The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-12
REFORMING THE RURALITEs.
The State Health and Charities De-
partments Have Been Ont


Amos w. Butler, secretary of the State
Board of Charities and Corrections, and Dr.
]. N. Hurry, secretary of the State Board
OF Health, have been engaged all summer
in a crusade against unsantary and inhu-
name condition in the county penal and
benevolent institutions of the State. AS it
is impossible for them to visit every county
their trips have been made to places from
which the most pronounced complaints were
received. There are on file in the office of
the Board of Health over two hundred COM
plants from as many towns asking that
state authorities visit them and set in mo-
ton the necessary machinery to remedy ex-
isting conditions. In their joint tour Dr.
Hurry has considered the health side and
Mr. Butler the humanitarian side of trou-
bles. In most cases they have found County
Commissioners willing but afraid to make
the necessary expenditures to remedy evils
In one place the county infirmary was found
located in seven small buildings, where
thirty-seven men, women and children
some permanently insane and others i'm
beetles, were housed promiscuously together
under the care of man but little better
intellectually than his unfortunate charges
Vice and immortality flourish in such sur
roundings as they did in a number of county
jails visited, in some of which men and
women were herded together or separated
simply by iron bars that did not prevent
lcentious conditions. In one county a min
lister accompanied them and expressed hor-
ror at such heathensm as was presented to
his sight. A crying evil is said to be that
of permitting youths to be placed in the
same prisons with hardened criminals, who
teach them all sorts of crime and vicious
habits, so that If they were not hopelessly
before M n tn WI
they were subjected while kept in confine-
ment for some petty misdemeanor they
would be started on the downward road
speedily.
Many County Commissioners were found
who were willing to take the steps recon-
mended by the state officials provided they
were ordered to do so, their desire being
to shift the responsibility of the expense,
as, in many cases, they hoped to be elected
again. Reports heard since the visit of the
state officials indicate that their presence
accomplished much good.
Some stories are told that would be funny
If the more serious phase of official incom-
potency and moral cowardice did not crop
out. There was a case where vault stood
near the public square. The odors of it
reached the nostrilS of the commissioners
as they sat with the state officers.
why don't you have that abated?' asked
Have we the authority?'
Certainly. If l were you would direct
the sheriff TO advertise for bids and inside
a week would have 1t removed -
Twill you order it done?" interrupted the
commissioners
For an answer DIR. Hurry wrote out an
order directing the sheriff to follow the
course he had indicated. Then he handed 1t
to one of the commissioners and directed
him to offer ii as a motion. He did so. AT
the doctors direction another commissioner
seconded it and then the president of the
board said it would be taken by consent"
Before the state officials left the sheriff was
looking for a third bidder to compete with
two he had found. All those commissioners
needed was somebody to put a little back
bone" into them in order to spend a few
dollars. DR.. Hurry is making a crusade
against the hitching racks in the public
squares of the county seats he visits. Here
the ruralities leave their horses hitched all
day, feeding them and allowing accumula-
tons of rubbish and filth.
why don't you tear down that hitch rack,
put some red benches in the yard about
your courthouse here and make a park of
it? 1t is as much your duty to furnish the
men who come to town a glass of beer and
a free lunch as to furnish them free stable
for their horses.
An editor VINO runs a paper in the town
was present and approved what was said.
''Ill back you up in my paper, boys, he
said
The commissioners were aghast at the
idea. Tear down the hitch rack and have
every constituent in the outlying townships
down for their scalps? Not much. not even
If the country editor backed them in il. Now
If il were letting bridge contract-but that
is a different thing.