ORGANIZATION OF CORNELL -1865 -1868 333 



posure. Throughout the State, lunatics whose families 

 were unable to support them at the State or private asy- 

 lums were huddled together in the poorhouses of the vari- 

 ous counties. Their condition was heartrending. They 

 were constantly exposed to neglect, frequently to extremes 

 of cold and hunger, and sometimes to brutality : thus mild 

 lunacy often became raving madness. For some years be- 

 fore my election to the Senate the need of a reform had 

 been urged upon the legislative committees by a physician 

 -Dr. Willard of Albany. He had taken this evil condi- 

 tion of things much to heart, and year after year had come 

 before the legislature urging the creation of a new institu- 

 tion, which he wished named after an eminent physician 

 of Albany who had in his day done what was possible to 

 remedy the evil Dr. Beck. But year after year Dr. 

 Willard 's efforts, like those of Dr. Beck before him, had 

 been in vain. Session after session the "Bill to establish 

 the Beck Asylum for the Chronic Insane " was rejected, 

 the legislature shrinking from the cost of it. But one day, 

 as we were sitting in the Senate, appalling news came from 

 the Assembly: Dr. Willard, while making one more pas- 

 sionate appeal for the asylum, had fallen dead in the pres- 

 ence of the committee. The result was a deep and wide- 

 spread feeling of compunction, and while we were under 

 the influence of this I sought Judge Folger and showed him 

 his opportunity to do two great things. I said : * * It rests 

 with you to remedy this cruel evil which has now cost 

 Dr. Willard his life, and at the same time to join us in 

 carrying the Cornell University Bill. Let the legislature 

 create a new asylum for the chronic insane of the State. 

 Now is the time of all times. Instead of calling it the 

 Beck Asylum, give it the name of Willard the man who 

 died in advocating it. Place it upon the Agricultural 

 College property on the shores of Seneca Lake in your 

 district. Your constituents are sure to prefer a living 

 State asylum to a dying Agricultural College, and will 

 thoroughly support you in both the proposed measures. " 

 This suggestion Judge Folger received with favor. The 



