humanity and
Christian charity say to-day, 1t is better
to exhaust to the last dollar the revenues
of the State to meet the requirements of
the McCulloch Bill than TO provide in Il
humane way for this class of our help
less and unfortunate peopleP The advo-
Gates of that settlement know perfectly
well that to pay the interest on that debt
as therein provided and to pay all other
absolutely necessary demands on us and
TO provide for this sliamefully neglected
class of our people, tcW require n large
increase of taxation upon the people,
| would have respect for them that |
cannot now feel If they would at once
meet the issue fairly and squarely, and
at once demand an increase of taxation
and stop trying to manipulate figures
that refuse to lie, and quit boastng about
the increasing prosperity of the state,
when statistics show she Is on n pernla-
nent retrogrNde. =, ,
A. NJ. LYBRooK.