The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1910-05-26
ROBINSON OBJECTS TO
COMBINING MURDERERS
WITH INSANE PEOPLE
Duty Of the State to Provide
Separate Places for the
Criminal Insane.
BY DoAN

BY DoAN ROBINSON.
Pierre, s. D.. May 24.-Sioux Falls
dispatches tell of the transfer OF Will
lam II. Ward, the atrocious murderer
from Lawrence county, from the peni-
Tertiary to the state insane asylum.
This again calls to the attention of the
people a situation that in all wisdom
should be remedied. 1t is an atrocious
thing to turn a hardened murderer
into h asylum with innocent and I'M
fortunate people OF refinement and in
telligence sufficient to realize their
situation.
There is much popular misapprehen-
sion of the state of mind of most of
the insane patients in the asylum. As
q matter of fact it required expert tes-
tiuony to determine whether the ma
5ority of them Were sane or insane.
Many of them come from homes of re-
~hnenent and possess the most delicate
sensibilities. Under the conditions
existing in the South Dakota asylum
as well as perhaps all other public in
stitutions of he character about the
only ciaSsitications which can5be made
are those of Sex and of mental condi-
ton. That is the acutely insane for
manifest reasons constitute one class.
The quiet chronics another: the hois-
ferrous chronicS a third, and GONZALES
cents a fourth, II others along the
same line Among these classes the
criminal must II his place to asso-
ciate with those of his same general
condition of mentality. He lives with
them upon the ward; accompanies
them TO the dining room; eats at the
same table; takes his exercise with
them and day II night is in close as
ISOLATION with them. Can one imagine
a more trying position for an unfor-
l innate inlSrTlpsa1 w al l--g+k- ySs,
mind predisposed 10 morbidness and
Authorizations; generally timid and sem
sitive?
The transfer of criminals to the
asylum is frequent. I do not have
statistics upon the subject. Many of
their instinct; all come with the odor
of crime and h prison mark upon
them. The asylum authorities are
helpless in the premises to change
present conditions. Clearly it is the
duty of The state TO provide separate
accommodations for the criminal in
sane. 1t is not necessary TO provide a
separate institutions, but there should
by all means be provided separate &C.
commodations for them within the
present hospital where innocent unfor-
%tunates are not compelled to come
In daily ontac with them.
4 AS vi 81 w L
State conference In refusing to indorse
the votes for women proposition should
not be taken as indicating hostility to
the principle. Most OF the men dele
gates expressed themselves favorably
and declared their intention TO vote for
the amendnent The prevailing senti-
ment was that as a church it was not
the business of Congregationalism. The
proposition TO permit the women dele
gates to express their views by a ris- |
ing vote was not carried out for the
same reason. although there was
present a healthy curiosity among the
delegates to see what the real senti-
ment OF the representative women of |
the church is upon the proposition.
Clearly they were not all OF one min
and those conversant with the situa-
ton state that more of the men favor |
suffrage than of the women who were
n the conference.
The commencement season in the |
public School again calls to
the vast waste OF time growing out of
the modern attractions provided at the |
season for the diversion of the minds
of pupils from the real business OF |
the scnoois. Judge Alva E. Taylor a few
years g provided some illuminating
information upon the topic, but without
gong INTO details 1t must be clear to ey-
cry observer that the work of the aver
age school is broken and perhaps nearly
10 per cent of the years work almost
lost SO far as any real advancement is
concerned, by he fussy preparations
for commencement, the athletic and
oratorical contests and similar diver
stons. Children, too, are led to place
exaggerated estimate upon the inn
portance OF the completion of the high
course and are made to think
they have completed an education in
stead of only begun it.
During h past week two delega-
of citizens of the state have yfs-
tied the new capitol. These are the
bodies OF representative citizens
to come formally to look over the
The first body to be received
by the governor was the members of
the State Conference OF Congregational
churches n the second was the bust
ness men of Aberdeen. Their express
of admiration and approval of
the new structure were most hearty.
Really h capitol is a happy surprise
% all persons visiting 1t, who are IA
miliar with great public structures
elsewhere and conpersant with the
cost of them.