The New York herald., 1876-03-01
THE CoNKLING LUNATIcs.

|
THE RECORD OF INsANIrY-MADMEN IN THE
PAST AND THR PREsENT-How AN AVALANCHE
OF DEMENTED VERSE HAS BEEN AvERrED-
EXAMPLES OF ooNKLINo POETRY FROM IDIOTS,
MBECILEs AND MANIAcs AND POLITICIANS.
Mad as the sea and wind, when both contend
Which is the mightier.- Hamlet act ~, Sc l.
In ancient times lunatics treated with severity
for madness then attributed TO the entrance OF
devils INTO the body, who could only be driven by
castis CATION and confinement Bedlam then place
| OF punishment In Hogarths 'Rake's Progress we
see in tho closing pictures the Interior ofBedlam where
men chained naked 10 the walls Of their cells, and
! in Kaulbach's powerful painting OF madhouse, the
keeper stands with whip in hand over tho wretchcd
inmates. Meg Merries recalls in horror the time
when she was imprisoned for mad, banshed tor mad,
scourgcd for mad" Rosalind, In "As You Like II, y
says that lovc is merely madness, and tell you.
deserves as well dark house and whip as madrnen
do" So In "King Lear Edgar when he fegns 10 be
haunted by the foul hend "Flibbertigbbet describes
himself Poor Tom, ''who is whipped from tything to
| tything, and stocked, punished and Imprisoned" A
description OF madmen similar to these will be found
In Dekkers plays. But II is unnecessary to multiply
examples OF the old treatment OF unacy. The whip
! the chain the straacket the stocks the dark room
tho instruments with which deluded
| thought TO cure the delusions OF others
Now the methods of treating lunacy are entirely
different Society. like madman who has temporary
moments OF sanity, has recognized tho fundamental
truth that all lunatic to degree, and that
TO imprisoh all its idiots and manacs would be suicidal
We in WISDOM therefore, seek 10 cure lunacy by
leny. We put our madmen In gorgeous palaces allow
them theatres TO play in send them TO Congress some
times where they dream they are governing the coun
try humor them in the belief that they are candidates
for the Presidency. and actually go far permit
them TO suppose that they poets The result is
enormous extension of lunacy in mild form and the
diminution OF aggravated An idiot chained in a
dark dungeon might develop into ravng maniac, but
permitted to wander at large and INDUCED in his
he is often harmless member OF society. He is
indeed, often not recognized idiot, like Hamlet,
who sent to England for the expressed that
his madness 'would moi be seen In him there; there
the men are mad as he"
Upon this theory it easy to for the great
number OF idiots, lunatics, madmen Bedamtes,
cracked heads feather wits possessed by devils
turygoods, Poor Toms, gumps, conjons, dummies.
maniacs and others, who have OF late deluged tho
world with imaginary rhymes to Conkllng. Fore
seeing, did that the double excitement this year
OF the Centennial celebration and the Presidential
pagn would end In prodgious how OF poetry (God
forgive this euphemsm) upon these Subjects
solved to forestall the deuge. We very well that
about this time the country would be filed with odes
to Washington, in which 'washington" would rhyme
with "America's great son. "the name he won ''the
foe made rum" &C.. aud with countless upon
Grant. Tilden, Hendricks Blaine C'pain," 'braln
and "Mainc'1, Kelley ("bely," 'jely," ''helly'')
Bristow, Jewell Bayard, &c, and, knowing that the
result would be the execration of the
OF Washington and general refusal 10 vote
next election, introduced Conkling kind
of lightning conductor safety valve to the
unacy of the country. The effect far surpasses
expectations. The whole army Of American unatics
has been anked by this strategic movement. diverted
from its objective point, and now lies painting and
hausted at the feet Of the eminent Senator Of New
York. We this madness under control and Conk-
ling himself may we'll be proud OF the immense blessing
his has been to the country. With this candid
expanaton which feel is due 10 the public, beg
leave to present few of captured idiots and
madmen, and trust that any who feels that he
is wronced by being omitted will be enough to
| see that 1t is impossible to present them all:-
IDIOT NO. 2g7
There Is girl In our town,
She has little chunkling;
| Its checks are red, its curIs are browA,
| Like those OF Roscoe Conkng
IDIOT NO. 3O1.
| Let sycophants oil well their knees
| Like nephews going onccing,
| And furbsh up their pedigrecs,
| Then 60 10 strong for Conk1inE
Napoleon did this in France,
With great ambition rawnkline
And he succeeded, then advance
And shout for Roscoe Conkling
IDIOT 429
Asa Jew would TO a conoh cling,
SO l. when should be at school,
Have made myself appear fool,
To make rhyme for Conkling
fDior 53I
Still together we must on cling
To elect our own beloved Conklng
IDIOT 5S6
Moody may talk, and sankey may long sing,
But pray give us. give us our conklinG
IDIOT NO 6l8.
The man We want is Bristow;
Let the bells OF heaven ring
We cannot stand fair Roscoe,
Whose surname is Conkling-
IDIOT NO. 727
AS Carlists to their Don cling,
So We TO our Conkling.
Here is another specimen which Is kindly sent by
two idiots who say, "wo were born twins Just as
If they could be twins without being born So They
naturally write in coupets, and should be happy 10
hear from the other members OF their family.
TWIN IDIOTS, sos. 7s5. 7sa
Have you heard from our poor "fondlng."
And do you know his name is 'Conklingf"
Sing sing, that's the thing;
Strike the Tyre and praise Conkling
This equaed by three idiots who declare that they
born trpets. and have vague IDEAS that each OF
them is to be presented with gold watch. We feel
that would do TO them and the public II wo
presented them with a single threo bladed knife
rRRLEr IDIOTS. nos. s22. s22K s23.
Sing song o. sixpence,
pocket full OF rye;
-Four and twenty blackbirds
Baked in pie.
When the pie was opened
The birds began to sing,
Oh how IS that for high
With Senator Conknr
Tho lunatics turn out in strong force They fre-
quenty, like Alexander Lee, tho mad poet show
gmpses OF genius.
LuSArTc NO. 0o9
The donkey IL brays
When II loses It's doDkling,
And the doDkevs will bray
When they lose Roscoe Conkling
1000
s'The shines, I" and the ''dog is deadS
'We II, :" and this song sing,
.tI,et the machine go, 'mum," /" nuf ccd,