The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1897-06-26

ter many days, but more like arrows
shot forth at random, hitting some
times and missing often.
-
| come now with another subject
that affects every community and that
is clamoring for proper answer with
louder and louder tones as the years
roll by; question that must be an
swered properly by this country or it
will remain problem for the 10th
century that is absolutely frightful to
contemplate-the question is as to
the proper care of the feeble-m minded
Now | mention it, you of course ad-
nit that there is such question, but
its importance and its magnitude are
hardly likely to be felt by you, save
perhaps in your community there are
but few afflicted ones. Bear with
me as | lead you to Keeper feeling.
According to the Bureau of Stats
tics at Washington over one hundred
thousand such people, am not re-
ferring to either idiots or insane but
only to those of insufficient intellect.
This 100, 600 includes only those who
by their parents or guardians are ac-
knowledged TIC the authorities; and
learned ones on this subject think it
fair to suppose that there are half as
many more concealed aud unreported
by sensitive relatives; so that our
problem resolves into the care-taking
of $50, 600 people too lacking in intelli-
gence TO properly look after them
selves. They are pining out a limited
existence In our towns as the butts
| for all sorts of jokes, in our poor
houses as those who may be abused
without fear, in our jails as those who
have done crimes that seemed to be
committed without any sense of wrong
doing, in our land as a vast army
whose dull eyes look out upon life as
if it were a dream. What is being
done for them? The total accommo-
dation in all the institutions that al
ready exist for their proper care
and training is 1000. Fully 20 states
give them no attention at all In
South Carolina, Virginia, Missouri
and Oregon some few of them are sent
to the Isane Asylums, the very last
place they ought to be, since they can
be trained to some degree of useful
ness. In Montana they are grouped
with the Deaf and Dumb, a classif-
cation that must be of damage to the
deaf-mutes. Maine, Vermont and
Wyoming pass them on to other states,
if accommodations can be found In
the case of Maine and Vermont, Mas
sachusetts is looked to for help,
though its own state applicants exceed
by hundreds every possible accommo-
dation either at Wayerly or Barre.
North Carolina, Georgia, Arkansas,
Alabama, Mississippi. Texas, Utah,
Colorado, and few other states do
nothing tor them, unless the fact that
many Of them naturally gravitate to
the poor-houses be regarded as some
thing done.
Now, then, am | merely setting up
man of straw in order to make a
great show of bravery in demolishing
him? A glance around your own COM
munity will confirm or disprove what
| say.
| CihhN OiiN ibiOts ohN ACCDlt- AliilOCb
man is able to reproduce his kind, and
strong intellects do not come from
Predetermined parentage. Look
around your neighborhood and see if
this is correct.
In nearly every poor-house of this
countrywill be found one or more feeble
minded women; all the inevitable prey
of depraved men, and year after year
their offspring are augmenting the
number of idiots or Predetermined
children. Such won en- often prove
yeritable flre-brands in community
too weak-minded to know the evil of
what they do, too animalish to find
pleasure except in grossness, too fee
bic to resist. If your knowledge con-
firms this, bear in mind that in every
community it is the same.
Again, let it never more escape your
mind that feeble-mindednes is incur
able. The brain of such may with
advantage be trained to certain
point, and the hand acquire facili-
ty III handling tools, but after all is
done the feeble-minded one remains
so STILL Esquirol, great authority,
sums up the matter this way: 'sThe
Predetermined person is like a man
who is born poor and always re-
mains So the insane, like man who
| is born rich and becomes poor.n
~
Economy, humanity, and all that
| is MODEST in the heart of man, de-
clare that for the sake of the happi-
ness of these poor creatures, and for
their protection and the protection of
society against self-multiplying food
of idiocy, lunacy, imbecility, pauper-
ism and crime, widespread plans,
State by State and Nation by
Nation must be adopted to place
these unfortunates where they are
harmless to themselves and others.
Look at the Jule family in one of the
western counties of New York In
IS years from faulty origin, it has
produced 200 thieves and murderers,
$50 invalids afflicted with blindness,
phthsis or idiocy, 90 harlots and 300
children who died in infancy 1t has
cost the State over a million dollars to
look after these people; all practically
ayoidable by proper care Of the I'M
happy ancestor of the family.
~
chall r,aft1rt1 tn This a, ti.ct naxt