The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1901-08-15
VOL. XVII. New Series ---Vol.
THE EDITORS LEISURE HOURS.
Points and Paragraphs Of Things
Present, Past and Future.

The Raleigh Pos: has recertly given
preston to its great faith In some
marked development. fer Harnett coun-
ty in the near future. The editor of
THE COMMONWEALTH halling from
Harnett as his native county is always
interested in whatever concerns the
good people of that county. And
whether or not there shall be found an
oil supply in the county, as the Morn
ing Post predicts, the county is 'des-
tined to make good development
through the energy and persistent
work OF its people. We noticed in the
last issue of the Dunn Banner mention
of several new enterprises, among them
a canning factory, chair factory, a
tannery, and perhaps some others.
Where the people forge ahead like
that there Will be development, oil
wells or no oil wells. But we hope the
Posts oil prophecy will come true.
Our esteemed contemporary, The
Scotland Neck Commonwealth, has
been misled into the statement that
many OF the inmates Of the Stato hos
pltals at Raleigh and Morganton are
idiots and insbrlates. Perhaps there
are very few idiots in either, and these
were admitted by error in diagnosing
their maladY. Ii there were more OF
them it would remain to be said that
some idiots are very dangerous and
should be restrained. 1t is doubtful II
there are ten inebriates in the two hos
pitals. Passing by the question as to
whether 1t we're better to save an il
sane person than an inebriate, It is to
be said that inebriates are not wanted
at either Raleigh or Norganton and
their applications are discouraged.
Such as are received at Morganton are
placed in apartments in which it is n 1t
practicable to place insane persons, SO
that they occupy no space which could
be better utilized. Our conternnorar,
will pardon us for directing attention to
its uninteutional misstatement. We do
SO because the error which it innocent
ly propagates is widespread and it Is
desirable, in the interest Of justice, to
do what can be done in its correction.
Observer Aug. 3rd.
The foregoing is accepted by our
and able contemporary as
correction to slight mistake in par
agraph in these columns two Or three
weeks ago concerning inebriates and
idiots in the State hospitals.
A friend who knows many things
about the hospital at Morganton, writes
US the following facts:
"Before the inibriate law of 1891 W. .
passed many patients were committed
as Insane at the hospital there when
they were crazy from drink. There
was no way to prevent it. DR.. Murphy
and the directors asked that law be
made to forbid inebrlates admission to
any ward except thatset apart for private
patients, and that they be required to
pay for the treatment. The whole
purpose of this was to keep lnebriates
out OF the hospital. To good ex-
tent it has been successful.
"Since the passage of the law in 1891
about fifty men have been treated at
Morganton in the private ward and for
pay. Five were there during the past
twelve months. 1T present there Is
not single one in the hospital
THE COMMONWEALTH is glad to Get
the matter straight thus by an editori-
al paragraph of the Charlotte Observer
as we'll as by the quotation from our
friends letter. Had we at first said
"some" patients instead OF saying
"m any" patients had bean
inebriates and idiots We would have
been more nearly correct. Our slight
error was the result Of an impression
we got from an article IN the Raleigh
News and Observer.
CURES ECZEMA A ND ITCHING
HUMORS THROUGH THE BLOOD