Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1884-12-25

Asylum that I" the chief RESPONSE.
bility rests with the physicians of the
State" No persons can be admitted
to the Asylum except upon the certi6.
cate OF two physicians. Their exami'
nations are often hasty, and in their
conduct there is "a certain careless
nees which comes from want Of ap.
probation Of their real responsibility. :"
We are amazed that the Legislature
does not take decisive action on this
subject. There is wrangling and de,
batting for hours over proposition to
erend few hundred or few thousand
dollars with manifest advantage to
the State, but hundreds Of thousands
of dollars are allowed to be swallow
ed up by the Lunatic Asylum with.
out protest, and almost without re-
mark.
1t is all very well " talk OF charita.
bic care Of persons Of .unsound mind,
and to prste of humanity and the
rest. Charity begins at home. There
is no true charity IN compelling the
State to take care of those who can
be taken care of juet as we'll by their
friends. There is no true charity in
burdening the taxpayers for the sake
OF persons who are not lunatics, and
are only sent to the State Asylum to
save their friends the trouble and ex.
pense Of looking after them. We
have always thought that each county
should be made to pay for its own
lnnatics. The responsibility will then
come nearer home to the officers Of
the counties, and they will be sub.
iected to closer supervision. When
the lunatics can be bundled off to
Columbia and can be taken care Of
at the charge Of the State, there is
much less indrcement to be vigilant.
Indeed, some county officers may
think that they show their smartness
by sending up larger number of
lunatics than other counties can fur.
nith.
In order to place the responsibility
for the over.crowdiug of the Asylum
where it belongs, end at the same
time impose wholesome check upon
those who are responsible for filling
it, it is suggested that the superin-
tendent OF the Asylum be required
to give in his annual report, in con,
nection with the OF each patient
received, the physical end mental
condition of such patient and the
names of the physicians upon whose
certificate he was committed to the
Asylum. Physicians are sensitiseto
the criticism OF members Of their own
profession, and will hesitate. it is be-
lieved, before advertising their own
carelessness or incapacity by sendiag
persoas to the Asylum who are net
proper subjects for the care Of that
institution.
Tue Board Of Regents, in their re.
port, say that they urgently commend
TO the representatives Of the people
of South Carolina So liberal and con
tiuued care Of, and consideration for,
this institution, es appealing to theil
patriotism, their philanthropy and
their Christianity, with the fpll a!
snrance SUR &C. that at the 3ese e3essEleasst
fulfil the purposes Of these sacred oS
ligatlors. No one wishes to evade,
any proper obligation, but there is no
obligation whatever to accept ell the
patients whom careless ply sicians or
careless county officers choose to send
to Columbia to be maintained at the
public expense. An obligation quite
as al sacred as that Of caring for the
luua,ics is the obligation to exercise
the etrictest economy in spending the
money wrung by taxation frcr the
people of the State. In these times,
the working men, in particular, find
it difficult to make both ends meet.
The Legislature may actually be tak,
ing bread from the working people Of
the State, II laborers and mechanics,
when it pilea u on tax for the Luna
! tic Asylum, instead Of framing such
laws as will prevent any further I'M
position upon the charity and liber.
allty OF the people.