New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-21
STATE CARE OF THE INSANE.
MR.. ACKER'S BILL Is PASSED BY THE AS
SEMBIN.
COUNTY POLITICS MAKES A STRONG SHOW oR
OPPOSITION on THE FLOOR-SPEECHES

COUNTY POLITICS MAKES A STRONG SHOW oH
OPPOSITION on THE FLoOR-sPEEcuEs
FOR AND AGAINST THE MEASURE.
,GY rrLgGKAPn TO THE TRIBrSEI
Albany, March 2O.-Thc state Of New York took
long step in the pathway OF civilization to-day by
Messing in it, Assembly the bill Of Mr.. Acker TO
abolish the alleged insane asyIumns7 Of the coun
ties, which, in fact, are merely poorhouscs with
insane wards and to transfer the wrctchcd inmates
Of these :" hells7 to the state insane asylumns. OF
course the supcrntcndents of the Poor, who now
make money 10y feeding the insane poor food. CIV
ing them practically no care and having them
prescribed for by cheap country physicians, made .
strong effort to defeat the bcncfcent measure. In
this effort they aided by some Assemblymcp
Of good reputc, who felt compelled to take this ai
iudc because OF the power in politics of the superin
tcndcnt, Of the Poor. But for their opposition the
bill would have passed the Assembly in ten minutes
Miss Louisa Lee schuyler and good many other
lady members of the state Charities Aid Association
were present In the Assembly chamber while the
argument was being made the bill, and
rcjoccd greatly when the measure. which mainly
pushed by their society, passed the Assembly. The
three state Lunacy Commissioners-Dr Carlos +. Mac
donald Henry Reeves and Goodwin Brown-whose
frank report this year disclosing the nhumanity Of the
present system has done much to carry the bill.
were also present. Mr.. Achcr. who introduced the
bill deserves much credit for his skfu management
feeling speech behalf of the insane poor that car.
ried the measure through the Assembly.
Mr. Peck, OF Cortland County, who represents .
county in which there is Of those so-called In
sane a., ums opened the debate with attack upon
the bill lie used the out arguments OF expense
the convenience Of friends In visiting the insane, ana
the humanity of caring for them in the vicinity whore
they lived lie read the fare which tho inmates Of
the Cortland County poorhousc received in which corn
bread figured prominently lie read statistics to
prove that in 1850 four times many insane wore
sent home cured from the county lums" as from
the state institutions
Mr. Connolly defended the bill in the name OF justice
and humanity.
Mr. Decker believed the zeal for the bill was born
without knowledge The Tioga County insane were
hammer i'm the county asylum" where their friends
could see them every day, than they would be In
the state asylums. Mr.. Decker described lovely
state of affairs in his county poorhousc.
Mr. Mott followed. denying the statements concern
ing the horrible condition OF affairs In the Madison
poorhose set forth the report OF the State Lunacy
Commission lie also attacked Dr. Macdonald. ana
read afdavts TO the effect that the statements made
by the Commission to the abuses In that place
were false
Mr. Nixon. of Chaatauqua, thought the bill was an
admission that the state Board OF Charities and the
state Lunacy Commission unable to enforce AZ
istng laws and unable to DO thar duty. IA DsaseA