The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1908-04-16
OUR COUNTY ALMSH0USE.
Views Of. a Former County
Judge on Improvement
and Management.
Editor BUTLER WEEKLY TINES:

Editor BUTLER WEEKLY TINES:
DEAR FmEND:-A number OF arti.
cles haveIappesred from time to time
in the different newspapers OF she
county with reference TO our county
farm, so We thought 1t might not be
out OF place to add one more to the
list, Since every taxpayer In a com.
monwealtf is also a stakeholder In
Its possessions and institutions, he
should feel perfectly free TO express
himself on all matters that relate 80
the proper management OF th" same.
Is is not our purpose to engage In
she discussion which has been going
on recently, relative to the care OF
those who are so unfortunate as 10
become the charges Of our county,
Tor We have not investigated these
charges, therefore we are not com.
petent TO pass on their truth or
falsity, but hope that Mr.. and Mrs.
Bright ara doing all that their en-.
vironments will allow for the CON-
fort OF these people who have been
consigned TO their care.
Bates county, like all others, has
had its usual share OF what Ia termed
'eyesores" In the way OF public build.
ings. The jail was the first OF these
ill.fated piles to become unpleasant
to the vision and a stencil In our
nostrils. Yetit was years before this
old bastile was leveled to the ground
and a building erected In It's stead
which was not only an ornament,
but much better constructed for
the entertainment OF those who dar-
ed to hold our laws in defence.
A few years later we discovered
that our court house was getting old,
out OF date and inadequate TO the
needs OF large and progressive
county like ours, so In the course OF
time its.passed into history and an.
other edifice slowly rose from the
earth, which we could point out TO
our visitors from abroad, with no
feelings of shame, as our new Tenn
pie Of Justice.
| Only our almshouse now remains
as reminder OF the days gone by,
when we were fewer in number and
poorer in purse than We now are,
and, being least in magnitude,
though we dare not say In impor-
tance, has been reserved for the last
to follow In the wake OF It's contem-
porarles, which 1t must surely do at
no distant date.
We have no criticisms to make oi
the county courts OF those days long
since past, for they builded for their
time as best they could OF the means
and materials at hand, as we new
build for ours, and when the genera.
, tions OF the future shall find 1t neces.
sary to remove the landmarks which
we have placed, we only hope they
will take the same charitable view Of
what We have done.
We have mentioned ihe foregoing
facts lest some might berome i'm
potent and think thas our people
would never make the changes, bu,
remember the adage, Great bodie.
move slowly"
Far back In she early history o.
mankind great prophet and law
giver wrote: "The poor shall never
cease out OF the land" Age upon
age rolled away as Father Time be
held "the children OF men arise and
pass out OF the world like blades oI
grass" Then One who was greater
still appeared on earth, and finding
the same conditions, said: "The
poor ye have wish you always" and
the history OF the nineteen centuries
since this last utterance, with all oil
It's progress In religion, civilization
and art, has failed to disprove the
truth Of these predictions.
Since we must consider this class
and adjunct to society Though not
d necessary one, SO far as we can see
We must provide permanently for
their relief. We hope that no one
will misconstrue our meaning when
we use the term poor" for we have
reference only TO those who are Who'll.
ly dependent on the public for their
support, and not on the great macs
OF bread winners OF our land who,
though not rich, have an abundance