Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-03-05
Pauper Idiots.

For the support of pauper idiots in
the various counties the last fiscal
year, the State of Kentucky paid
$62,089.63. The fiscal year preceding,
it paid $40, 1885.
In his biennial report the Auditor
has called attention to the imposi-
tons and fraud practiced under the
present law, relating to pauper idiots,
and recommended that their main
tenance be relegated to the counties,
logically asking why should pauper
idiot be supported by the State any
more than auyother sort of pauper.
Under an act of the Legislature
eight years was made the minimum
age for such benefciaries. This has
cut off from the charity roll fifty -four
idiots, who drew $4,050 from the
Treasury annually. Many of these
were infants not over six months old.
The public are not advised of the
extent to which this charity is abus-
ed. Many of the "idiots" of the State
are able to labor. Others are i'm
ported into the State, and foisted on
the pension roll, through the agency
of interested parties. Often the in
quests are mere farces, without any
scrutiny as 10 the true condition of
the benefciaries. There is collision
between the parties, and the witness
es are relatives or friends, or feed
outsiders.
The statistics in connection with
pauper idiocy iu Kentucky are very
striking. Nearly one-half the total
number of idiots supported by the
State, are from four judicial districts
bordering on Tennessee, Virginia
and West Virginia. In the Third
District we find that the county of
Henderson, with 4,695 legal voters,
has only one pauper idiot. The
county of Union, 4,057 legal voters,
has only one. The county of Critteu-
den, with 1903 legal voters, has only
one. These three counties having a
total voting population of 1926,
show only three idiots for the State
to support. The entire Third Judi
cial District has l4,52l legal voters,
and only seven pauper idiots. The
Fifteenth District has 1876 legal
voters, and 1873 pauper idiots. The
single county of Owsley, with $50 le-
gal voters, has as many pauper idiots
as the entire Third judicial District,
with 1881 legal voters. The county
of Perry, with 1913 voters, has thir-
teen pauper idiots, or more than
Bourbon, Clark, Woodford and Fay
cite, with altogether a voting popu-
lation of over 1900. The two coun-
ties of Whitley and Pulaski have
each more pauper idiots than the en-
tire Third, Fourth or Eleventh Dis
trict. The Eighth District, with o.
284 legal voters, has 155 idiots. BY
further comparison we find that the
LIST, I'd, Sd, 4th, 9th, 9th, 10th, 11th,
18th, 18th, 10Th and 18th Districts,
comprising seventy-tlve of the largest
and by far most populous counties
in the State, show total of only 4S7
idiots, while the rest of the counties
small and sparsely settled, show 637
idiots.
Harlan county has twenty-one
idiots, and population of 5,27S, or
one idiot 10 253 Inhabitants.
Whitley county has thirty-three
idiots, and population of 1900, or
one idiot to 1868 inhabitants.
Jackson county has eighteen idiots,
and population of 6,67S, or one idiot
to 37l inhabitants.
Rowan county has ten idiots, and
a population of 1920, or one idiot to
442 Inhabitants.
In Martin county We have one
idiot to 3,046 inhabitants.
In Boyd one to 1876.
In Mclean one to 9,293.
In Crittenden one TO ll,GSS.
In Union one to 1850.
In Henderson one to 24,5l5.
In Harlan county with a popula-
ton of 5,27S, twenty-one idiots were
supported last year by the State, or
one idiot to every 253 inhabitants.
If the same proportion of idiocy ex-
lsted throughout theState therewould
be 6,56S idiots, whose support would
cost the State annually $4,000.
On the other hand If the same rate
of idiocy existed throughout the
State that exists in Henderson coun-
! ty, there would be only sixty-eight
idiots in Kentucky, whose support
would require only $500 per year.
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