The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-06-23

thing, and when we make comparisons
of the per capita cost of maintenance
with other states we should have this
always in mind. These other states
require that relatives and the county
from which each patient comes shall
pay part Of this cost. In some states
on3-third is charged against the county
and relatives, in others one-half, while
we had a similar law in Minnesota it
would at one stroke reduce the cost
of maintaining the hospitals one-third
or one-half, as the case might be, and
result in direct saving to the tax
payer to that amount. And II, as
believe would be the case, such law
would reduce the insane population in
institutions, there would be another
important saving"
Dr. TOmlinsOn cited a number of cas-
es in proof of the assertion that the
system now in vogue in this state has
a bad effect upon the people Not long
ago man brought his insane daughter
to the ST. Peter hospital and was in
dignant because the hospital authorities
would not permit him to take the shoes
off her feet They would fit another
daughter at home, he said, and he
couldn't understand why he might not
take them, since under the law the state
provided everything. Another man. in
committing an insane wife. wanted her
undressed so that he might take back
home the clothing she had worn to the
institution. A Scott county wife wrote
DR.. TomlinsOn an indignant letter be-
cause when her husband was discharg-
ed as cured the hospital did not pro-
vide him with half dozen white shirts.
At present there is a woman OF "a in
st. Peter because lot of thankless and
ungrateful children do not want to care
for her. She has the feebleness OF mind
that comes with advanced age, and SO
comes within the meaning OF the pres
ent loosely-drawn law covering COM
mitments.
Some weeks ago an old mamie was
turned 88-was brought to Fergus Falls
because his children had become weary
of caring for him Fortunately, it may
be, he lived less than week after COM
mitment And so cases might be null
tiplied indefinitely to show what the
effect of the free system is upon the
minds of the people.
would you refuse to accept cloth
ing were it offered by relatives" l ask
ed DR.. Tomlinson.
to accept it; but since there is moth
ing in the law by which we can require
it, we don't get it
And then he went on to talk little
more about the Scott county woman re-
ferred to above. When her husband
reached home he had new suit, new
shoes and stockings, new hat, new IN
derwear, new necktfe End new white
shirt, the one he had on. The woman
probably felt SO long as the state had
done so well by him, and dressed him
better than ever he had bee dressed
before, it should not have STOPPED at
one shirt, but should have given q full
complement Of six, or enough to go
with the suit So DR.. Tomlinson show
| ed the pauperizfng effect of the free
| system, and how it encouraged a vicious
| and selfish paternaIistfc spirit. With
law requiring part of the cost to be
| borne by the relatives it is probably the
old people referred to above would not
| have been committed; nor would the
| thrifty Scott county wife have been so
insistant as to the half-dozen white
| shirts if the law had required her to
| furnish them herself
II the counties were compelled by the
law to pay part Of the cost OF the
maintenance of supporting its insane
at the hospitals, the whole people of
the county would be interested in see
ing that the patients were fit persons to
| receive such charity. The cruel crea
lures who would saddle their aged but
+, sane parents on the public would be
| brought to time.
| AS it is now &c lunatics are grow
| ing faster than the state; and honest
| industry is oppressed by other peoples
| burdens.
Why don't those people who opDos