The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-10-10
SHOULD CARE FOR
THE EFEEBLE-NINDED
Question of State Institution
for URfOrtlInateS Is
Discussed.
LEGISLATURE TO BE ASKED
TO CONSIDER THE MATTER
Dr.. Beatty and Dr.. Ewing Dis
cuss the Question in Logi-
cal Manner.


portant steps looking toward the pre-
sentation of this matter to the next
Legislature have beeu taken. Today
letters were sent out from the State
Board Of Health offices in this city to
each of the registrars, and other au-
thorities, which will provide those who
are at the head of the movement with
statistics by which they may prove to
the Legislature the actual need for
an institution OF this kind. Owing
20 the fact that the Board OF Health
has greater facilities for gathering
appointed by Judge Brown, Of the
juvenile court, this work has been
taken up by that board. The clinic,
OF which several Of the most proml.
nent physicians Of the city are mem
hers, is at the head of the movement.
The letter is as follows:
mentally Goieotiye ckidrea is becoming very
pressing in Utah, and tho health orgaE;za-
tiep and local registrars viii greatly con.
IN securing statistics as 70 the number OF
cases OF that character IN the State. Will
card, making careful inquiry and including
sll cases within your town or district OF
ieeble.rninded persons, irnOeciles,. and idiots,
thas the dsta shaIl be secured as soon as
sscly requested. 7. B. BEATTY.
DISCUSSED By SeaGty.
In an interview with The Tribune
representative, Dr.. T. II. Beatty ex-
pressed himself az being heartily in
razor of the movement. EEI believe
the time Is here when such an iust-
tuition as this one is an absolute neces
slty; when the State owes it to itself
and TO its citizens to provide proper
place for the feeble-minded. There
IS hardly any question about the fact
laA & =
character IN the State TO make such
an institution an absolute necessity.
and not the slightest shadow Of q doubt
that there are large numbers OF these
people II the State who have no place
TO call their own, who are cast, IN
manv cases, upon the streets, TO be
come CRIMINALS OF the very worst tyne,
70 become moral pervert5 OF the most
Vlrulent class, 70 become 8 menace to
society, and, worst OF all, they are left
Tree 10 marry and interInerrT. thus TO
reproduce their species, and bring in
to The world and throw upon society
more AID more Of this type Of ire
sponsible people
As 1t is, these people are sent in
large numbers TO the reform school at
ogden This Is no proper place for this
class OF people Thev ought not TO be
made inmates OF penal institUtiona, for
they are not responsible for their acts.
AZ the reform school there arc no ia
cllities for training the little mental
strength that these people are DOS
sessed of. They are thrown with a
class OF people and are surrounded with
environments which make them Grim.
lnSls, moral perveTts, and which Is to-
tai.y bad. They are more or less at
me mercy OF the other inmates who
nave mad tendencies, by reason Of the
constant and close association, and The
only result that can be looked for from
such confinement as this is Tor these
people TO be turned out upon the world
worse than they went In, in the large
majority OF cases.
Asylum No Better
again, they are committed 10 the
STATE Mental hospital at Provo, where
men CONDITION is no better, and The
IeIultS iS Jqst as bad, as IN the reform
School. Ihey are not insane, the treat
nient employed for insanity cases is
absolutely unit for feeble minds. and
they are, IN many cases, driven into
insanity by their very SURROUNDINGS,
mus becoming a charge upon the State,
IN expense TO the taxpayers, and COM
p!ete!y beyond hope OF ever being
made TO be self-supporting. Yet there
sr; many; many or these people being
committed every year TO these two in,
stjtutions.
Such an Institution as the one men.
ll9aed eoald be. made, IN a measure,
sef;supportlng, by utilizing the higher
grade OF mentally defective for work
Of various kinds. While il would be.
perhaps, TOO much TO say that such an
1nflrmary would -ay IFS own expenses.
%st,, when we consider the cost OF
trials for those of the class who be-
come CRIMINALS, for those who become
insane. for those who become county
charges IL various ways, it would be
q great SAVING IN dollars and cents To
the State to provide such place OF
refuge for them.
Then, again, it is possible that
some of the other Western States might
be induced TO go into scheme Of this
kind, and, jointly with Utah, build an
institution where the State could send
its feeble minded, Even though this
could not be done, the alternative re-
mains 10 induce some one 10 build a
private institution, and the State pay
for the care of those who are unable
10 be made self supporting,
Many OF these cases crop out III
the Juvenile court and, as there is no
place TO send them, they are commit
ted either 10 the reforInatorY or TO
the mental hospital, Many of those
convicted of grave ofenses are mental
II irresponsible. They arc left upon
dcgeneracy of the more fortunate
classes. and simply end in bringing to
the world more Of their species, or
arc made criminals of the worst TYNE,
through the prosecutions and torment
ing of their fellows.
Institutions in East
Many of the Eastern States. near.
Is all. In fact, have institutions of this
kind and some Of them two and three.
illinois and Ohio have The most success
ful, and the result of treatment in most
cases, especially where the patient is
taken from early youth, as all should
be. nave been such that numberless
cases have been saved from the mad.
house, the penitentiary, from beeom-
ing menace to society, aud from be-
ing forced into criminal life, and made
to become sell supporting and made