The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-09-10


western parlauce, "skulduggery '-succeed
in making them kick the upper end of the
beam. We shall see what we shall see, but
certainly very pretty guerrilla fight.
STATE LUNATIC AsYLUM-cARD FROM
SENATOR CRIMES.
Attempts are made in certain quarters, to
ujure the Republican party, on account Of
its alleged responsibility for building a Lu-
matte AsyluFa at Mt. Pleasant. No one could
object to this if the statements made and
the differences drawn from them had
any foundation in truth. If there has been
anything done that was wrong in regard to
this or any other matter, and the Republi-
cans did it, they should be held to answer
for it. Has q wrong been done, and by
whom ?
propose to state, as briefly as possible,
the true history Of the location and erection
Of the Asylum at Mt. Pleasant, and shall
state nothing that is not susceptible of the
ciearest demonstration.
ITS LOCATION.
The Insane Asylum was established sat,
or near Mt. Pleasant - in Henry County, by
an act of the General Assembly approved
January the Oath, 1855, the Senate at that
time being Democratic and presided over by
Maturin l.. Fisher, of Clayton County, and
the House Of Representatives having what
was called an An,i-Nebraska minority
. ( See Session Ldrs l854-j, page 1917 1t
would seem therefore, that neither party was
responsible for the location. No man, at
that time, thought Of politics in connection
with this subject, as is shown by the unpar-
! allclcC. unaninity with which the bill making
the location and naming the Commits
sioners to superintend the erection of the
! Asy lum WIS enacted into q law. The bill
passed the House Of Representatives by a
vote Of fifty to six, (See House Journal
! 1855, page 3jl,) and passed the Senate by
a vote of p to See Senate Journal 1885,
page eGj.)
THE BUILDING COMMISSIONERS
; Were Judge Edw. tombstone of Lee Coun-
! to, Dem Ocrat, Dir. Chas, S. Clarke, now
of Jefferson County. a Republican, and the
| Governor of the State. They were named
] in the law above referred to. and the re-
sp'nsibility for their appointment was dl-
vlded between two political parties in the
same manner as was the responsibility for
the location Of the Asylum. laver that no
enced in the slightest degree. in his conduct
us Commissioner,by political considerations.
| ain we'll satisfied that Judge Johnstone, was
not. and as an evidence that the other Com.
missioners were not, will state that the
man who was selected to supervise the whole
work. Henry Wnsow, Esq, ever was, and
is now IN uncompromsng Democrat, who
never voted any other than the Democratic
ticket, and was discharged from similar
position in the State Of Maine on account of
his advocacy of Democratic principles and
his hostility to Know NothingiSm. lie was
employed by the Commissioners on account
of what were believed to be his merits as a
Superintendent. and they are happy to know
that his conduct has justified the selection.
Mr.. Wnsiow has employed, discharged and
paid, every man employed about the work.
purchased all thematerial. superintendedthe
construction of the entire building. Almost
ali Of the chiefs Of the carpenter, brick max
inc. brick laying, stone cutting, stonelay
ing, etc, etc, departments, learn also,
nave been Democrats. Twill say, however,
th6kf have only learned tits latter fact re-
Gently. for, really, no one of the Commits
sioners ever til ought to inquire to what po
Utica! party an employee belonged.
PLAN CT THE BUILDING.
The act Of the 9th Of Jan, 1875, con-
trlnplatcd the construction of small build
lug at an expense CT $4,000, which it WAS
thought, could be enlarged as the exI%cncics
Of the State might require. The Commits
siOncrs Thought so too. But they consulted
Architects, SuperintendeptS of -Asy unis in
other States, and other persons Interested
in insti;uuouS Of the KIND, and satisfied
themselves that ?JU, 900 would not erect and
complete an Asylum that would accommo-
date one h#lf Of the Insnne people Then in
tue .J......,, nor, indeed, that it would com
plc;1 Any E;ad # 81 Insane Asylum. They
became satisfied tina: the General Assembly |
when they passed tho law limiting the
amo ant that the Asylum should cost to
$jN,UU), knew as little Of the requirements
Of a well constructed Institution Of the
kind, as they themselves did before they be-
gan to investigate that subject, and they
therefore determined to adopt such plan
for the building as they believed the wants
and interests OF the State demanded. Massa-
chusctts was, at Just about that time, COM
mencng the erection Of her third Asy lum |
at Northampton, and had adopted a plan |
which was SAID to embrace all modern and !
desirab!cimprovements. The Commission |
ers procured transcripts of that plan, with |
view to lay it before the General Assembly. |
and secure its approval and adoption, If
possible, for the Iowa Institution. In the
mean time, however, they proceeded with
the excavation FOR the foundation, made !
some brick, quarried some rock, ETC., etc,
but did nothing by which the State would.
be in ursd thousand dollars, if the Legis- |
lature should see tit to dsapprove their ac-
ton and reject the plan they proposed. The
General Assembly of the State was conven-
ed in extra session on the % day of July, |
1856, which was before the foundation of
the Asylum building was laid. The Com.
msslon"rs appeared before the Committees
of the Legislature with their plans and spc
clications, the merits and probable cost Of the
whole thing were thoroughly canvassed, and
an additional appropriation was asked, not
because the money would be needed before
the next regular session of the Legislature,
but as an endorsement OF the recommended
items Of the Commissioners. This endorse
mCnt was made, and an additional appropri-
alton OF $50, 900 was voted by thus same
Democratic Senate, still presided over by
Maturin l.. Fisher, with only one vote in
opposition. See Lars Of extra Session
1856, page 90.) The journals of the Senate
and House of Representatives would indi
cate that there was DO dissenting votes, for
there WAS not opposition enough il either
body to demand the ayes and nays. (See
Senate Journal Of ertra Session 1856, page
IS, and House Journal, same Session. y
There was, however, one man in the Senate
and three in the House of Representatives.
who declined to supper: the proposition, and
there were no more.
SIZE OF THE BUILDING.
Very erroneous notions seem prevail in
regard to the size of this building. 81 Its re.
ported magnitude seems to increase in pro-
portion to the distance that one recedes from !
it. " r'-. rE- .srae-s
The Asylum, when completed, will accom-
modate about three hundred and sixty pa
tients, the largest number that those who
have devoted their lives to the cure of men,
tai diseases say should be congregated un-
der the same roof. If gentlemen who are
so clamorous about its size will refer to the
TTpitnd St.tas co-,sua ~ 1SS0 thoy xy;It lie