Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-05-06
IS MAINE CARING FOR ITS
OEEECTlvESf

i 1t is now paying Massachusetts 81, 10
a year and supporting at the Massachu
seits School for the eeble-Minded q
Waverley nine children only, while tn
census of 1890, which is the last W.
can obtain until July, gives the nnmbe
of Predetermined in Maine 1891. Wher'
are those of that number who are not a
the school for the feeble-minded?
Ofthe nine at Waverley, one is a CIR
10 years old, an unimprovable case. She
can do no work, not even the simplest
without constant supervision, and Is moi
in the least capable of self-support and
self-protection. Last fall it was pro.
posed that as she was SO old and unim
provable that it would be fairer to take
her away and send young improbable
child to have the advantages of the
school, 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 a poor girl unable mentally to
help herself, being taken away from the
institution 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 econom-
ical standpoint, it would be better to pro-
tect those incapable of self-protection in
a permanent home. Statistics prove
this as the census reports show rapid
increase in the number of feeble-minded.
In 1870 there were only CPS, and in 1850
it had increased to 1925, and in 1890 to
1891.
As to where these feeble-minded are,
those whom we have neglected: If we
investigate we will find, no doubt, many
of them in almshouses and many out on
the street, laughed at by the thought
less and harmed by the cruel, those
whom we have allowed to grow up with
out an attempt to improve or discipline
them.
And worse than this, many are in our
jails and reform and Industrial schools,
there because of their mental and moral
weakness and 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 feeble
minded man low and weak morally who
has inherited his lowness from feeble
minded parents-feeble-m minded through
three generations.
How much cheaper it would be If the
state would give these cases permanent
care before they have chance for ca
reer of crime.
The state cares for its deaf and dumb,
its orphans and has it's 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 yet
done its duty.
Would it not seem, from an economical
standpoint, better to take the S2700 that
we are paying to Massachusetts, each
year and add more to that and start in
our state school and home and be able |
to care for more than nine of our feeble
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. Twenty-three |
states already have like homes and let !
us not have Maine behind in this.