The Republican journal., 1904-11-24
THE FEEBLE MINDED.
What Is Being Done in Their Behalf.

~ 49,
mittee appointed by the last legislature
to investigate the matter of establish
ing home for the feeble minded. The
need for such an institution has been
urged in letters, etc, which have ap-
peared in The Journal from time to
time in the past few years. An earnest
worker in the cause is Mrs. A. F. Pol
lister of Portland, formerly Miss Pills
bury of this city, and at recent meet
ing of the Women's Council in Port
land she submitted the following from
the committee on feeble minded insti-
tuition:
Madam President
Even if everyone present this morn
ing listened to DR.. Fernald's address
last June, at the conference OF CHAIR
ties and Corrections, l think they
would like to hear abstracts from it.
He said: Just 20 years ago, at the 18th
conference, in st. Louis, DR.. kerlin
eloquently presented the claims of the
feeble minded and idiotc He insisted
upon the obligation OF society to these
defective members, showing the close
correlation of mental defect and inSan-
lty, pauperism, prostitution and crime.
These papers and discussions at the
conference have perhaps been the most
powerful factors in arouSlng the strong
public sentiment which has compelled
State after State to make provision for
their detectives.
There are now 20 public institu-
lions fer the feeble minded in 20 differ
ent States. The older institutions have
grown in size very rapidly during the
past two decades. The new institu-
tons have been crowded with inmates
as soon as opened. In several States
the waiting list of applicants for adj
mission now more than equals the en-
tire present capacity of the institu-
tons. These applicants are endorsed
by teachers, physicians, judges, legis-
lators or other prominent citizens who
are apt to be very impatient at the
necessity of delay in the admission of
their candidates.
The parents pathetically plead for
an opportunity for the education of
their children while they are young and
capable of Improvement. In every well
informed community there is now
strong public sentiment demanding as
right that every American child, how
ever defective, should be educated and
trained according to his need and ca
pacity. 1t is a striking fact, however,
that the reason for the great majority
of the applications for admission to our
institutions is based upon the relief
needed for the mother, the family, or
the neighDorhood, with the prospective
educational benefits to the child him
self as a secondary consideration
"A feeble minded child is foreign
bo9y q 70 ilv A ~
community.
who can estimate the waste of
money and energy and heart in the ex-
trayagant home-care of the feeble
minded and idiotic children. There is
no greater burden possible in home.
The feeble minded child becomes
The silent, yet awful skeleton in the
closet of many an otherwise happy
home. 1t is the innocent and helpless
cause of an agony of grief to maternal
hearts through long, weary days and
months and years, as the mother sees
her helpless offspring become the butt
OF jest and ridicule and a greater bur-
den and care AS the years add to its
life. Thousands of sorrowful homes
with thousands of susceptible brothers
and sisters are Swallowed with the pres
ence and the influence of these imbe-
Giles.
This home-care of a feeble minded
child consumes SO much of the vitality
and energy of the Wage-earners of the
family, that often the entire family be-
comes pauperized. 1t is a public duty
to relieve these families of their un-
bearable burdens.
The problem does not lessen when
adult life is reached. The adult males
become the town loafers and incap-
ables, the irresponsible pests of the
neighborhood, petty thieves, purpose
less destroyers of property, incend-
aries and very frequently violators of
women and little girls.
1t is well known that feeble minded
women and girls are very liable to be-
come sources of unspeakable debauch-
cry and RIGHTEOUSNESS which pollutes
The whole life of the young boys and
youth of the community. Almost every
town has one or more of these defec
tive women, each having one to four
Legitimate children, every one of
whom is predestined to be defective
mentally, criminal, or all outcast of
some sort. There is a widespread and
lnSlStent demand that these women he
put under control.
But the terrible misfortune of hay
ing feeble-minded child is liable and
often does occur in families without a
mental, moral or physical faint for gen.
erations back, and where no cause can
be assigned. The rich and the poor, the
great and the humble, are alike liable to
this dreaded visitation An institution
for the feeble minded is in the nature
of an insurance organization. The taxes
paid by any individual for it's support
are only small premiums which insure
training and life care to any member of
the family who may need it in the flu
ture. NO family is absolutely secure
against such need during its period of
growth.
The last census showed a total of
$4,000 feeble minded persons in the
United States. 1t is probable that the
actual number is at least 100000 The
existing special institutions now have
under training and care only about 5000.
1t is not surprising that the managers
of these institutions are appalled, at the
probable cost Of housing and support
ing the vast numbers now seeking ad-
mission. Economists realize that this
question of properly providing for the
defective is one of the great financial
problems of modern times. 1t has been
well SAID, however, that under any con-
ditions these detectives must always be