Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-17
STATE UNFORTUNATE
Bryan, Mrs. q. VIetors. Mrs.

ing spark until death ensues in the
natural course.
These are the lowest forms of hui
man life. There is no place in Illi-
nois so pitiable. More suffering and
anguish is concentrated within these
four walls than may be seen in all
the other charitable institutions of
this state.
Passing down the line of Illinois
wards, from the sane to the insane,
from the dependent defective to the
delinquent, thence on to the feeble
minded, the imbecile and the idiotic,
We reach at last this little building,
with its contents of flesh and blood,
minus feeling, minus faculties, minus
mentality, minus even the simplest
instincts, crippled, diseased, paralyzed
from birth, wrought into horrifying
shapes as by the cataclysm of their
creation.
Back Of this dreadful, dark fore
ground We see outlined and imned
against glorious light the figure of
the state as mother and nurse, the
very embodiment of humanity of self
For who can forget the sights he
he sees here or erase from his mem
CRY the quiet, skillful young woman
nurse in white, the white enameled
walls, the white curtains at the win
dows, the polished floors, the cribs
and beds of white, furnished in soft
muslins and downy pillows, concealing
the burdens they bear under a mantle
of love and affection for the unfortun-
ate.
Who has seen this foreground
and has not asked Why but who
has asked why and has not seen
the background of eternal grandeur
that fascinates and holds his attention.
He turns from the great picture and
leaves the temple.
The horrors of the foreground have
left a depression of spirit, but the
sublimnity of the background has in
delibly written upon the heart the
lesson that the state in its nurturing
and protecting functions has achieved
a development and a position in hui
manity's cause that entities it TO the
admiration and respectful worship OF
all men who love their fellows.
The lesson of this picture is deep.
er than this; it is one of the markers
of the progress of civilization. How
long ago was it that this waste child
life, useless to itself or to the econo
my of existance, would have been left
to die, or even worse, to be dispatched
by authority?
Who would have cared what be
; came 70 this child, born without
strength or vitality, without intelli
, gence, instinct or capacity, withou
, sight or speech, or hearing, with with
. cred limbs, weak vitals, mishapen, con
torted head, and twisted, deformeC
body
r Even today there are those who
= turning their faces to the other direc
4 ton, could sanction by silence tn
= gentle removal Of such life from
. scene upon which it can play no par
, but that of seemingly useless bun
den
There lie still and silent in thes
: white cribs or sprawling upon tn
I floors in animal activity, the texts TO
I powerful sermons upon more subject
3 than / can here enumerate. Their
are likewise lessons for men and Won
2 en- to learn for their guidance Il
/: their relation to fellowmen and for tn
public at large to know for bette
4 appreciation Of what humanity reall
is and how vivid and vitalized an e.
= preston of it the state itself is.
This temple, as l have called i
, is known in the records as an infiru
airy OF hospital. Today it contain
7 ffty-two girls and thirty-four boys.