Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-09-25
COUNTY CARE
OF THE INSANE.

OF The INSANE.
Editor Times Republican: I want to |
congratulate the T.-R., and more espe-
cially Its correspondent Mr. Thayer, for
the manner In which he has handled the |
matter of county care of insane. So far
as know Mr.. Thayer was the first to
attack this abuse, and he deserves the
very greatest credit for the manner in
which he has conducted the discussion.
have often said that the saying, that
every question has two sides, is not true
Many questions-most questions - to
men with good digestion and good horse
sense, have but one side, and this ques-
ton Is one of them. Thayer's last in
dictment in the T.-R. of Sept. 9 is alb
solutely unanswerable, and no attempt
has been made from any quarter to
make defense. That the state is better
able to care for the insane than the
county is evident to every one. and that
1T ought not to be necessary to discuss
it for one single moment. The board of
Of control has put itself on record as
unalterably opposed to county care, and
the celebrated Nancy Palmer, of Powe-
shiek county, who puts in her spare
time in chewing the fingers OF the at
PENDANTS, has been removed to Mount
Pleasant--a substantial confession that
the county had better go out of the
business But let 1t not be forgotten
that the board of supervisors of Powe-
shiek county have fully and faithfully
met the responsibility forced upon them
by the state. Years ago the state
adopted the policy of sending the in
curables back to the county when their
room was needed. 1t was left to the
county to meet the responsibility as best
| 1t could. Until recently, the incurable
insane, thrown back on the county,
have been most horribly cared for, but
later substantial buildings, apart from
the poor house" proper, have met the
emergency as well as possible. The
lniggardliness of the legislature was re-
sponsible for this. The farmer vote.
had the same terrors for the average leg
islator that the Soldier vote" has for
the average congressman. / should be
sorry to believe that the farmers of
Iowa would object to any appropriation,
| no matter how large, to properly care
for the unfortunate insane, and don't
believe they would. 1 measure them by
La larger standard. OF all the citizens
| that require the states care none so
| strongly appeal to the sympathies of
| men as the insane. They should have
1.-THE very best care that wealth and sci
lence can give. They should be well
housed, we'll fed, their attendants
should be picked men and women. spe-
cially selected for the particular pa
tient, their surroundings should be as
beautiful ard attractive and cheerful as
they could be made, and their medical
attendance the most scientific that
money can buy. Only the state can give
these things.
Mr.. Thayer's victory is almost Won. /
want to see him keep up the fight, and
when county insane asylums have been
abolished let him turn his attention to
the poor house. and abolish that. for
lone have no use for the poor house.
j 1t is an everlasting and eternal badge
Of disgrace to the man and the commu-
nifty. Let the average ''pauper' be re-
luired to earn his bread by the sweat
of his brow, and let the community sup
4 port their unfortunate old and feeble
ind crippled brothers and sisters whom
poverty has overtaken in and at THEN
i who are willing to take care of them
The poor house" is monstrous thing
lit is a crime against humanity. 1t is
/ the product of philanthropy gone wrong
No one can fully realize the horror in
&. which 1t is held by its victim. ] have in
mind poor old man, once well-to-do:
kind, moral, harmless, but visionary
and erratic. When the poor house was
the only alternative, he cut his throat
i with his penknife He was a citizen OF
IGrinnell. Another: a kind. upright
I honest. moral old man made brooms
During the summer he always managed
!; TO exc out living. and always right
eously paid his room rent. but in win
ter. with the added cost of clothing anc
fuel, and owing to diminished trade. hf
!, suffered. He begged me to save hin
, from the poor house and for one winter
at least I prevailed on the board t.
( lprovde him room in the house of {
friend of the old man in Grinnell. Thu
Following winter the poor house seemed
to be the only alternative. and to tn,
! poor house he went. When the birds be
gan to sing again the old man came
back and went to making brooms again
He said he would never go back to TIL
poor house, and he didn't, for when tn
L weather got cold he was found dead il
his room Ii had the power the poo
house system wouldn't last over night
d. w. NORRIS.
! Grinnell. Iowa, Sept. "a, 1899.
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