The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-08-20
For the Democratic Advocate.

TThe Editor of the Amelican Sentinel re-
fused to publish tha following communication.
Will the ADVOCATE allow us to give Il state
ment in regard to the Aims House.
NJ b. SHEILMAN.
In Justice to the State Health officers, who
recently made an official visit to our Comfy
Aims House; in Justice to the local physicians
who were called upon ten days atterward, to
make an inspection, and i'll justice to the ia
dies and gentlemen who are credited with
calling attention to the inetficiency of the
present management. and the neglect and
abuse of the inmates, statement seems
necessary. 1t is not for the purpose of inter-
tering with official management OF county at
fairs. nor because the pleasure Is so great
that we, who have visited and ministered to
the inmates of the Aims House, during the
past few years, are constantly calling atten
ton to the sad condition of our county poor.
If we could remedy the matter, by our own
personal efforts, we would gladly do so, for it
would be a heart of stone which would not be
touched by their unhappy condition. That
DR.. Fulton did not eXaggerate the condition
of affairs, as he found them, we can certainly
testify, and in doing so we do not question
the verdict of our own local physicians, who,
according to the published report, on the &C.
found two of the three cases mentioned, that
of HAMPSHIRE, and the afflicted Kelly, just as
DR.. Fulton had described them. But it is all
nonsense to say that the visit was entirely mn
expected to those i'll charge of the institution
While they may not have had official notice
it is strange, if they did not know it, why
it should have been so universally known In
Westminster, and amongst the inmates, that
the commissioners and town DOCTORS" as
thew EXPRESSED it, were to make an inspec-
ton the following week. The cleaning up
process began Immediately after DR.. Fulton's
report was published, and carbohc acid was
freely used, especially in the room of the
colored women mentioned, and this is the
first time during the present management
that the odor of any disinfectant has been
noticed in the building or about the premises
As to the amount of courtesy due the COM
missioners, and the red tape connected with
official inspections. we plead ignorance, but
the County Commissioners, and especially
the President of the Board, will scarcely deny
that these matters, with others, which have
come under our personal observation, have
been repeatedly reported to them. They
have been personally visited in their Office at
the Court House; have been spoken to on the
street, and when we met them at the Aims
House on the occasion of our Christmas SER
vice, we, with others present, especially re-
quested them to remedy certain matters to
which their attention was called. AS they
failed to remedy the abuses or to remove
those who were responsible for them, they
can scarcely blame those of our citizens and
taxpayers who may have appealed for help
to other quarters. We do not say that the
inmates do not get enough to eat, but there is
a vast difference between quantity and quail
ty. Food which may be digested by healthy,
active, young people, is entirely unfit for the
sick and infrm, and we do not think an occa-
sional bowl of soup or broth, a dish of oat
meal and milk, soft boiled egg or little
pure. sweet butter for their bread, is such an
expensive luxury on farm that it is unrea-
sonable to ask it for our old people, and not
compel them to appeal to visitors for them.
Their wants are simple, and all we ask for