The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-11-24
CARE OF THE STATES INSANE
Open Letter Of the Governor TO Author
ites of the Hospitals
INDECENT Insane Must be Taken Care OF
Before Pay Patients Can be Admit
ted-The Law Will be Strictly En-
forced-Ample Provision Should he
Made for All the Insane. High and
Low.

The following is an open letter
Governor Glenn has addressed TO the
Superintendent and Directors of the
State Hospitals at Raleigh and Nor
canton. The matter of the colored
hospital at GoIdsboro will be consid-
cred by the Governor later.
To The Superintendent and Directors
of the State Hospitals at Raleigh and
MorgantOn:
~Gentlemen:-Before any
discussion was held concerning our
insane, using the means at our COM
mand. the Council of State and |. i'm q
| quiet way, were gathering all data
that we thought would aid us in find
ing out the true condition of these
Door unfortunate ones throughout the
| State.
Treasurer Lacy, through the Sheriffs
and the Board of Charities, from the
County Commissioners, were getting
a complete list of the insane in the
County jails, County homes, and in
private homes. Also | was trying to
gather information through the Board
of international improvements, as
we'll as by an interview with the Super
intendents of the different Hospitals.
| From these various sources much val
liable information has been obtained.
l likewise have been carefully study
ing the law in regard to the insane, i'll
order that 1 might correctly advise the
directors of the Hospitals as to what
I thought was their duty.
Prior to November ., 1880, the State
| Hancfif,1finr trficlo Vt Snafi,, ~
| provided, that THE General Assembly
shall provide hat all the deaf-mutes,
| blind and insane of the State shall be
cared for at the charge Of the State.
This allowed all insane persons to be
cared for by the State. This article
however was amended by the Legisla-
ture and ratified by the people on
November 2nd, 1880, so as to read,
1.-The General Assembly may provide
that all the INDECENT deal mutes, blind
and insane of the State shall be cared
for at the charge of the State.
Thus by the act of the Assembly,
and the will of the people expressed
at the polls, the Constitution was
changed from the care of ali insane to
"indigent'' insane. After this by diff
ferent acts of the Legislature. inebrl-
ates and insane, not INDECENT were
| allowed to be cared for, priority how
! ever, being always given to the indi-
! gent insane,-in fact any other law
would have been repugnant to the Con-
stitution and therefore void.
Now. with the Constitution apply
ing only to the INDECENT insane. it is
| interesting to know who will fall with
in it's meaning.
The word insane" does not neces-
sarily include all idiots, imbeciles,
those with dementia, or ever some
| lunatics who are harmless and incur
| able, and who can be comfortably pro-
| vided for by friends. or cared for in
the County homes, but the class in
tended to be cared for, are the durable
and incurable, who are dangerous, or
who cannot be properly looked after
at home or by the county authorities
in the county homes. INDECENT per-
soF.. arc those destitute Of the means
OF comfortable subsistence.
Applying these definitions, we con-
/, clude that the INDECENT insane are those
who have not sufficient property them
selves, or whose friends cannot afford
to care for and maintain them.
From our Investigations. we find
that from the eighty or more counties
already heard from, there are 10
white male and female patients now
in the County homes or jails, and
| probably this number will be increas-
ed to 200, when we get the returns
from all Counties. This does not in
clude, as many more perhaps, still
| kept by friends at private homes. All
of these people however are not per-
sons who should be placed in the Hos
pitfalls. With these facts before us,
our duty is plain, and ! will as Gov
ernor Of the state, insist upon the pro-
visions Of the Constitution and stat
utes made in conformity thereto be-
ing literally carried out.
The proper application must be maze
from the various Counties to admit
these unfortunate people into the nos
pitfalls, and if upon investigation they
are found to be INDECENT insane, and
| there is room they must be ADMITTED.
If there is room enough for those en-
titled to admission, in addition to the
| inmates now in the hospitals, then all
right, for this is legal, but if not, then
those patients now in the hospitals.
! who are not INDECENT, but who them
selves, or whose families, have enough
to maintain them in some private in
| stitution, must be removed TO make
room for the truly INDECENT, for not a
man or woman confined in jails or
County homes. who belongs to this
class of INDECENT insane, must remain
there, if they can be placed in the nos
pitfalls by removing persons who do not
strictly belong TO the INDECENT class.
1t looks very hard, and it is hard
and to me cruel, that men who happen
to have property and whose people can
take care Of them, should not be able
to keep their dear unfortunate ones
hear them, in their own State Hospit-
! ais, but must se1.d them away to other
| States, and it vii be an outrage If the
/ law is not so amended as to have
accommodations sufficient to care for
all our insane, whether INDECENT or not.
| but the law is not so written nov,