The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-07-11
ENTERTAINING THE INSANE.
Celebrating the Fourth Of July at the Hospital
for the Insane,

Cleveland, July S,-Nothing is more gratifying
to people imbued with Christian benevoence and
endowed with kindly and humane natures, than
to notice the disposition on the part Of citizens 70
make smooth and pleasant the paths of those who
by individual misfortune are separated from hui
manity In general The American has been
charged with taking too few holidays from the
wearing treadmill Of business (and perhaps II he
took more there would be less demand for these
institutions for the unfortunate) but he never
takes an hour Of entertainment for himself but
what he plans one for the unfortunate who is un-
able to Join him In his festivities. Not only does
he provide for those whom physical misfortunes
have deprived Of their share In the common lib
erty, but also to those whose own acts have caus
ed their separation from their feliow.men. In
the asylums for the insane in the penitentiaries,
in the institutions for the deaf and dumb and
blind, the homes for Orphans in the hospitals,
there is provided every conceivable entertain.
ment upon every possible occasion, to tighten the
gloom that is thrown around these secluded lives.
No pleasanter exempliacation Of this character.
istic has been seen than In the Fourth Of July
celebration at the Cleveland Hospital for the In
sane Saturday afternoon, In the cool. handsome
little grove at the north Of the building large
nu 3 ber of seats had been built, together with a
small temporary band stand. Here AGO Of the pa
tients of the asylum were gathered Saturday af-
ternoon to take part in the celebration exercises,
The grove was finely decorated with banners and
small flags, and presented very handsome ap-
pearance. In the small arbor or summer house
In the grove sat the invited guests among whom
were a number Of prominent men, There were
the members Of the new Board of TrusteesGener'
al James Barnett and Lieutenant Governor Jabez
Fitch, of Cleveland; Hon, A. McGregor of Can
ton editor of the Stark County DEMOCRAT; John
+. Perry, Of Summit county, and DR.. d, L. Wads-
worth. There was Hon, George Steele, of Paines
Vile and Judge s. S. Warner Of Wellington, mem.
bers of the old Board There were Judge Tilden,
| +. W. Green, A. P, Winsow, DR.. W. j, Scott, and
| Dr. j. f. IsOm and many Others From the band
stand the Newburg badd discoursed some very
fine music after which, as the opening part of the
| programme prayer was offered by Rev, B, Excel,
Of the Methodist Church at Newburg.
The address of welcome was then delivered by
a patient a clergyman from Youngstown, and the
| effort was logical and at the same time bril-
| liant one in every way. He surprised his hearers
by his elOquenCe, The principal point OF his dis
course was to the effect that republican institu-
tons such as ours tend to charity, beneyolence,
and to cultivate In the people who dwell under
such government disposition 10 Christian hui
manitarianism. This was Illustrated on every
side of us by the thousands Of institutions like
this that were provided for the unfortunate. The
speaker thought that there were two views which
| were generally taken of an Institution Of this
| kind, viz A near and far view The latter
| showed the institution to be dark, gloomy prls'
on, wherein the unfortunate were confined as In
| the Castle Despair the former showed these In
stitutions to be true homes governed by the rules
| of Christian beneVOlence, and wherein no pains
were spared to make the life of the unfortunate as
| comfortable, cheerful and happy as his condition
| would permit. The address was highly lauded
| by the gentlemen present. one remarking that II
this was insanity, then indeed must lnsanity be
allied to genius.
After another piece Of fmuslc Jerome B. Burrows
Esq, OF Painesville the orator Of the day was in
| troduced and delivered a fine address, His sub
| ject was principally Communism, or the present
state of our country as to the working classes He
took rather original and at the same time not il
logical view OF the situation. He used the WORD
Communism rather in its original than in its gen
orally accepted sense He apprehended no IL
consequences from the present Socialistic move
ment among the laboring classes, 1t was no more
than natural that meu should associate them
selves together in trades unions for the protection
of their particular craft He thought our republi
can institutions themselves tended to COmmun
ism. The gathering of representatives OF the peo
pie into congresses ana legislatures was SIMPLY al
| example of Communism. The speaker believed
that society was continually progressing. We were
reaching higher standard Of morality. Tha
there was healthier tone in society he thought
was illustrated by the nHmber Of criminals O.
high standing in the community whose crime
were being ferreted out and who were receiving
their just deserts, as well as the criminals Of {
lower order
At the close of Mr.. Burrows address anothe
piece of music was rendered. after which bene
diction was pronounced,
The patients, who had sat very quietly through
out the entire programme without disturbance o
any kind, were then returned to the wards,
The entire company of visitors then called upoI
the patients in the wards, after which they So
down to an elegant supper in the parlors.
An extra entertainment was also given the pa
tients in the wards, and the whole programme
tended to make it day Of enjoyment to the in
| mates.