, 1875-08-08


attributed to this .scl1etne Of unloading pau
per iueaae There is little doubt that an ln-
mate OF this Washington Asylum was recently
left in this way on the cars near Lynn. Maas-,
another a. Boston. and another At CINCINNATI
THE OBJECT OF THE ASYLUM
The legal conditions by which the Hospital
exists are very simple. The Hospital was estab-
lished under the act of March y, 1925, which
provided that 'There shall be in the District OF
Columbia Government Hospital for the Insane,
an0 its objects shall be the most humane care
and enlightened curative treatment OF the ln-
sane of the army and navy Of the United States
and OF the District OF Columbia"
The Superintendent Of the Hospital is an ap
polntnent OF the Secretary Of the interior,
under whose charge the Asylum is. Nine citi-
gems OF the District constitute Board OF
Visitors, who make an annual report. This
Board can make the bylaws, and has supervisory
charge under the Secretary OF the Interior. Tho
object Of the Asylum, primarily, is to provide =
refuge for the insane in the army, navy, and
revenue marine service OF the United States. But
its scope has been extended to embrace " all ln-
digent persous residing in the District OF Co
lutnbia 1T the time they became ipsane." Such
persons can only be admitted upon " the anthor-
its OF the Secretary Of the Interior. which he
may grant after due process Of law showing the
person tc be insane, and unable to support him.
self and family, or himself il he has no family.
under the visitation OF insanity"
II the law is complied with, no person could
az arc said to have attached to the unknown
number who have recently been mysteriously
turned loose in different cities, bowling among
their kind.
But the law also provides that "any INDECENT
insane person who did not reside in the District
ut the time he became insane may, in Like man
ncr upon the certificate OF Judge or justice.
and the application OF q member Of the Board OF
Visitors, be admitted into the Hospital upon tue
application Of the Governor OF the District, aud
Il ~ Hfp+rS ~ rir,cf$ $f1n mt in
uance of such .Dsane person theroln.-lt being
hereoy designed to give the Superintendent
thereof authority to take Charge Of such insane
person until the Governor can discover who his
friends are OF whence he came with view to
the return OF such person to such friends, or to
the place Of his residence, and thus relieve the
District OF tho expeuse and charge OF such ID
digent insane nonresident
TIE 1MpoTENT yUsT1FIoAT1oN or BARRARITY.
The action of the Superintendent in RETURN
ing these insane persons is based upon the last
clause of this section OF the law. They are not
to be q charge upon the District Government il
their friends or their furmer resilonce-citv can
DO discovered. But it certainly Ii not within the
iuteut OF an act to provide for the most hns
mane care and enlightened curative treatment OF
tile insane" to turn INDECENT Insane Of different
races aud sexes loose in dark night in wilder
ness beside swollen stream Without money ana
without food, or to abandon them under like
circumstances, in the streets Of distant cities.
OF money by Congress for tho support OF the
Hospital shall be dlebursed according to the laws
regulating ordinary Disbursements Of public
money The officers Of the Government Asy-
luin will look long III the statutes to t1nd war
raut for the grossly inhuman treatment OF
which they admit themselves to have been
guilty.
4 LAW As BROAD Is HUMAN SUFFERING.
The law max ng the latset Appropriation tot
this Asylu is in these word For the support,
fr1pT 1f a
insane OF the army and navy and revenue-cutter
service, and Of all persons who may have be-
come insane since their entry into the naval or
military service OF the United States. and who
are INDECENT, and OF tho inllgent Insane Of the
District Of Coiumbia, in the Government Hos
pitaf for the Insane. 3150. ILL.,
This 1aw makes no discrimination among
the classes Of INDECENT insane within the gloomy
walls Of that Asylum. Tue theory Of State
Rights did not control the appropriation Of that
it in tho spirit Of the act hy which this inssitu
ton was founded. There is no provis-
ion in The law that, it Maryland or
Massachusetts, has; a dlaproportonata num-
bcr in the Asylum,, the excess shall
he thrown over the ba.rlements into the
otomac. II there we're more insane poor than
this sum would care for, the Interior Depart
meut and the District OF Columbia have not
hesItated, before now. to ask for deficiencies for
less humane purposes. NO year passes that ap-
Q6AkS are uOL UlAQ6. III UEAA4A " 4uatA%AtAoN
n Congress, on the ground that the pauper mad
OF every State aud Territory receive equal care
In the annual report, the nativity Of the iu-
mates is given with scrupu1ous exactness-
Members from distant portions Of the country
are appealed to tor their votes because this
charity ia as broad as humanity, OF, ny the ap-
proprist,on-osatoEs generally say, 1t a. broad as
this broad land OF ours"
TIE SANITY BtE or IT.
The Hospital has four chaplains, and, in the
last report it Is said that The chabel and other
religious SERVICES have been satisfactorily con-
ducsed." Will the next report explain the na-
ture Of the religious service performed By those
Who abandoned the three INDECENT insane, that
dark night, On tie bauks Of tho swollen Pi6cat-
away?
Dr. Nichols, in his last report concludes:
"EtTort has been made by the officers to fulfill,
in the entirety Of their spirit and letter, tile
noble objects Of its creation and maintenance,
which Congress. ueas!y two decades Of years
ago, declared to be the most humane care and
enlightened curative treatment OF the insane Of
the army and navy OF the United States, and OF
the District Of Columbia" Will LIZ. Nichols be-
able to GAY Aa much this year2