Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1883-06-12
tSuurnaI aub Gotrrier.
SINGLE COPIES THREE CENTS.
Tuesday, june IL, 1883.
A WOMAN VS.. BUTLER.

A WOMAN VS.. BUTLER.
A notable incident of the great Tewksbury
controversy which is deeply disturbing Mas
sachusetts and attracting more or less atten-
ton all over the country is that the bold
Buffers most effective antagonist is a wo-
man-Mrs Clara T. Leonard, of Springfield,
member of the State board of health, luna
cy and charity. Mrs. Leonard has been
carefully examining the condition of things
at Tewksbury, and she attacks some of Gov
ernor Buffers statements with vigor and
facts that even he, with all his ingenuity, can
hardly 'tget round"
Butler referred to the reports of the aims
house for 1862 and 1882, and drew an un-
favorable comparison between the economy
of the first year and the ''extravagance of the
last" He asserted that the increased mortal
ity in 1882 was probably owing to cover
feeding" He also made the singular asser-
ton that 1.-The more of the insane that are
sick the less will be the cost of their sup
port" because they will eat less. Mrs. Leon
ard shows that since 1862 Tewksbury has
practically become hospital. The report of
1862 shows that in that year only one nurse
was employed in the whole sinstitution,
whereas at present nineteen personal attend
ants are insufficient for the helpless inmates
in hospitals and asylum-about five hundred
persons in all incapable of self care-beside
the aged and decrepit and infants in the
main building. In 1862 good family domes-
tics could be hired at $3.50 to So
per week, while, as any housekeeper
knows, the same class now receive from So
to SIS per week. Sick nurses were paid $5
per week in 1862, and now cost from $40 to
$15. A competent family seamstress then
worked at so cents per day, and now COM
mands 81 to $1.75 for the same work. The
assertion that sick insane person costs less
than well one she very correctly character
ICES as ga CHASTITY jest" She says the re-
suit of intelligent examination Of the two re-
ports mentioned by the governor will be to
show that the stand ard has been raised and
the inmates have better care and that the
greatly increased amount of sickness aos
counts for the increased mortality.
Mrs. Leonard's presentation of facts does
credit to her head, and what she has to say
about the present needs of the institution
and the policy which should be followed in
its management does credit to her heart. She
says While rejoice that SO much iber-
ality has been shown by the State, and that
the efforts of faithful public servants have
done SO much to alleviate human misery,
feel anxiety lest another current should set
in. and progress be impeded or turned back
by those persons to whom money is the only
good, who have no fellow feeling for the
small who are not ''kind to the unthankful
and evil" No matter heS people become
sick and suffering, when they are SO, our
Christian faith bids US to be merciful. x x
So far as my humble influence will permit,
shall endeavor to increase the cost of the
State aImshouss SO as to give the sick more
care than they now have, and I believe that
there is still enough compassion and gener-
osity in the commonwealth, SO prospered by
the Almighty, to sustain me.
Governor Butler will find it impossible to
destroy the effect of Mrs. leonard's reports
concerning the condition of affairs at Tewks-
bury In the face of the facts which she
gives he cannot prove that there is reckless
expenditure" there. Not single hospital in
the State is run at so low a rate as the one at
Tewksbury.