The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1884-06-19
IMBEoILE ASYLUM.

the Trustees and Superintendent Of the
Ohio Institution for Feeble minded
Youth to the Governor fGr 1883 IL just
out, and we have to thank DR., Doren,
the Superintendent, for a copy by mall,
We learn that the new building Is near
ing completion and when finished Will
accommodate about seven hundred In
mates. This institution is located at
Columbus, and Ia one OF the most Inn
pOFtant and useful Of our benevolent
institutions, and IL recognized In this
country and In Europe as one of the
most successful, For some months past
an intelligent young lady from Norway,
sent hlther by the government, has been
visiting such institutions In this cOun'
try and has spent good part of her
lime at Columbus studying the manage
ment at the Ohio institution,
Many Of our citizens scarcely know Of
this institution, and comparatively few
are aware of its Importance. We ex'
tract:
In the seventeenth annual report Of
the trustees (lS72), In answer TO the
query, then, ~ now, 10 frequently
made: what can you make OF such
children-that is, what can the instltu-
ti0n do for the ameliOrati0n Of their
condition. the trustees truthfully say.
I'VE reply, q great change for the better
Is made In nearly every case. The noisy
aud rude become quiet and orderly; the
lllthy become neat In their persons and
habits the feeble OF limb are taught u
walk; the almost dumb learn b. speak
aud sinPi n large proportion learn TO
read and spell, and are taught writing
and drawing; all learn something OF
geography, and still more In regard Ia
.he objects they see about them. The
| girls learn TO sew and do h0aaew0rk,
and the boys work In the garden aud Oh
| the farm, Some succeed well in various
mechanical employments. BY skillful
aud patient training they are taught
| good manners, good habits, aud TO ac'
quire sci control. Their mental and
moral improvement usually keeps pace
with the Improvement OF their physical
condition, What we have actually ac'
complished may be expressed "a follows
90 per cent, learn to work; "A per cent
learn to read and write; i3 per cent
nake useful rrOgress In arithmetic. All
are improved In personal habits"
In the tWenty-llrst annual report the
| trustees say TO the Governor: Before
closing this report We desire TO call your
attention 10 u subject OF great and pres.
| sing impOrtance--the necessity OF ma
king provision for adult imbecIles. Re.
concentrations upon this subject ap-
pear In each OF the reports Of the Board
Of State Charities since the year 1868, to
which we respectfully refer, particular
ly TO that for the year 1871 There are
Of this class, ~ appears by the various
reports and from other reliable sources
VI information, not less than 5000 con-
fined In jails, inArmarles, and scattered
NJ largo among the people OF the state.
Those cOnllned are supported at public
expense, while oil are a charge, directly
or Indirectly, upon the public for sup
port. They can, much more cOmf0rta'
bly, TO themselves and others, and we
believe rs cheaply, be cared for congre
gated together. In fact, under q prop
erly devised system with the necessary
facilities, II IL believed u large proper.
ton can not only earn sufficient TO sup
port themselves, but largely aid In the
support OF others Of the same class,
There are at this time In the institution
under our charge, quite n number Of
adult imbeciles This number is con.
stantly increasing. They have no place
to 80 TO except the county inllrmaries
or to wander at large through the com
munity, dependent only upon cold char
ity for support, The danger TO be ap.
pretended from allowing feeble.minded
young persons, and especially young
women, TO be sent out under such cir
cumstances 10 easily appreciated, and
the responsibility one we dare not as.
sumo, Should an institution like the
one spoken of DO established, those ready
TO be sent from here, and having no
homes 10 20 10, could be sent TO II, thus
relieving this institution, and leaving
II TO carry out the work for which II
was originally established-th i'm
provement Of this class susceptible
thereof.