The Portland daily press., 1883-07-24
Tewksburv,

TewkSbury.
The committee of the Massachusetts leois-
ture which has been engaged in the inyesti-
cation of affairs at the Tewksbury AIMS
house was not expected to make unan-
imous report. Governor Butler had attack
ed the management of the institution as
political move, a phase of his policy of
counting the ignorant and criminal classes
and arrayins them against the intelligence
and morality of the state. The charges re-
garding fewksbury were contained in the
Governors message The Governor him
self appeared before the committee to pros
ecute the attack on the institution. During
the whole proceedings the Democratic mem
oers OF the committee sustained him in
everything he said or did regardless alike of
its propriety or its lawfulness. and they
sign report declaring that all his charges
have been proved, and rather outdoing him,
If possible, in thei- display OF demagogism
and malice. This was to be expected per-
haps. When the Democratic party made up
It's mind to take for its leader the man
whom for twenty years it had denounced as
the embodiment of all that was vile and Ger
rupt in political character of course it
abandoned self respect and respect for the
truth. 1t can now have no more sympathy
with right and virtue than had the abandon
ed wretches in the old legends who sold
themselves to the devil TO do his bidding.
The difference in the two reports is
fundamental. One recites the evidence pro
and con and presents judicial conclusion
as TO each charge made, the other does
nothing Of the kind because to do so would
defeat the purpose of those making it which
is not to get at the truth but to deceive the
people. Therefore no, mention is made of
the evidence presented in defence. The
Democratic members of the committee
ignore all which does not make for the end
they have in view and they question the
truthfulness of nobody who tells the
story they want to have told. Prosti-
tutes and vagabonds, notorious criminals
and convicted liars are all honorable men
and women in their view when they assail
the management of Tewksbury. But t, the
citizens whose character for integrity, char
ity and honor is established by lives of vir-
tue and uprightness they refuse to give any
credence Whatever the Governor wants to
have found they are bound to find, and
whatever he does not want discovered they
are willing to conceal. The two reports can
not be read by any sincere man without
conviction that one deals with the evidence
honorably and the other deals with 1t dis
honestly; that the conclusions of the ma
jority are in accordance with the testimony
judciaily considered, while the conclusions
of the minority are in defiance of it.
We have read through both reports care
fully and are of opinion that the Governor
Is convicted of Misrepresentation, as
groundless and wicked as ever magistrate
was guilty of. The majority of the commit
tee do not approve of everything that has
been done in the management of the insti-
tuition. There is no dispute about the
frightful mortality of infants at one time;
but it is shown by the testimony, to which
the minority make no allusion, that at that
time the institution was the receptacle of
infants from other institutions, sent when
their lives were despaired of, and there was
no hope Of getting them taken by private
parties. 1t was shown, too, that the man
agement and the trustees were urgent all
the time for another system which was in
augurated four years ago. Nothing has
been shown different or worse than was pub
iicly admitted by all concerned, and effectu-
ally corrected long before the Governor
made his charges. All his charges about
the sale of infants bodies from Tewksburya
as merchandise, or of any bodies as mer-
chandise, to medical schools, or to anybody
are disproved by competent and unimpeach-
able evidence. The committee recommend
different system of bookkeeping, but the
Governors charges of thieving are not sus-
tanned.
We presume this whole business will be
discussed during the Fall campaign. The
Republicans have no reason to fear the dis
cussion, and it will not rebound 10 the sue
cess of the Democratic candidates unless the
people of the Bay State are far less iDtelli-
gent than they have credit of being. We do
not believe they are yet ready 10 commit
themselves to the control of conspiracy of
foreign elements which have no pride in the
States history with the liquor interests
which seek her degradation, and the dema
gogues who seek only their own elevation.
We do not believe the majority of Massa-
chusetts citizens wish the States unfortu-
nate poor to receive less care, wish to cease
efforts to enlighten the darkness of the
blind, the deaf, the dumb, the partially. de-
mented, wish to diminish the amount of in
struction in the public schools, or wish in
other respects to set the Commonwealth
backward in the path Of civilization and
philanthropy. 1t is not strange that the
magistrate who made such recommends
tons as these should have an interest to
make false statements about has been accom-
plished.