The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1894-07-07
THE LEPERS AND THE LEGIS-
LATURE.

ture is to provide for the unfortu-
nate lepers, resident of the State.
The number of iepers as computed
by competent authorities, several OF
them eminent physicians, and one OF
them member of the board of the
Charity Hospital, amounts to five
thousand in Louisiana. In presence
of disease so incurable and prob
ably contagious, which has assumed
an endemic form in some portions of
Louisiana, the State has manifested
a degree of apathy and listlessness,
which astonishes one as he becomes
better acquainted with the situation.
Heretofore lepers were allowed to
roam about wherever they pleased /;
the General Assembly of 1892 en-
acted, however, that the residents of
the State afflicted with lepr0sy should
be confined in the New Orleans pest
house, operated by DR.. j. e. Beard.
In other words, these outcasts of
humanity were farmed out to DR..
Beard, and 80 many complaints were
made against him by the lepers them
selves, their relations and friends,
that the grand jury of March l, 1893,
thought 1t proper to make an inves-
tigation, and they reported that "the
condition of the place was so revolt
ing, and the neglect of its unfortu-
nate inmates so shameful that they
deemed it advisable to send COM
mittee to investigate After the
investigation, they made a report, in
which they said that "they regretted
that they saw no way of lodging a
criminal charge against the contract
or, but they stated to the public their
unqualified condemnation of his
[Dr. Beard's] rapacity."
This year, the lepers themselves
sent to the General Assembly a Pc
tition, praying for relief, remonstra-
ting that "they are human after all,
and not responsible for their condi-
tom and asking for its betterment.
1t is in answer to this that the legis-
lature framed bill appropriating
SIS, 900 year for the lepers' relief
and support, to be spent under the
supervision of board of control
composed of seven members. So
far the legislature has done its duty !;
but the bill has a strange and eX-
press provision that the lepers shall
be farmed out on contract; that IS,
that their care shall be given to the
lowest bidder, DR.. Beard, or anoth-
er such, to make as much money as
he can out of these outcasts of
humanity. We wish no harm to the
trainers of the bill, but as these poor
unfortunates say in their petition to
the Assembly, "we do not know whose
turn will come next" and how would
Mr.. Framer of the bill feel if later
on he would be so unfortunate as to
be farmed out to DIR. Beard or sue
cessor? How would he feel If he
saw his wife or children, father or
mother, because afflicted with lepro-
sy, turned over by law to DR.. Boards
extraordinary tender care, when from
the grand jury's investigation, ''Sl 30
day had to feed them all, and the
poor lepers were practically aband-
oned.' Is there. no philanthropy left
in the land, and can the State find
no one with charity and disinterest-
edness enough in his heart to which
he can say, as the Samaritan said to
the innkeeper, "Here is my purse,
take care Of this unfortunate brother,
and if that is not enough, ! shall pay
thee when come back?" Has the
medical fraternity, who in former
years in Louisiana has given SO many
examples of heroism, no one left
who would consider it as an honor to
take charge of these unfortunate
brothers, alleviate their sufferings
and make pleasant their last days?
1t is a downright shame and a
crime against humanity that the
State should exact that the lepers
should be farmed out to the lowest
bidder, for no doubt, if an appeal
were made by proper authorities,
many good Samaritans would come
forward, who, not for filthy lucre,
but for the love of Him, would con-
secrate their lives to the relief of the
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