The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1903-11-04

be highly beneficial to each.
Judging from the history and expert
ence Of the past there seer S to be
small likelihood that the future, with
a constantly increasing population in
our State, will bring any result other
than a greater number Of insane pa
tents to be provided for. It ls there
fore incumbent upon all Of US who
are interested in the welfare Of the
hospital to consider carefully its pres
ent management and prepare SO far
as possible for it's legitimate growth,
while restricting so far as may be any
perversion of its functions.
The Georgia asylum now maintains
an average Of over 200 insane patti
ents in one institution, centrally To-
Gated at Milledgeville. In time it is
probable that u State will also be
called Upon to assume a burden equal
ly large or greater.
After long study Of the subject the
regents are firmly committed to the
policy that n centrally located hos
pital for the insane of both races is
best for our State also, but they rec
ommend the future separation of the
other defective classes from the insane
proper.
With the increasing wealth Of our
State it would appear that some means
Of relief might at length be effected
| either by coloniZing the epileptics or es-
tablishing a hospital for inebriates Or
founding a school for the feeble-mind-
ed, as has already been done in other
| commemorative. While such undertake
ings commend themselves to u hui
name interests, they doubtless require
time, probably years, for their COM
| pletion. AS an immediate means Of
,o1;1P r 1n-ro{ fnN ofrNnolx- rLnnr1o-
! mend the enactment Of laws requiring
the improvement Of our present sys-
tenn of county poor-houses, including
the developments within them Of hos
pital wards in which feeble and bed
ridden pesons might be properly cared
for, instead Of being sent to the al
ready over-burdened State hospital.
Such steps would, I am sure, afford
one means of relief to the hospital
for both the present and the future.
The recent completion of a portion
of the Taylor building will give addi-
tional accommodation for white men.
But it appears that a similar building
Is urgently needed for the excitable
class of white women. Such a Struct-
| ure would serve not only to better the
condition Of the white female inmates
by at length allowing the transfer Of
all patients Of this class from the old
| asylum, where two of the six wards
are unfortunately occupied by white
women, the rest being assigned to
female negroes, but also give relief
to the colored women, many Of whom
! are now housed in the basement Of
that structure and in inhammable
| wooden pavilions. for want Of better
accommodations.
The more generous appropriation by
the last general assembly has alone
enabled the regents and resident off,
GERS of the institution to maintain it
without deficit during the past year
Of high prices.
Finally, I cannot but recommend the
continuance Of the generous policy ex-
| tended by your predecessors for the
maintenance of the State hospital by
your granting such appropriations as
are asked for by the board Of regents.
The institution should in truth be
made a hospital, but this cannot be
done without adequate financial as
sistance. At times I fear the lack of
mean has seriously handicapped the
officers in their efforts to develop and
maintain the institution up to the
high standard to which they have as
pired, and to make the hospital, as it
! ought to be, one Of the best Of its kind
in the country.
THE DISPENSARY.
For the first time since the dispen-
sary law was enacted, it was. not an
issue in the political campaign for the
governorship the past year, as all Of
the candidates for governor We're
pledged to it's support and to the strict
enforcement Of the law. The greatest
opposition to the system of State con-
troll Of the sale Of liquors is in the
larger cities of the State. AS a re-
suit there is illicit sale Of liquor in
| these cities, and there will continue to
be until public sentiment in these COM
munities grows more strongly in favor
of the dispensary system and jurors
regard more sacredly their oath and
convict persons who are proven guilty
Of the violation of the law. Special
constables can accomplish but little
where such conditions exist. For
tunately, however, these communities
are the exception and in the State
generally the law is enforced and the
guilty are convicted and punished.
The system is a good n for the con-
troll Of the sale of liquor and that it is
violated in some localities is no valid
argument against the law.
The business the past year has in
creased, WHICH, lldy US ldhell do Oil CFl-
dence that the people are becoming
more and more in sympathy with the
law, rather than that the consumption
of whiskey is increasing.
The amount to the credit Of the
| school fund on November Goth, 1902,
was s652, 1922 2, according to the quar-
terly report of the legislative investi-
eating committee, but not available, as
it was in stock.
The stock on hand November Goth,
according to this report, was:
In county dispensaries.. .. ..$406, 1850
In State dispensary .. -. . . 324,32S.12
$3.50, 523.17
Under the act of the last legislature
| requiring the directors to pay to the
State treasurer quarterly the profits
to the credit of the school fund, three
payments have been made aggregating
1872, 755. 81. The same act requires that
the profits to the credit of the school
fund carried as stock shall be reduced
by semi-annual payments to $4,000 600 by
the first of January, 1904. Under this
requirement 500, 900 have been paid to
the State treasurer the past year. This
| makes a total paid to the credit of the
school fund during 1902 of s192, 1851.
The following figures show the total
net profits for the year ending No
vember 30th, 1902, from the sale of
liquor and beer:
From whiskey to towns and
oopntiac S2SD 6SS S6