Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-11-25
LOOKER-ON In IOWA )
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For the Times-Republlcan.

|3 LUUAEN-UN In lUWA 81
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For the Times Republican
Gearing, Nov. 24.-That the board of |
controls report to the legislature maps |
out an immense amount of work none |
who have read it will deny. Some are
interested iii the particular part of it
referring to the condition of the county |
poor house in Iowa that also UNDER
takes the care of the county insane. No
one who knows Judge Kline will doubt
for an instant that his report OF the
state of affairs he found by personal
visitation is exactly true. 1t was not
made for an exciting sensation in &
newspaper, but to call the attention of
our lawmakers to the need of reform
with big r. But the public generally
fails to interest. itself The same apa-
thy exists that made prohibition law
failure. No one denies that at one time
in the history of our state Il big major
lily believed in prohibition, but public
interest died out and a condition of af-
fairs soon existed that made the word
prohibition the laughing stock of the
community.
How many people in Iowa. previous
to the publication of this report, knew
of the existence of four private mad
houses in this state? Who knows
whether there is any law allowing such
| institutions in Iowa? Has the reader
any knowledge of Il law against such
places for the care of the insane? 1t
seems there is neither law for nor
| against such places of detention. 1t also
| seems to be true that at the present
| time, If for any reason, person de-
| sires to be rid Of relative and can by
| fair means or foul get that relative
once inside of these private insane asy-
/ lums said relative remains there
| Neither the board of control nor the
peace officers can enter such places un-
less by process of law, or by the con-
sent of those in charge. That no scan
dal has been known, that all confined in
! these Institutions should be restrained,
is probably true, but just as true is i
1 that monstrous crimes have been per-
petrated in private mad houses. But
the general public does not know but
4 what sane persons are confined in these
institutions today. THAI is. has no of
! fetal knowledge.
Judge Kline found in many county
poor houses, where the insane are
cared for, only occasionally woman
nurse on the premises. The reader
should stop and think what this means.
Imagine sick insane woman being
cared for in all respects inevitable upon
disease and helplessness, by the man
working for s25 month and his board,
whose duties probably consist of taking
care of the live stock on the farm as
well as the care of the building and
lighthouses. The writer does not remem-
Der seeing IN this report any mention of
the medical care such women receive.
but Of his personal knowledge he
knows OF a county mad house where
: such a man nurse Is employed and the
, doctor hired by the board of supervis-
, ors lbid for by the year,, gets the con-
tract for $3.50 a year and furnishes all
of the medicine necessary! This con-
tract also includes the doctoring of all
the inmates Of the Jail during that
time. It's pity it does not also in
clude the supervisors who made such
a contract.
The writer in this column has men
toned a case in a county poor house
: lHdl ne Knew OIL MAeTe " poor crazy
$ mbeciie is confined in a room 365 days
I in a Year and the room cleaned by
!. turning on the hose semi
. The little clothing worn by this idiot
who observes none of the common laws
!. of nature, is probably destroyed When
= this fithy room is scrubbed out. Blu,
: Judge Kline found even a worse case
and that was where the inmate receiv-
10 rba ar
e In a basement all of the time. TIL,
o writer has mentioned before of where
: those cursed by epilepsy suffer from
: such epileptic fits anywhere. all over
the building or grounds, and Judge
Kline states that the cure of the In
sane is much retarded by such exhibi
tions in their midst.
IS Here is q. fact to be remembered
Judge Kline in his visits to the count.
mad houses of Iowa made no secret .
IS his coming or going. II those in charg
q Iof such places were readers of the dali.
D. papers they knew he would visit then
IS soon If in Poweshiek county today
4, tomorrow it was likely to be Marshal
or Tama county day or two after. $
that it Is fair to assume they were bet
a ter prepared to receive company tina
"A on some other occasions. And If tn
Board of control found such deplora
- BILE state OF affairs in so many countie
" in Iowa, has not the public vital In
IN terest in this matter? The members {
Il the legislature have been elected. Ho'
20 many of them have ever visited the
e. own county poor houses? When tne
MS go to Des Moines next January al
he they prepared to vote on this questio
NJ by personal investigation of their ow
-, and adjoining county poor houses?
In nearly every community in low
There is a charity association. genera,
:, called the associated charities n
ne best women of the state are engage
cy in this work. How many members
1t these associations are prepared to sta
ST. fof their own knowledge) at the ne,
meeting OF the society the condition
affairs that exist at their own count
of Ipoor house? Now the writer in closir
mis- Will predict that il the good women
~ Iowa will interest themselves In the
IN own county poor house, visit 1t and II
~. sist on seeing for themselves what
going on all over the premises an inf
re- epco will he brought To bear ON all