New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-31

Lunatics are not sent to hospitals that they may
kill or be killed by each other; and there has al
ready been too much of that sort of homicide. TO
the mnrderous affair at BlackwelPs Island may be
added the killing mt the Worcester tMass Asylum
last Tuesday Of Thomas Dryer, patient, by War
rem Rice another patient. There Is nothing to be
said with much patience OF the management OF IN
stitutons in which such murder Is possible. There
il remarkable feature of the lastnamed case. Rice
long ago killed his father but for fifteen years he
has been regarded as perfectly harmless. No per-
son, however. who has killed another IN
fit of insanity ever be considered so
safely, and the case shows how dangerous
4 is for the friends of the insane. relying
upon their harmless demeanor, TO permit them to re-
main at liberty. This is a point upon which we
have frequently enlarged as cases arose which re-
quired comment The great mistake is made in
predicating a toerable sanity upon long course Of
tolerably sano conduct. The mischief may
happen any time. As for asylums so man
aged that such tragedies within their walls
are possible, we are not that they are
entitled to the name at all for asyums In the true
sense Of the word. they do not prove themselves 10
be- At Blackwelfs Island the number OF persons In
charge of the numerous insane at night was alb
surdlv small The managers clam that they had
not the means of procuring more attendants;
neither have they for combining patients sepa-
rately. 1--WE must cut our coat according to our
oloth1 said one of the Commissioners. In the name
81 dccency and OF common humanity. II the appro-
prations are small for safety let them be made
larger. If the money be wisely expended nobody
will complain. We can better afford TO spend
small amount unnecessarily than to allow such
scandals as this to occur.
The two most serious bindrances to q satisfactory
solution of the Indian problem, are Indians and
white men. Any problem is embarrassing when one
Of its factors is addicted to scalpng men, torturing
women and Draining children. But. after
all. savage cruelty is not troublesome
"a civilized greed. The policy OF the
National Government toward the Indians. so far as
treatment which has only been uniform in its ca
prc,onsness can be justly characterized as policy,
would have complicated matters sufficiently. even
II Il had been invariably carried out by reputable
agents. But the service which should have
been administered by the most careful and
conscientious men has been habitually Entrusted to
a confederacy of plunderers. Whether the mere con-
tact with Indian affairs snd the limitless oppor-
tuntics for fraud here offered is of itself demoraliz
ing. or whether by some strange fatality no honest
man ever happens be selected for this service, the
fact remains that from the traders and
agents up or down, the entire force has
always been corrupt. LOOKING back
over the sickening history of the Indian Bureau,
the recent developments IN the Interior Depart
ment are not surprising bur 1t pity thar
the Administration of President Hayes. other
wise so clean throughout, could not have
escaped this last disgrace. Perhaps the Gov
eminent may ultimately persuade Itself 20
consider the Indian as responsible
member of the human family. The solution of the
problem might be facilitated If the Indian and the
agent could both in this way be placed under the
conditions which so largely control the conduct Of
other people and help to make the world q toll
cradle place TO live in.