The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-12-28
NEITHER PERSONAL
NOR POLITICAL.

The Herald brings this indictment
against the Maury county Poor House;
1T is polluted with bed bugs, body
lice and foul odors;
1T is no fit habitation for human
beings;
1T is a shame and disgrace to
Maury county;
1T is a cruel injustice to the poor
and helpless who are compelled to
make it their abiding place"
But in making this Indictment
against the Poor House, we wish to
be understood, and not misconstrued
We are not playing politics; we are
not roasting" the manager, or keeper;
we are not latter" the commissioners,
we are not jumping on" the County
Court. What we are after" what we
are jumping on" is that lousy old
building rightly called a Poor House.
1t is so miserable, polluted and poor,
that in the name of deUency and hui
manity we will ask the County Court
to make some other and better provis-
ion for the county's unfortunate poor.
In the management of this institu-
ton, the present County Court, land
the present Poor House Commission
ers, and the present Poor House
Manager. have simply followed in the
deep and miry rut of their predeces-
sors. The miserable old shack was
lousy and filthy when they found 1t;
it has been that way since the mem
DRY of man runneth not to the con-
trary. Lets not bubble or quarrel
about whose fault this is, but
as men who love our fellow men,
lets put our shoulders to the wheel
to right the wrong by building Home
for these aged, helpless people, in
which they may be clean and comfor-
table, and of which we, as Maury coun-
tains, need not be ashamed.
The present building is so thorough
~ infested with lice and bugs, that it
can never be cleaned or cleared of
them. For that reason it must be
abandoned, utterly abandoned, and no
parcel or part of 1t used for the pur-
pose for which it is now used. If any
man thinks no more of his mules or
hogs than to turn them in there, let
him answer to the Society for the Pre-
vention of Cruelty to Animals. Not
only the buildings, but the location is
bad. For sewerage purposes the
Home should be near the river
or some large creek. For the
new building should contemplate bath
rooms and water closets, and all the
modern convenielces without which
no keeper or manager can ever do JUS
tice to this work; and whatever is
worth doing at all, is worth doing
we'll"
It will take money to do this work
as it should be done; but, fortunately,
the people of Maury county have the
money; and we are fully persuaded
from the number or expressions we
have heard since our first article on
this subject, that they are more than
willing, being even anxious. to spend
it, or have it spent for this noble
charity.
We hope therefore that no bicker
ings will grow out of this discussion.
Let by-gones be by-gones, and let's turn
our faces to the future; so that, having
knowledge, as we all now have, of
the true situation, the future may not
condemn us, either for our sins of
omission or of commission.
We believe that neither the keeper,
nor one of the commissioners, nor any
member of the Court, will deny that
the facts of the case are substantially
as we have stated. If they do, or even
if they do not, let the Court appoint
committee of competent and disinter
ested and intelligent men and taxpayers
of Maury county, to inquire into and
report fully and in detail all the facts
of the case; and this same committee
might also make recommendation or
suggestions to the Court as to the best
solution for the difficulty, and thereby !
start the good work on its way
we believe the Court will take some
action They are representative men
of the county. and their attention hav-
ing been directed especially to this
injustice to the poor, and this shame I
upon the good name and christian
philanthropy of the county, we be
lieve they will take some action, and
no longer be niggardly in their care
for these unfortunate poor and aged
people.
The main thing to do is to act with
out passion or feeling or prejudice.
Keep personalities out Of the discus
sion. and act solely and alone for the