Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1895-02-14

be an act OF very bad faith to repeal the
law now after they have paid per cent
for five years, which would entltle them
TO per cent rate hereafter? OF course
hereafter is q very long and indefinite
period, but we think they ought to have
ut least i've years under the reduced
rate and no plea OF necessity would JUS
tl1y such On outrageous act Of perfdy.
MI. Mllsted seems to realize that the
state started out at a gait that she is un-
able to keep up and with load that she
WILL never be able to carry: that her
sources OF revenue are diminishing and
responsibilities increasing. We naturally
looked for some suggestion from him as
to the way out of these difficulties, but
there we're none, not even the appoint
ment of receiver. We feel like taking
advantage of his invitation long enough
to suggest that if she has been going too
fast, better take slower pace until she
gets her second wind. II she has too
heavy load, better dump some OF it and
carry it at another time. II che has more
institutions than she can maintain let
them maintain themselves with what
assistance she has already advanced. For
instance, let the University and Normals
charge reasonable tuition and Incl.
dental fee, then, il they cannot MAINTAIN
themselves with their present outfit Of
instructors and salaries, let them re-
duce both to make both ends meet.
There IS no popular demand for free
higher education. except by the small
local communities who would be bene-
fitted by their location. The common
school is amply sufficient and there the
duty ought to end,
Then comes the hospital for the in
sane, what shall be done with that?
Surely If the poor settlers on these wind
swept plains provide as we'll for their
insane as the old and wealthy states Of
the east such as Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Indiana and Michigan, and for that mat
ter, all the rest whose example is worthy
Of imitation, 1t ought to be sufficient.
Let the state furnish the outfit in
cludlng the skilled superintendent, then
let the counties furnishing the patients
pay the expense Of maintenance with the
right to collect from the estates of the
patients or their relatives who are liable
for their support such sums as they may
have expended IN their behalf. We
believe that such was the intention of
the legislature that instituted this
charity as the following section from the
law of 1881 tends to show:
THE provisions herein made for the
support OF the insane at public charge
shall not be construed to release the
estates OF such persons nor their
relatives from liability for their support,
and the commissioners of the several
counties are authorized and empowered
to collect from the property Of such
patients or from any person or persons
legally bound for their support, any
sums paid ny the county in their behalf
as herein provided. Aud the certificate
OF the superintendent and the notice
from the auditor Of the territory stating
the sums charged in such cases shall be
pIesumptive evidence of the correctness
Of the sums so stated"
This embodies the correct doctrine on
tie subject. This is the we'll blazed and
beaten pa;h and it was sorry day when
she departed from it, and her sorrows
will never end until she retraces her
steps and gets upon the we'll worn road.
The assemblaee of boomers called the
legislature of 1855 must have been a
very sentimental body; the milk of
human kindness was flowing from their
hearts and they fairly tumbled over one
another to see how generous they could
be with other peoples money and en-
acted that board, tuition. treatment,
everything should be free, even the ex-
penses of bringing and taking away-the
state pays everything. She must make
an appropriation every two years with
out knowing what the requirements of
the institution may be. 1t may be too
much. It. may be too little.
Now I object to this method of run
ming the institution for very many rea-
sons. one of which is that it is class
legislation Of the very worst kind; 1t
authorizes robbery of Peter to give to
Paul and is unstatesmanlike in every
particular. object because the institu-
tion is left to the uncertain mercies of
log rolling appropriation committees. I
object--well DO matter. I have not half
finished my say, but this Is already SO
long that nobody will read it hnt John,
for whose especial benefit, mostly, it has
been written.
W. II. DOUGHTY.
Ypsilanti.