Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-12-27
Must Pay Insane Expenses.

Must Pay Insane Expenses.
Des Moines.-Supt. Max White OF
the state hospital at Clarinda took
advanced ground in the board of con.
troll conference, in discussing many
problems affecting society and the
failure to solve which has filled the
insane hospital and other institutions
for the defective, delinquent and
criminal and has. left trail of sori
row in innumerable lives.
DR.. White insisted that the Law
should be changed to compel the pub
lie to pay the expenses of the care
of all insane. He has seen families
broken up and the education of child
rem prevented by the burdens imposed
by boards of supervisors. 1t is an
unfair system.
Soundness of the commonwealth ap-
pealed to DR.. White as condition
commanding the best effort of scient-
lists and of the state itself. It's duty
is not done with the proper care Of
the delinquents and detectives of the
present generation. Heredity is such
an important factor in the production
and continuity Of abnormal conditions
that DR.. Witte insists that 1--WE can.
not conscientiously evade the duty to
plan and do for coming generations,
80 that this incubus may be as light
as possible"
| It is matter Of frequent occur.
renee that ex-patients in whom the
/ weakness or predisposition is consti,
tutional or innate, and hence inherit.
able, get married, said DR.. Witte, in
1 substance, with an abandon and
recklessnes itself abnormal" and
with more than probability OF be.
queathing their own frailties, perver.
sions ana deficiencies still more pro.
nounced to their unhappy offspring =
This now is done without legal
htndrance. 1t is a grievous wrong to
the future. Recent amendments
authorize the detention Of imbecile
women up to a certain age but this
does not nullify the activity of the
males. Il am convinced" said DIR.
White, that legal prohibitive enact.
ments looking toward solution Of this
question will and can only partially
i be successful; nevertheless, a partial
success Is vastly better than total
failure, especially where the latter is
due to lack of knowledge, indifference
or neglect" The people are not ripe
fer the suggestion of what DR.. Witte
called "a more promising remedy" he
said:
DR.. Witte insisted on the extension
of the quarantine to cover all con.
.tagious diseases and inveighed
against the prudishness which pre-,
vents the discussion and the proper
protection against all classes Of all.
/ hA 4,
legal enactment which should rep.
resent crystalized common sense will
not be fully effective until our people
know the danger and want a remedy
said Dr. White. Hope. therefore,
must be centered In education
Judge Not Pleased With Law.
Judge McHenry believes that the
new Iowa indeteminate sentence law
Is frost. In his usual outspoken
manner, Judge McHenry declares that
the new parole and pardon board
cannot etfectually work out the sys
tenn mapped out for 1t and that the
practice cannot come up to the
theory.
Aside from the fact that I believe
the Judge who hears the evidence is
better qualified to say what mans
sentence should be than anyone else
am inclined to think that there arr
plenty of chances for young men whi
are without political influence tx
serve out the maximum sentence fol
some crime when the Judge would
never have sent them up for so lon,
and when Justice would never de
J. mand any such penalty"
!, Judge Brennan and Judge Nc
Henry are watching Judge Gaynor o
) Woodbury. county with much interest
Judge Gaynor Is testing the law b,
sending prisoners to the reformator,
for shorter terms than the maximum
q although the statute specifically pro
: vides for the latter.
3 War On Street Car Filth.
Expectorating on the floors Of tn,
street cars of Des Moines will be con
sidered a public menace by the stat.
anti-tuberculosis association and tn,
offender will be liable to fine of $2(
or Imprisonment.
At the meeting of the directors O
the association In the Chamberlain
hotel, the action of the state board
, Of health making this habit stat
: utory misdemeanor was Endorsed. TIL,
n association will cooperate with tn,
4 state board of health in having THU
i new law posted in all Of the cars ii
) the city by the railway management
j and having the conductors instructed
) to cause the arrest Of offenders.
J S25,oo0 Gift For Drake.
President Hill M. Bell returned
II from Gorydon, bringing with him
81 splendid Christmas present for Drak,
{ university In the form Of gift o
I'll $4,000 for It's endowment fund from
r Mr.. and Mrs. B. 3. Freeland OF Cory
5 don. The gift is In money, ayailabl,
2 at once, and 1t is without condition
except that 1t be used for the endow
ment OF chair Of Greek In the uni
n versity.
Owl Cars Do Not Pay.
Since the service was inauguratet
twelve days ago the owl street carr
have carried over 5000 passenger,
and out of this number the stree
railway company saws 2635 have not,