The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1899-10-07
The New Asylum.

Iuc NC" ASyAuAAA. |
1t is generally believed by many
persons in the Democratic party that
Governor Stephens, promised Speaker
Ward last winter, that the new asylum,
'.Lunatic Asylum Number Four
should be tablished at such place as
the Speaker desired. This promise Is
said to have been made in considers
ton of the Speaker appointing COM
mittee that would "white wash" the
Fulton Asylum's management. The
superintendent of Fulton's asylum is
the brother-in-law'o Paul B. Moore
and Paul is the brother-in-law of the
Governor.
Paul's brother-in-law had been ad.
judged guilty of immortality. and
drunkenness by the managers, and
in fact removed, but brother-in-law,
Lon ", came to the rescue and arbl-
trarily removed the managers. who
believed that virtue and sObriety were
essential to the management OF the
unfortunate and helpless lunatics con-
fined at Fulton. The Speaker ap-
pointed a committee to investigate
these charges, but the House did not
like the appointment and sent Its own
committee. For this, some anti
Stephens Democrats, say Ward was
given the new asylum. and it is gem
erally understood that Ward prom
ised the asylum to Dexter. It will be
remembered that Ward took the court
from Dexter and now to right himself
: with the politicians of that place he IS
to give them the asylum.
This. If true. is bolder than We be-
| Iieved any st of i..en would dare %
90. that have any regard for the .'@w'
or any human feeling for the uniOr-
: tunate inmates that are to be confined
in the new asylum. We heard as good
t lawyer a. there is in the State say a
few DAYS ago that under the law DeX-
ter had no show for securing this
asylum, and we find that section six
of the law is as follows: I'm maxim g
such location said commission shall
have special regard TO the following
matters: First, salubrity of location:
second. cheapness, quantity and quail
ity of building materials and con-
; venience of access to the same: third,
, convenience to pure and wholesome
water"
Dexter is without single one OF
these essentials. First, summer after
summer her best citizens leave to
avoid the poisonous malaria that fills
) that locality. The Dunklin Dem
ocrat a few weeks ago called the
. party's attention to the fact that the
asylum would be the States dead
house if located there. Second. there
= is not a good building stone of any
quality convenient to the place.
Third, The town is, according to the
Dexter Messenger of last week. with
out sufficient water to supply its own
citizens. Moreover when they have
water, think of the kind it is.
We are therefore slow to believe
that the Governor will allow, much
less direct the location OF the asylum
at Dexter.
: The truth is Cape Glrardeau is the
ONLY PLACE that possesses the essen
tials demanded by the law within the
limits of the asylum district. WE
e POSSESS EVERYTHING required by the
n law. F4rmlngton and Arcadia are
= fairly healthfrl places, but neither has
9 the facilities for getting in and out
that the Cape has. Neither has water
r works nor electric light. The Cape is
70 the most healthful: it has three great
1t railroads and the Mississippi River
g at its door: it has the purest and best
a water and best sewerage in the State
it has the best quality and the greatest
lquantity of building material of any
~ city: and its health statistics is mo-
. Iequaled by any other city of like pop
. ulation in the union.