The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1906-02-08
PTI0H RATES
TIFF WAKE COUNTY HOME.

THF WAKE COUNTY HOME.
At the last term Of Wake County
Court the grand jury visited the
County Home and reported to the
Judge that conditions at the Home
were "deplorable and without ex-
cuse," ard that "the meals fur
nished the inmates would be no
credit to a convict camp"
The chairman Of the board Of
county commissioners replied to the
grand jury's report and stated that
Inmates received good wholesome
food. He also stated that one Of
The jury Owls store near the
Home and had lost large trade he
had under former management and
intimated that this caused him to be
biased in his view of the matter.
He stated that ono of the jury had
been elected Superintendent Of the
Home which position he declined
as the salary had been reduced, and
that possibly this caused him to be
biased in his views, and that men,
Der of the jury, who was a broker,
had not been able to sell 10 the
county. The chairman published
two letters from men at the farm,
who signed their names with cross
mark, stating that the conditions at
the Home were satisfactory. 1t is
significant that one of the letters
shows that great number Of insane
persons are cared for by the county,
some of whom have been sent there
from the asylums to make room for
other applicants more favored.
Aud this is the way they are
making room for more patients at
the asylums-robbiDg Peter to pay
Paul. But getting back to the text the
chairman also stated that the dwell.
ing occupied by the Superintendent
and 0uthouses, which were praised by
the jury, were put there by former
board, That the magnificent ten
room residence with papered walls,
stained floors, screened doors and
Outhuuses to correspond, were the |
product of others, when money had |
to be borrowed to defray county
expenses.
The secretary Of the last grand |
jury and broker referred to above |
replied 10 the chairman's letter and |
stated that the grand jury was not |
biased but stated facts as they found |
them, That he had been broker in |
Raleigh for fifteen years but had |
never tried to sell to the County
Home. AS to the letters from men
at the Home introduced by the
chairman, the secretary states that
one Of the men had no claim on
charity and should be expelled and
put to work, and the other man was
there one year as convict and did
not think these men competent to
pass On cleanliness and proper cook
ing Of food for the aged and de-
crepit inmates.
We have no reason to believe but
that the chairman of board of com.
missioners Of this county is a truth
ful man, but he may be honestly
mistaken in his views, for whera
there is SO much smoke there is
likely to be some fire, and the fact
that eleven of the grand jury re-
ported deplorable conditions at the
Home should be sufficient to bestir
the tax.payers Of the county. And
why is it that so many insane per-
sons have to be cared for at the
County Home? Isn't it on account
of broken pledges made by demo.
cratic politicians? Didn't they
promise the voters of the State two
years ago that they would provide
for The insane? And this is the
way they promised to provide for
them, by putting them in poor
houses, where they cannot receive
proper care or medical attention. I'll
they had spent the taxpayers money
In providing for the insane instead
OF increasing salaries and creating
new offices and appropriating money |,
to defend election thieves, the con-
dition of the insane would not be so
depIorable as it is today.
The Peoples Paper tells of an old
negro and his crippled wife Who'll,