The Republican journal., 1902-03-13
THE CARE OF DETECTIVES.
Is Maine Caring for Its Detectives As 1t
Should?

Should?
10 THE EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL:
Maine is paying Massachusetts 81, 100 a
year and supporting at the Massachu-
sets School for the Feeble minded at
Waverley nine children only, while the
census of 1890, which is the last we can
obtain until July, gives the number of
feeble minded in Maine as 1891. Where
are those of that number who are not
at the School for the Predetermined?
Of the nine at Waverley, one is a girl
nineteen years old, an unimprovable
case. She can do no work, not even
the simplest, without constant super
vision, and is not in the least capable of
self-support and self protection. This
fall It was proposed, as she is so old
and unlmprovable, that it would be
falrer to take her away and send
young improbable child to have the
advantages of the schools; and as Maine
can send but nine, one must be taken
away before another can be sent
This case shows us the utter helpless
ness of poor girl, unable mentally to
help herself, being taken away from
the institutions care, which protects her
and makes her as useful as possible.
She will have to be cared for at the
expense of her town, and, alas, that will
not be the end. Such girl as this will,
unprotected, be harmed simply because
she is not capable of protecting herself.
This most pathetic case shows the
class, so helpless, that Maine is not
caring for. From the inevitable result
of this case we can see that simply
from an economical standpoint it
would be better to protect those in
capable of self-protection in a perma-
nent home. Statistics prove this, as
the census reports show rapid increase
in the number of feeble minded. In
1870 there were only 62S, and in 1880 it
had increased to 1925, and in 1890 to
1891.
AS to where those Predetermined are
those whom we have neglected-if
we investigate we will find, no
doubt, many of them in aims houses
and many out on the streets, laughed
at by the thoughtless and harmed
by the cruel-those whom we have
allowed to grow up without an at
tempt to improve or discipline them
And worse than this, many are in
our jails and Reform and Industrial
schools; there because of their men
tai and moral weakness they are easily
led astray, being moral imbeciles
and belonging rather in a permanent
Home for the Feeble minded needing
the States permanent care and control.
In one Jail to-day is a Predetermined
man, low and weak morally, who has in
herited his lowness from Predetermined
parents-feeble- minded through three
generations.
How much cheaper it would be if the
State would give these cases permanent
care before they have chance for
career of crime.
The State cares for its deaf and dumb,
its orphans, and has its Reform and In
dustrial schools and its good schools for
normal children, but for its detectives,
to whom it owes like care it has not vet
done its duty.
Would it not seem, from an economi-
cal standpoint, better to take the g. 100
that we are paying to Massachusetts
each year and add more to that and
start Ill our own State school and
home and be able to care for more than
nine of our feeble-minded?
Twenty-three States already have like
homes, and let us not have Maine be
hind i'll this. 1t has large farms where
home could be started on the colony
plan, where these detectives could be
made as useful as possible and have the
care that Maine owes its feeble minded.
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