New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-21
LEGISLATION FOR THE INSANE.

Increasing popular interest in legislation Tor
the insane has encouraged the State CHARITIES
All Association to reprint in separate form por-
tions of its annual report relating to this sub
iect. We have already directed attention to
the report as embodying radical proposals for
transferring the pauper insane from county TO
State institutions, and as containing coeeh.
arguments for the introduction OF new and
comprehensive system. The opposition excited
last February when the Curtis bill was intro
duced in the Legislature indicated that there
was strong case against the proposed reforms
and warned the association that it would have
70 make strenuous efforts to inform and ed
ucate public opinion in this State. This spe-
cial publication is designed to present the sub
loot anew ON the eve of another session OF the
Legislature as one that deserves intelligent
study and deliberate reflection. Objections
are mpartially stated and explicitly answered.
and the whole subject is discussed with dig
nifty, ingenuity and power.
The argument that the proposed reform
strikes blow at local self-government in de-
priving counties of the privilege OF caring Tor
the pauper insane within their own jurisdiction
does not merit serious consideration. The
counties already send their blind, deaf and
dumb, and special classes Of insane paupers to
State institutions, and their felons as well and
no principle of local self-government is sac
rificed. Since insane paupers are now cared
for by the State when they require special
treatment, there can be no valid objection to
a similar transfer of patients needing general
treatment As an abstract proposition, more
Lo cd bot no NJ
of State asyums is superior to that of county
asyiums and that the insane will receive bet
ter treatment and at a lower cost if they are
committed to the care of the larger institutions.
The State asylums are under the direction of
Boards of Trustees, appointed for long terms
and serving without salary. In the manage
mcnt Of county asylums political considerations
are more likely to prevail both IN appointments
and in measures of economy, by which the
health and comfort of the inmates are sacrificed.
While there has been a marked improvement
in the conduct of many of the county institu-
tons during recent years, the management is
too often seriously defective, as is shown by
the reports of local visiting committees. The
complaints of insufficient food, scanty clothing,
no lights cold rooms and inadequate number
of attendants are well founded in too many in
stances. These wretched unfortunates uneues-
tionably would be in better hands if they were
provided for Systematically by the State in
wards opened in connection with the large
.aSylums
In some of the newer States the right system
has been introduced without difficulty, since
there were comparatively few county asylums
to be abandoned. In this State three of the
counties, New-York Kings and Monroe, have
provided large institutions for their pauper in
sane, and other counties have expended con-
siderable sums for separate buildings. This is
one of the chief obstacles to the proposed legs-
lation The Curtis bill does not apply to the
counties named above, but even with this
reservation there are a large number of sepa-
rate establishments for the insane to be discon-
tinued if the transfer be made. Then, too,
there is the difficulty of adjusting and dis
tributing the burdens of maintenance of insane
paupers and of the construction of many new
buildings These are matters which we appre-
bend practical legislators will consider to be
inadequatey dealt with in the report. These
difficulties ought not however to prove in
surmountable.