The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-09-13


pense of maintaining him there until he
was either cured or dead. Twenty-six dol
lars ana ninety cents was thus raised
among the men in the two railroad offices
and more is promised and more can be had
for the mere asking. Any responsible man
can raise fifty dollars within aquartcr of an
hour on any one of the business
streets in the city for purpose, such as
actuated these railroad men, and If the
agents of the company, in the absence of
authority to act for the road, had but said
the word, the money would have been
raised as easily at eight o'clock in the
morning as at two o'clock In the afternoon.
1t is admitted that the company's res
possibility was not legal one; but neither
was the citys responsibility a legal one.
1t is also admitted that the city's response
bility was moral one; but the company
was also morally responsible. And II must
be admitted by the company's apologists
that its moral responsibility was greater
and primary to that of the city, because
the man was mangled by the
employees and upon the premises of the
company. Had Woodgate come to his IN
juries by the act of any person, on or by
any property, acting tor, or belonging to,
the city, then the case would have been
different-it would have been reversed
and the authorities of the city would merit
the severest denunciation, had they failed
to render needed assistance to the poor VIC
tim.
1t Is unnecessary to 60 into lengthy
argument to prove that Cairo and Alexan-
der county have more than their share of
the floating poor to care for everybody
who knows the facts acknowledges that
The marine hospital here does fully as
much at all seasons of the year as any like
institution in the land, st. Louis and New
Orleans not excepted, and it is notorious
fact that, during the winter season, it
does more than twice as much
as some of the most important hospitals In
the country. The reports of DR.. Carter will
show this, and they will also show that
never month passes but what from eight
to fifteen applicants are rejected, who then
apply to the city and county authorities and
to the people Of Cairo direct for assistance.
That in nearly all cases they receive such
assistance can also be shown; that
in some cases they received it
tardily is not denied nor can it be wondered
at, for such IS doubtless the case every.
where. The minutes of the city council
will show that money has been appropria-
ted nearly every month to defray the hos
pital and burial expenses of some poor
tramp, the victim, in most cases, of his own
neglect 1t is lamentable fact, TO which
Marine Surgeon Carter will testify,
that in nearly all cases taken
to the hospital by the city
the patients maladly proves fatal; but this
is not, as has been intimated, because the
city is usually so tardY in lending aid that
the poor wretches are usually beyond the
reach of medical aid. The fault lies not
with the city, but with the victim himself,
who lives the life of a tramp until he is sick
from undue exposure and then,
in search of public assistance,
wanders from place to place until he natur-
ally gravitates to Cairo, where he lands
pennyless, hungry, weak and in dying
condition. He applies to the hospital,
where, not beng marine, he is refused
admittance. He then lays down in some
obscure spot, where he is found day or
two afterwards in dying state by the au-
thoritles and sent to the hospital at the city's
expense. The case of the man left at the
stone depot by an up.river steamer some
time ago and found there in dying state
. few hours afterwards, is case in point.
The fare ticket found in the mans clothing
showed that he had bought passage for
CAIRO and no further. He was brought here
in penpyless, friendless and In dying
condition, contrary to the laws of the state.
He did not die at the depot, as is asserted
by the evening paper, but was sent to the
hospital, where he breathed his last soon al
ter and from whence he was buried at the
expense Of the city. That there are cases
and too many of them in which the city au-
thorities defer lending assistance where it
is needed, is admitted; but such cases are
usually Of less urgent character and the
victims are citizens of other cities and
counties the authorities Of which have I'M
posed them upon Cairo. Cairo has always
taken care of her own poor and sick; has
also always rendered assistance to INDECENT
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