The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-03-28


Dors not only feast and get drunk the institutions bat
msny OF them pocket and carry segars by the bunch
theft The Rotunda in the Park IL notorious Is dram
chop, where at all hours Of the day Governors NAV be
found drinking At the expense OF the Amshouse funi
With full supply Of champagne liquors and segsrs
always At hand and pressing invitations from the Cover
pors to psrtake Is not surprising that worthy officers
this place acquiring habits which unit them for bu,i-
ness and must in the end work their ruin. The best
FRIENDS OF these men zee this and depore IT, Perhaps the
persons themselves see II TOO; but how they hope
to remain In place they refuse TO join their employers
those Who keep them in placewhsn pressed TO "tAke
drink" 1t would be considered that they wore
to seem better than the Governors their refusal
would be taken ~ an assumption Of superiority,
and 80 IN, they S9 ~ they can perhaps rather
aser the exhaustive labors OF the weekly meeting are
over, The Goyerpors with their friends st down TO
influence Of the vine cup and the ssdsvs ssesr forget
their promises OF Improvement and rescind private the
ouncombe resolutions for rerenchmenl and reform pass
Let US suppose company about 70 make the grand
"tcur OF the Institutions" assembled 10 take carriages
ron me Rosands IN the morning. An invitation TO
Drink and smoke Is the preliminary step Then enter
'ng the carriages they driven 70 Bellevue Hospital
Heree large hail. hung with portraits OF past Presidents
and their guests large buffet It one end contains an
ample store Of all kinds potbles and that too Of supe
nor qnsy or your Governor s fellow Of deIcate pa
laie who viii not be put or with any common beverage
This ia the in which midnight carousss Of the Co
veInors and their friends Of common occurrence and
into hopeless drunkenness The Writer'S received With
an invitation to drink and segare this with glance
through The hospital wards completes the inspection,
ana tney WAX down 70 the water and enter the boats
backwelPs Island The boats are manned by prisoners
from the penitentary and Migrants from the workhouse
Governors belonging to the respective committees whose
boats they row in. The word Ia given for race ana the
boAnnen bend To their work under the stimulus Of whis-
key when ~ one the other boat gains ahead the Co.
vernors shout Bravo, workhouse $50 It, peniteuta-
ry, "Buly amshouse" and cheer their men along re-
The custom-and II is only Of late yesrs that II has be-
come custom-now Ia for the committee Of institution
whether brings ts boat into requistion TO give the men
liquor although one OF the srctest rules OF these ns
tuueps s the rigid exclusion OF all sprituous beverages
from the inmates. how II be expected that these
people will respect the laws which the men set over them
The vieiters are shown over Blackwell's Island,
through the almshouse, workhouse, lunatic asylum,
tastes although they DO not belong to the medical
profession they they choose step into the theatre
a the eSs nss sss
sae uniorton.ie women sent there for treatment and
subject them TO the shame Of examination pre-
renee OF tne company At least this was the net
long ago. ana not Governors alone but the relatives Of
GOVERNOR took their friends thher 70 CRAFTY depraved
curiosity.
Having looked the island the guests are escorted
TO the grand banqueng hall, spacious saloon in the
wsIdens nouse, where the high revels hold. The
noor covered with tessellated pavement the walls
and ceiling fescoed with all the coiors of the rain
bow, and Tie interior lighted by large stained glass
cost something Ike $4,000 although would be very
difficult, nom the official reports, TO determine how
much was actually expended upon the building and Its de-
Having eaten, drank and pocketed a. much as they
please they company again take the boats for Ran
DE Nursery the boys are brought out and put through
their evoutions few Of the buildings visited ncud
ing the school then liquor and segsrs, then re-
and their guests are not far from intoxcaHon
otn happens that the fesstpg At the penitentary b
rs IA INTO and he T. their cells
ter the hour Of retiring. After that midnight
san around the Islands, or stretch TO High Bridge and
back BY moonlight How conducive TO discipline and good
imagined.
The children on Randals island have been brought To
the city at the bidding Of Governors and psrsded with
ing banners. and 70 the music Of fife and drum ct al
hours OF the night for the benent Of FIRE companies re-
We are informed when Gov Mooney was running Tor Sc
nator last fa be had them out At night en- Washington
John Heepsn ard number o; other shoalder. Stscr
10 RandaA Island TO review tho boys The youngsters
were drawn up in line and made TO give cheer upon cheer
for the Benicia Boy.
Would these Governors treat their own children in the
same Way? not how much the more tender ought they
whom Providence and the people have conaded 70 their
care.
The food OF the psupers lupacs and prisoners often
onnt 70 cat We assured that has been
ons IN the lunatc Nsy um, almshouse workhouse and
y nhtn,iary IN nearly putrd state. All Of this meat
0h00a OF inspector 9f Bellevue Hos
ps and approved by him before IL is wsrded 70 the
institutions Ard yet Ia that the contractor COM
pies with the terms of his contract From the appssr
ance and quality Of the meat 1t would he had
gone through the markets. buying all the stale pieces
could End Sometimes he sends very good article; but
.Ss reverse y the rne Take for example the 1nstc
month, in cold winter weather, meat has been sent
there in sinking state. The food Of the aged people in
c,ous and often uDeaaabie. The tame nav be
SAG o. me articles supplied for the use or the
SICK l:,. Sometimes ,nn the mes. sent back but hs
OF meat or the men who keep him In ofces It would be
thought very improbable that IN penal institution pr
vafe pquss would be allowed to influence the conduct Of
these having charge Of the prisoners Yet In The case Of
perfon committed for libel Governor was heard TO say
70 me M,seen Of the peni:entiay God dn him give
been cent 70 an insane asyurn, put ,hrocgh such
course in the quarry brought him to deaths door We
man.. charged with repeated forgeries, was com
m'tied TO- the iunatc asylum, with the conniv
.,ce o. the S;s Soverno,s 2 escape the Just pun
der the pretense that be insane. He was spirited
sway and taken out Of the city recenlys gentleman
Who taw him in the asylum, having identified him, and
told him be not insane but shamming escape the
State prison where he deceived 70 be.
we tnink We have shown enough Of the doinss Of
hat reform In the Management OF the department
Is imperaavely demanded. Frem hightoned, chart
partisan machine, used by the members for the
ana mt prohgate purposes We do not charge that all
OF tne members OF the Board are men OF This stamp;
the contrary bear cheerful testimony the fact that
ecme OF them are pure, high toned, honorable men.
But they are 70 the minority; they s 1t the Board with
men vhoee faces habtusy flushed with liquor stolen
fiom the poor house and the penitenuary-some Of
Them hall drunk when they come TO the meetings. from
me same soarce-and how can their voices be heard
and their votes be made 70 tell, against such shame
less crew It 10 asserted that some Of the Governors
uAy tax The department with the carriage hire OF their
smnses and the coat o. riding about TO eeconeer for
their party.
TO fuch state is this noble charity reduced that
keepers and deputy Keepers appointed by particular
Governors for political services refuge to obey their
wsrdene, or to heed the behests Of other members Of
the Board Of Governors. Thus insubordination b the
rule, aIairs 70 on pretty much they will, and all
order, system, and government 10 rapidly passing
awsy. Ore Governor, week two ago, saw man
Who had been appointed engineer the iunatac cav
lum lying drunk near his engine, thus putting many
lives In peril, and orderea him 70 his post Tia fellow
had been Dsolent ana abusive BEFORE but this time he
burst out into torrent OF oahs and planly told the
Governor be might 50 to very warm place-that Gov
r Pincsney sione who appointed him, his master
was only BY the moet persntept effort the part OF the