Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-07-18
TEE .sSy'LU.u tO.n.uzTTER.

The report of the legislative committee,
which has been extensively published,
withthe usual newspaper comments andex
aggerations, deserves more than passing
word at our hands. Not because ofany partic-
ular weight that may be attached to a leg
islative report, for such papers, now-a-
days, are only worth their market value.
Five average Vermont satesmeh-they
are politely so called-have spent much
time over the subject, and from mass of
testimony have briefly stated the result of
their labors. While we have no knowl-
edge that these Solons are possessed of
la rger share of general or scientific attain
ments than our average township officials,
it is proper to assume, perhaps, that these
men are as well qualified for the task they
undertake as any of their fellow members.
And it may be well to recur to the general
character of the witnesses, in order to
judge somewhat of the conclusions of this
learned committee. We happened to lis
ten to a few of the insane witnesses intro
duced by the prosecutor, and speak from
observation s, mewhat.
For example: Several witnesses, who
had been inmates-and should be still
complained bitterly Of the quality Of the
food. These charges were so palpably in
correct, by sane evidence and observation,
that the committee find the charges untrue.
Then comes poor old insane man, whom
t he judicial wisdom Of the general govern
ment declared TO be perfectly sane. Some
extracts from his TESTIMONY before the COM
mittee will enable the reader to judge of
the crazy mans stories. He details the ar
rival of two patients from Canada, their
reception by the officers, being thrown
down, stamped 10 pieces, killed, the floor of
the hall covered acih blood, the remains
boxed up and returned 10 their friends
He refers to other matters, if not as posi-
BILE, quite as probable, and insists that, but
for the violation of the laws of Nature, by
his progenitors, he should attain the age of
the Oldest man that ever existed! is il is,
with his feeble body, he has no doubt but
that he shall attain the age Of $50 or moro
years! And this man Stockton is referred
to after such gibSeriSh as an illustration of
the abuseOf sane persons at the asylum!
Another crazy witness, from ST. Albans,
complains of the quality of iood-of abuse
and of the projanity of the superintond-
entail his charges being not only untrue
but equally improbable. And of this class
of persons, insane upon certain topics, ana
this fact papable to the most ohtuse mind,
do this committee derive the most of their
testimony.
And this learned committee, in their per-
sonal observations at the asylum, are just
as unfortunate in their conclusions and in
ferehces, as would naturally be the case
with men wholly inexperienced in the mat
ter which they were to investigate.
To begin with, they seem 10 forget that
the Insane Commissioner a physician OF
high Standing in his profession, and whose
duty it bad been 10 frequent this asylum,
had really failed 10 discover these great
abuses. His knowledge and experience
seems to have weighed slightly in the
minds of the ommittee-probably because
he was sane.
Again: these men went into the investi-
CATION Of the matter, under the hue and
cry raised by parties more interested in the
erection of new asylum than in any thing
else. They began work under the pressure
of public excitement caused by false and
malicious reports, and naturally, therefore
biased against the Asylum and its manage
ment In fact, so narrowed up were theil
feelings that, upon their first visit, they
were astounded at the sanitary condition o
the establishment, and the absence of any
thing like murder and the rack And, no
knowing any thing about the laws of thu
State, they were surprised to find that they
were appointed 10 examine private, ant
not public Institutions fact, no doubt
equally unknown to their fellow members
Then the committee also found the asy
lum, oil their first visit, "inadequatelN
warmed and ventilated" The question o
warmth, we fancy, can better be deteim-
ined by the doctors and the thermometer
than by excited legislators, chilled perhap
by the fear Of torture! That the construc
ton of the buildings in regard to ventla
tion may not be as good as possible is, n,
doubt, as true Of the asylum as it is O
most private dwellings.
But this learned committee seem quit,
indignant that the worst class of patients
are not allowed to rambe for miles owe
the grounds. And they inslnuate that th
is not so at other asylums. We apprehen,
there Ia no difference, In this respect, be
tween the Vermont and other asylums
The grounds of the Vermont asylum ar
large and beautiful, and there Is no on
living within many miles of the place VIII
does not know that the inmates of the asy