New-York tribune., 1878-07-24

destroying tlIe foundations of business morality
and personal honor, aud In teaching the merchant
and the speculator that there is nothing 80 mach -
be dreaded as the loss Of wealth and The consideration
which wealth alone seems able to purchase. man
whom the public has educated TO this frame OF
mind is upright so long he pr0epers but expose
him to the danger of bankruptcy and he is defence
less In the face Of terrible temptation
=
IL any of the Syracuse statesmen, after their la
bors in platform making, should find Themselves in
want of nice quiet luDatc asylum, we cannot re-
commend the establishment on Wards Bland
paralytlc patient was placed in a bath-tnb nj tDat
retreat, and, during the absence of the attendant
an insane man turned on the hot water and boiled
the poor creature to death, the screams OF the VIC
tim apparently attracting no attention Of course
the COroner's jury has "eensured" the attendant
and we think tho verdict might well have extended
the great deal further. The medical
superintendent testified that the eulprit had
always been "an exceedingly stupid" nurse, but
The physicians of tho institution have no
control over the appointment Of the attendants who
are to carry ont their rules and administer their
prescriptions, that patronage being political per-
quisite reserved to the Commissioners. and exer-
cised no doubt, as all political perquistes are. The
success Of an insane asylum depends 80 largely upon
the capacity and fathfulness of the that we
have no reason to wonder if, in city which re-
moves the subOrdinates in these establishments
from the control Of their chief there are 80 many
cases Of gross maltreatment and neglect IL the
Commissioners insist upon perpetuating the abuse
they ought to be committed to their own asylum.
The old calculation as TO the average punishment
for murder has been effectively revived and fresh
M n. Lhn
murder record of Illinois for twenty years past and
shows that the murderers have received an
average punishment of three years and six months
Imprisonment. One of the strongest arguments
made for capital punishment Is, that under present
conditions it to be the only punishment pos
sible. The facts however, are stronger
argument against our childish method Of dealing
with the pardoning power, than they are for the
hangman's rope. I he State of New-Jersey deals
with this question of pardOning in sensible
way, which ought TO be often commended to
the attention of the other States Instead of fool
ishly committing the responsibility to Governor,
who is generally politician, always eager for pop
uar favor and susceptible TO influential appeals,
New-Jersey intrnsts the question to court
of the highcGt character, where 1T is carefully
considered on the evidence and treated iudcialIy.
We have not the figures at hand, but we venture to
Jersey is more than three years and half imprison-
ment, and that tl,e number of murderers pardoned
out is not sufficient to create any alarm.
In answer to the inquiry of a correspondent,
who wished to put money where iG would
DO the most good in the late heated term, we
mentioned TWO or three charities which as
sumed the task of taking poor sick children
from the tcnement-house portion of the city to the
country for rest and recovery We have since been
informed of another institution, aiming in part at
this work, which specially needs and deserves aid
lust now. This is the House of the Good Shepherd,
at Asbury Park. n. j., under tho care Of the Sis
terhood OF the Good Shepherd, now working in ST.
Barnabass House and III the hospitals and prisons
OF this city. One of the objects of this institution
is 10 give two or three weeks OF country air TO the
children Of the tenement-hCuses and also TO offer
temporary rest 10 poor hard-w0rkng, woTn-out
women. Contributions can he sent 10 Sister Ellen,
St. BarnabaSs House, 304 Muberry-st.
The figures Of European travel make sndden
drop to-day, barely hundred passengers sailing by
three steamers The most conspicuous departure OF
the day will be that OF Ex-Governor Fenton, who
goes 10 attend the Silver Conference. The notice
which the growing Importance of this gathering
would have attracted to his departure would have
been increased if Governor FentOn had allowed his
friends 10 make the demonstration they wished;
but with his usual quiet taste, he made sure OF
modest exit by forblding anything Of the sort.
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POLITICAL NOTES.