The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-07-14

and the blind. These are charges, fixed
charges that rest everywhere upon the
citizens and taxpayers and cannot be
avoided A careful perusal of the late re-
ports of the officers of these institutions
gives us deep concern, for their inmates
are increasing faster than population and
this increase indicates a growing degen-
erafy in mental, physical or moral condi-
tion of our people. These reports give
much interesting matter for there is
hardly State in the Union where SINH
lar institutions are so ably and faith
fully Differed. We are especially fortu-
nate in having such a capable and ex-
perienced man as DR.. Powell at the head
of our sanitarium. The apprehension is
that when he dies We cannot fill his place
for we cannot find man who has both
his ability and his long experience The
same can be said of Professor Conner in
charge of the school for the deaf These
two are veterans in the service and have
by their long and faithful work aIlayed
all public anxiety about those institu-
tions.
But why should so many more children
be born deaf and dumb than formerly.
and why should so many more people be-
come insane: Only few years ago Pro-
has 215 in charge. Do folks keep on mar
rying their cousins and will the law keep
on allowing it? AS to the sanitarium,
there seems to be no limit, no diminution
of the rapid increase and as fast as more
room is provided more still is wanted
Dr. Powell reports that on October 1.
1900, there were LOO whites and TAP col
ored on hand, and the new applications
now average about six per day. OF course
many die and it is a comfort to know
that many recover their reason and are
discharged. Two hundred and fifty-nine
whites and ninety-four negroes were dis
charged last year. One hundred and fifty
six whites and 1856 negroes died. The
doctor gives pleasant and easy employ
ment to all who can and are willing to
work He is a philosopher of my own
kind for he says he has found that work,
manual labor, is more conducive to restor-
alton and contentment than any other
medicine. Gardening, sewing, washing
canning fruits, etc, are done on a large
scale. Much more of this is done than
formerly and the report shows an i'm
mense business. Just think of last years
work-1,000 aprons, 1000 bedticks, 5000
chemises, 1890 calico dresses, 700 home
spun dresses, 4.700 pairs drawers, $500
pillow cases, 5000 pairs pants, $500 shirts.
1850 undershirts and quilts by the score
crazy quilts / suppose-making total
of over $4,000 articles made by crazy
women. Good gracious, what an indus
trious female family the doctor has got
In this way he has greatly reduced the
cost of maintenance and brought down the
per capita to Sill. But on the other
hand he has to be continually repairing
or replacing something, for he says Sin
sanity means destruction and that the
tendency of a large number of patients
is to destroy furniture, crockery, bedding,
clothing, lights, sash and sometimes tear
ing their rooms to pieces" Now just
imagine what an army of lunatcs we
have. Gainesville is quite a large little
country town of $500 people, but three
fourths of them are children under age.
We have only about 500 grown-up people
who are fit to be lunatics but here at the
sanitarium are three times as many and
the number increasing every year.
But the report of the prison commission
gives US most anxiety, for that concerns
crime and involves the safety of our peo-
pie from the lawless who fear not God
nor regard man. The maintenance of the
sanitarium costs the State $275,00 an
nually, but there is one good thing and
only one about the convicts They cost
the State nothing after the trial, but on
the contrary they bring in a considerable
revenue, and under the new system this
revenue is rapidly increasing. General
Evans, Mr.. Eason and Mr.. Turner inau-
CUR lated this system only two years ago
and 1T has already proved a signal sue
cess. The State now has the absolute
Of q nd hos
chased q large farm near Miledgeville
where the old men and the boys and all
the women are kept. Under the skilfu
management OF Mr.. Foster the farm paid
well the first year. and the convicts are
nearly as happy as they were in old slav-
cry times. Most of the able bodied con-
victs are leased to farmers at good prices,
but the State provides guards and medi-
cal attention
Here is another army of 1900 to look
after, but these are not all. There are
1880 more at work in the county chain
gangs, making a total of 1880 of whom
35S are white, ten are white women and
215 are negro women.
OF the State convicts for felony GOT are
guilty of murder or mansalughter, 915 for
burglary or robbery or larceny, 237 for
the usual crime. The rest are for most
any other crime in the catalogue Most
OF them were laborers, but I note that
twenty seven did nothing and eighteen
We're preachers. Ninety per cent of the
negroes are between the ages of fifteen
and forty, and knw nothing of slavery.
Only ! per cent are the old slaves who
are over sixty years old. Two hundred
and forty-fOur of them are serving a
second term. Thirty are serving a third
term and few a fourth and fifth term
They seem TO like it. One thousand and
twenty of these corvicts are from three
counties-Fulton, Cha than and Bibb AS
Thomas Jefferson said. ''The influence
Of cities is residential to good morals"
1t is especially so with negroes The large
majority of the negro convicts are from
the cities and large towns
Twenty years aoo there were 1 100 ne
gro convicts and 80 per cent of them were
wholly illiterate. could neither read nor
write. Now we have 4-20O negro convicts
and "a ner cent can read and write How
is that? Does education lessen crime or
increase 1t? Mr.. Stetson. the State Sta
tistician of Massachusetts, saws it Gin
creases crime not little bur immense
ly," and he proves it. II certainly does
among the negro race In Georgia