The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1859-09-03

proposition, and there were no more.
SIZE OF THE BUILDING
Very erroneous notions seem to rre-
vail in regard to the size of this build
ing. Its reported magnitude seems to
increase in proportion to the distance
that one rcccdes from it,
! The Asylum, when completed, will nc
commodatc about three hundred and six
ty patients, the largest number thst those
who have devoted thci, lives to the cure
of mental diseases say should be congre-
gated under the same roof If gentle
men who are so clamorous about its size
will refer to the United States census of
1850, they will discover that the proper
tion OF insane peoplesin our entire popu-
lation was one in fourteen hundred. IF
tins years census Of the State, there
fore, shows that We have seven huhdred
Thousand people, as it is reported, we
ought to have accommodations for five
hundred lunatics. In 1856 the census
taken did not accurately distinguish be
tween lnbccility, demcntia and lunacy,
but our proportion of Insane people thea
according to tt-rr ftrmcr population, was
three hundred aud seventy out Of Il pop
nlation Of i've hundred and nineteen
thousand. These facts will show whcth.
er the Asylum is too large.
ITS ARRANGEMENT AND FINISH.
| have never heard it charged that any
money had been unnecessarily expended
IN finishing or decorating the Asylum
|. is Il plain, substantial structure, with
an iron roof rs near iireproof as it could
vel be made, with very plain and
cheap finish both inside and out, and
embracing all the valuable modern in
provcmcnts. The Northampton, Mass.
Asylum, built of brick, at the same time
with this and on the same plan. cost
more than this will when con pleted, and
those who have examined both say that
the Iowa Asylum will be intrinsicalIv
worth at least s75, 600 the most On this
subject | call attention to the letter of
Mr.. Winsiow, of the 18th inst.
WHO ADVOCATED AND VOTED ArpRopnI.-
fIoNS FoR IT.
No one ever conceived the idea Of CON
Meeting the Asylum with politics until
last year. Every appropriation that has
been made for it has been advocated and
voted s"r by the most prominent men of
both parties in the General Assembly -
Such Den ocrats as Coolbaugh. Brigham,
Alien, Fisher, Stewart, Trimble, Bel
knap, Snmuels, Clarke, Tracy, Love, have
invariably advocated aud voted for the
highest appropriations :hat were named
.As legislators they have exhibited a hu-
mane and commendable zeal for the sue.
cess of the institution, and one Of them,
MY ncighbor and immediate representa-.
tive, las been freely consulted, aud has
as freely given his advice in regard to
every material act OF the commissioners.
WIEN WILL 1T DE COMPLETED
y large part is already finished, anoth-
cr largo part is nearly completed, and the !
whole can be speedy finished at a com /
parativeIy 5 small expense. /, was thought
that the appropriation last made would be /
sufficient, but it fell short The former
Commissioners assumed some response !
bility, personal and official. in the hope !
that the building would be prepared for
the reception of patients before this time.
Their successors would have done the |
same but for this foolish attempt to min
gle politics with t he Asylum and its |
Although | have had no !
Official connection with it for nearly two |
years. yet, when | saw the attempt made |
last year 10 make the Asylum an element
in tic political canvass, | advised the |
Commissioners to assume no responsible |
ity In connection with il, aud let the |
blame for its completion fall where
it belongs.
| think have shown that the Asylum
was established, the Commissioners ap /
pointed, aud the plans for the building |
BY a Legislature OF which one
branch was Democratic and the other
anti-h"mocratIc, aud that all appropra-
tions for the work done upon it were
voted Tor by members Of oil parties with
out tue slightest regard to their politca, |
predictions. And thus falls to the
-rougd the charge that my political .
party is responsible as u party, for any
thing that has been done in connection
with the Insane Asylum If the Com
missiouers have been guilty of any u,a'-
feasance or mIsfcasance, if they have
fraud upon the State or
upon individuals, let them be made TO re-
spond for 1t before tn. proper tribunals
| have heard no charge of this kind. If /
they have managed i,npruden,ly, un- /
wisely, that will be proper subject OF |
when they become candidates |
before the people. Bnt do, as a citi-
zen. protest against the precedent now
sought TO be estabishe! If making the /
humane institutions Of the State shuttle
cocks to be knocked back and forth be- !
tween the two political parties
have made this statement that the /
people may know the exact facts with re-
gard to the Asylum, and not by way of
an apology. ! am proud Of my connee-
tion with that Institution, and the time
is not remote when the Democratic party
will bc proud that Their representatives.
stand SO unanimously recorded in its
favor.
Que word more read last year, in
the speech of candidate for State
office, si-:en.ca; that the Asylum vas
established by the Commissioners at Mt.
Pleasant specially for M benefit as a
large owner Of real estate in that city and
its vicinity. The law of the State al-
ready cited, shows tha. the location was
made BY the General Assembly, and the
records OF Henry county wilt show to
whoever examines them, that | never
owned but one lot in Mt Pleasant. which
| sold long before the Insane Asylum
wa. established there, and that do not,
am meyer did, own any property in the
vicinity Of that place. 1t must nave re-
auirea q very fertile imnoinatinn to con