New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-13
CARE UF THE INSANE.
A HEARING on ASSEMBLYMAN ACKER'S
BILL.
COUNTY OFFICIALS STRIVING TO RETAIN I'LL
LUxArcs IN THEIR PooEHoUsEs-ThE
my 7v,EcnArH I'd THE TkIBCSE.I


Try 1y:EGRAPH ID THE ThBCNb. -
.,.rr March 1.-THE Assembly parlor IN 'he
Capitol today was crowded with abou' Nv f0Vr
gathered to hear and make speeches upon NS'o'""'
man ,ctcr's bill to transfer the insane poor Ho'"
,no county warehouses to the state insane asylumS'
This Is The bill drawn up by the Officers Oh 'ic ''',0
Charities Aid Association and supported by that hoDo
orranjzatlon by three state Lunacy Commissioners
BY the state Medical society, by the S'a'e iioN'oo
pathc Society. and by large proportion VI '"0 "'0'
bers of the state Board of Charities. Ihefe were
nresent 10 favor the bill Miss Louisa Lee schuyler
Of the state Charities Aid Association ana twenty
other lady members of that society President 'rSs'
Of the state Board of Charities Professor Charles r.
Chandler of Columbia College Lunacy 'oh'''''S
sioners Macdonald Reeves and Brown, ana many
other friends Of the measure On the o'hef "a"u
there were present opposing the bill large number
NJ superintendcnts of the poor OF various counties
IL should be stated that there is strong suspicion
that comfy politicians make few dollars by starry
ing and negectng to give proper medical care W
the insane people in the poorhouses ana thav " "
their despicabe opposition to the bill which Is l''ue
ing It's passage. The superintendent OF inc poor
made many assertions in defence of TIE presch, sSs
tenn but the friends of the bill easily swept away
their ar:uments and showed the barbarous nature Oh
the treatment Of the poor insane.
II was the Assembly Committee on 'haaiao'o 80
stitutions that heard the arguments the bill, when
extended over period of five hours rroieSso
+.
In part -
=. hos hee, said that II Is cruel TO drag man away
nom his friends in a county. We have eA"nheo ''''
charge and find that insane are just a. acersS !"
TIE State asyluns the county institutions II
ro aceconate they would prefer to have them tedu
,h tho hest OF medical Then 1t j. sad Ihe WORN
VIII be too expensive. Additions are no" p'is Low
IN the existing state asylums which, by Octoo'r l. i0
will accommodate all but 100 Of the patients no" III w
,oo-houses According plans additions VIII De
n.da " tho State insane ssylums at an expense ho 70
exceed 100000. which Will accommodate az VI ~,
100 ratients. 1 sure the state OF newborn WIZ
ba willing to expend that sum. IL Is iuf'nef S'" ~
o,n,r care is the cheapest. The boast i Maue 'h"'
atents in the county asyums can be cared Tor at '
rate Of 81 o6 each week. state snoui~ y.
70 have its insane poor supported so lhsu"o".? ~,
Vow The question arises who are opposing uiis oi
r avn the superintendents OF the Poor Ihere i only
one reason they political or some o'ner c@p ou
of 1t. 1t is for their interest 10 heei -''0 ~
in misery. Ia .ha. ho ronresento6
tho srnsrinterdents of the Poor who at their con
v,nti,n had passed resolutions unanimously Against
the bill. Wv. $40 ,o
Judge Meade. Of Tioga County. said: 1--WE are mere
hscause the Board OF Supervisors OF llos" '""''
orc onnosinc this bill We stand backed up
by the leading citizens OF liosa Oou"E
1nase Meade said that the abandonment OF the pcc"
.vstern would cause great loss TO the counties
T Blacl,nnan Of the Board OF supervisors OF Ere
County, said lie came 10 oppose tlc Uiii' oV'"', ,
county could take care Of its own INSANE ~ '''
ro.ent,v nurchased 500 of land. The sum OF
$4,000 had been paid for the farm. Ihe co.aS
Man of asylums to be tired. II New iorA' hi's
a Norroe counties were 70 be exempted from the
provisions of the act, Eric County also shouu DC e
,n,ed b,t that county did not ask for exemption II
wanted the bill beaten. In the state Asylum d'
Buffalo patients had been illleateo'
Mr.. Wasson superintendent of the Poor o. 'eherso"
Comfy argued that more patients were cured IN INC
han
.ss.mhvman Greene said that he had been requested
ny the BOARD Of Supervisors of Orange county "
oppose the bill. lie also argued that the ota'c insane
asyumns did not give as many cures as 'nv eN,'','-
system and that New-Yorh Kings and Monroe ooun'oN
would support the bill in order TO have their arynmn
s,nncrted bvand-bv By the state Professor Claholef
was mistaken in saying the insane patients were
worked like car horses on the county farms
Fx-Assemblyman John +. Davies, on behaf OF the
Oneida County Board of Supervisors protested against
the passage Of the bill
T. NJ. Cowanv dentist spoke for the Board Of
superyisors of Madison Comfy and denied the s'a'e
ment made in the last report of the STATE LHha'H
commissioners regarding the bsrbarous treatment Of
the insane patients in the poorhouse OF thal county
A. NJ Woosey repre- sentative Of the Board Of super
visors Of Ulster County, also opposed the bill.
Then followed speeches from the friends Of the bill
Dr. Levi Of Albany, read resolution unanimously
passed by the state Medical society in February IN
favor Of the bill The state Medical Society. H.
said represented four-nfths of the anopatmc
musicians of the state. lie also stated
that the homeopathic state Medical society hAu
passed similar in favor Of the DILL fof
the first lime in the history Of the medical men OF the
state, said Dr. Levi "they united in favor Of the
BILL
oscar Crsis Of Rochester. president Of the state
Board Of Charities, said that the members OF the
Ipnscv Committee OF that Board all favored the b
William p Letchworth. OF bunaio ldtc pieslucnt VI
the state Board Of Charities favored the mc3Aalc
Ripley Ropes OF Brooklyn, favored the Dui. i i
state Charities Aid Association favored the Oil. or
Craig anayzcd the figures OF the cures III inc Codh'V
and showed that people were discharged from IN
asvIums on the order vi isymen, and without IN
authority Of physicians. -,
10 their argument do not transfer The ms in'
from the counties 70 the >tate asylIns when you as
cover that they being abusedl"
"We have not done 20 because there was no room II
the state asylums for these patients said Mr.. Craig
Mr. Craig then described a recent visit OF his Il
Livingston County. where he told that no lnsan'
patients were kept In an attic OF the poorhou~e
but he found insane woman imprisoned III th
attic without care whatever
DIR, Andrews, of the Buffalo Insane Asylum
denied the truth Of the statement made BY NJ
Riacgman, that patient had been III treated III tina
Ex-Coneressman Henry A. Reeves, one Of tn
state Lunacy Commissioners, In brfct speech
favored the bill he gave his testimony as 70 Oh
horrible condition Of the county poolhouscs.
DR.. Carlos F. Macdonald, another OF the Lunac
Commissioners. closed the arguments with stron
speech in favor Of THE measure.
THE HOUSE PASSES TIE SUPPLY BILL.