Evening journal., 1913-01-28
268 Blind, Isl Deaf and
369 Feeble Minded in State

fulnesS is paramount these facts
are simply appalling. With
special education a deaf mute may
be taught to speak may be taken
through all the academic branches
to whatever degree his natural
ability may lend itself. may be
trained and become a skilled
workman in any handicraft to
which nature bends. and finally
take his place among his normal
fellows useful and self-support-
ing citizen; without special train
ing he rises little higher than the
brutes with only the ability to
communicate with his fellows by
the crudest signs, entirely beyond
the pale of all impressions of
moral and spiritual welfare. In
the case of the blind the results
of education are almost as start
ling. Although in adult life they
are much less Independent of spe-
cial care and assistance in their
vocations.
Lose Sight at School Age.
Delaware has made a substan-
tial beginning in the work for the
welfare of the blind under the d.
rection of your Commission. But
as the blind lose their sight in
many cases after the school age
and their former education or
trade is unavailing in the altered
condition of life, and they must
enter again under tuition and
learn a new vocation the State
should make provision for a ham
dicap towards their support while
learning and until their earnings
can be brought up to the expense
of living. Such a handicap, ap-
plicable to worthy cases with able
bodies and minds, ambitious and
Industrious. we estimate at four
dollars per week and their earn
ings subtracted therefrom until It
entirely diminishes when earnings
are in excess OF their expense and
completely self-supporting If
progress does not continue the
case may be considered unimprov-
able and a candidate for the care
of the county trustees Of the poor.
In many cases in the experience
OF your Commission a very little
opportunity to gain a footing will
render the blind completely self
supporting OF the adult blind Of
sixty are on record. some twenty
cases have been put on an earning
basis and with improved facili-
ties and more floor space made
possible By the endowment of the
workshop for the blind at the
headquarters of your Commission,
much greater. results are hoped
for in the future
Feeble Minded in DepIOrable Con-
ditiOn.
The condition of the feeble
minded is most deplorable; and
their is no class of detectives
which needs and responds to care
and paternal guidance more quick
ly, and whose neglect is more dis
astrous not only to their own we'll
being but to the general condition
OF society and the moral fibre OF
the race This class, distinct from
the insane and the idiotic and
helpless imbecile, with sufficient
mentality to walk abroad but def
cient in ability to judge the sim.
plest questions of right and wrong
and lacking all moral stamina Is
prey TO all the temptations an,
vices which beset the human race
They form the greater majority o
our criminal class and are pro
life in reproducing their owl
miserable degeneracy. They Grove
our hospitals. almshouses ant
penal institutions and the greater
menace is the larger number
which roam abroad especially
the females; INDECENT, withou
moral support and all the armol
OF social convention. helpless an6
unprotected, allowed to drift il
an unthinking and cruel world
the prey of the sensually Grim
inal; what end is there for then
but TO land in the house Of cor
I rection or to live as white slavel
and die a terrible death? Ant
worse than. all tosbring forth pro
geny as helpless as themselves
An endless chain. in geometrica
progression of degradation an,
depravity. Our present institution
are totally untitled for the car
of mental detectives. as in thes
they destroy discipline. take tn
places Of legitimate inmates ant
increase the cost of operation
whereas in a special institution
for this class they can be mad
useful almost TO self-support. am
may be made contented in occu
pations suited to their menta
range. Bv absolute segregation
their multiplication is prevented
For half century our neighbor
ing states have maintained splen
did institutions devoted to tn
amelioration of the condition O
the feeble-minded and have Gem
onstrated the wonderful POSSIBLE
ties Of these unfortunates. OF tn
269 cases Of record adequate pre-
vision is made for a partial ca
of but fourteen; this provision !
partial because the term of tn
beneficiary is limited to fourtee
years; whereas the -minde
no matter what the improvement
can never be capable of enterin
the field of life without supervisio
as they are children as long a
they live. And some of these al
hopeless idiots not subject to an
improvement; and on the otht
hand there are hundreds VIII
would be benefited enormously b
such privilege and would save tn
community great embarrassmei
and expense in the future. TT
record shows the number of, mel
tally detectives of school age ,
minors 207 and the adults of worl
ing age 109; these two most u
gent classes show total of 1,