Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-10-19
FEEBLE MINDED GIRLS.
Effort Being Made To Establish Home
for Them In Vermont.

Effort Being Made To Establish Home
for Them In Vermont.
An effort is being made TO find a home
for feeble- minded girls in Vermont and
the following extracts from the opening
address of the Hon. William r. Stewart,
president Of the New York state board
Of charities, at the 25th annual session
of the national conference Of charities and
corrections, seems to be timely as well as
to the point.
Into the public institutions and in
deed into some Of the private ones, find
admission, from time to time, insane
persons, feeble minded, idiots epileptics,
and the deformed, for whom no separate
asylum has been provided and who have
become q source of disturbance to the
inmates for whose care these institutions
were opened, while the unfortunates
themselves are condemned to needless
suffering for want Of the special care and
attention their condition requires. Hence
arises an intelligent demand for state care
for the insane, the criminal, the idiot
and for other unfortunates
The organic law Of every state should
explicitly acknowledge the obligation OF
its people to make provision for the des-
tltute insane, idlotic. feeble minded, de-
formed and epileptic and the delinquent
or criminal. The state owes no higher
duty than the protection Of its citizenship
from the dangers and pollution Incidental
to her restrained commingling OF these
defections with the people generally, nor
is there a greater evil than increase OF
their kind. Wise public policy requires
that for these unfortunates uniform and
suitable custodial care or restraint should
be provided by the state.
There should be no delay until abuses
in private, municipal or county adminis-
ration enforce the extension OF state
care. Before the need has arisen, the
duty should be acknowledged and the
promise made that the state will as
sumo the care q all the classes OF un-
fortunate or defective people named.
whose relations are unable to make suit
able provision for them
Mr.. Stewart emphasized this funda-
mental principal. that II is the DUTY NJ
the state to regard as Its wards all citi-
zens belonging to the classes called de-
pendent or delinquent This does NOT i'm
ply state maintenance for ALL since many
will BE- relieved or reformed through other
public or private charity. 1t does
imply however. that wherever within the
borders OF the state the dependent and
delinquent exist, the protection OF the
| state should follow and cover them.
There Is uniform tendency toward a
| separation Of the different classes cared
| for at public expense, and the placing OF
each distinct class under a separate head.
Let me give a few extracts from a paper
on THE Prevention OF Feeble Minded
| ness" by James G. Carson, NJ. D.. super
intendent, Syracuse state institute for
| feeble minded children. After stating the
benefits OF education and training for
these persons. he goes on to say.
Granting, however. that these children
cannot be so educated and trained as
to fully or properly care for themselves
! without supervision. what Is to be their
| future, and what the future OF those
yet unframed and abroad in every com
munity? Their number, now over one
| hundred thousand in this country, pre-
| cludes the hope Of securing safe and
watchful tutelage for those dismissed
after terms of training and yet. left &c
| their present environment and lack OF
| control, we see among them imbeclle
women and girls everywhere an easy
| prey to the wiles and lust of brutal Iner
and becoming mothers OF children like
| themselves.
The abandonment OF the original hop,
| of elevating these children to a normal
| mental and moral standard and an appal.
| ling increase in the ranks OF the feeble
minded and insane, the criminal and the
paCper have within recent years beer
| more and more strongly attracting oui
attention to the possible prevention Of
| feeble mindedness: and this question In
| our judgment takes precedence today
| over all others connected with this phil.
anthropic body, in demanding a speedy
| solution.
This question takes its importance
primarily from the fact that the ranks
| OF the feeble minded are being constantly
| multiplied by the feeble-minded, and
| secondly by the fact that they are pro.
life in the production Of crime. pauperism
illegitmacy prostitution. insanity AM
epilepsy. In 1850 there were reported ir
the United States census s149 idiots
The census Of 1890 gives 1851. The mum.
Der OF feeble minded to one million ir
1850 was 6s1. In 1890 It was 1926. II
other words, in 40 years, an increase II
round numbers from 10000 to 100 900. Of
this number only about 1000 are provided
for in public institutions especially de.
signed for them. The fact that there has
| been such an increase in their number
| and that so many are unprotected anC
| unprovided for Is sufficiently deplorabl(
in itself; but even more so Is the fact thai
the existence OF SO many feeble-mindeL
establishes a centre from which emanates
an almost endless chain OF evil Thess
$1,000 are not only burden to their rela
| tives and friends. but also a burden and q
menace to the public. by their reproduc.
ton OF other mental weaknesses, insanity
epilepsy. pauperism, illegitlmacy anC
every form OF degeneracy
In June 1900 there were reported in tn,
| United States 100000 insane, 1000 deai
and dumb. 80. 900 blind in both eyes, 80 0OC
blind In one eye. $4,000 paupers in aims
houses and between 80, 900 and 100 O0C
rramps. How many OF these are either
mentally feeble. or, the progeny OF feeble
minded parents? The reports OF the in.
famous Jokes family, OF Margaret, the
Mother OF Criminals and others will
answer this question pointedly.
The late DR.. Isaac NJ Kerlin, In speak.