The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1883-03-03
cerrespoadsase Baiii@ore CoHa,y Uaion.
A GROWING DEsPoTIsM THAT NEEDS
SOME ATTENTION.
Asylums as Bastiies, Superintendent as
Despo.s aud England as Our
Exampier
BALriuong CorxrY. F.h. % \.

PorPOse huo england as Our
Exnmpier.
BALTIMORE CouxrY, Feb. &c. 1883,
Nsssfs. Editors: We have read with n shudder
I Of the ways In which some II the de.potic gov.
eFnments Of Europe sometimes uneerino ni0nsly
deprive their subjects Of liberty by imprisonment
OF hanishment, for reasons Of which the subject
hardly know, and for deliveraBcc from which
their approximations arc Ia vain. We are glad 10
| think that IN this country everything l. done
| open and above board; that personal liberty is
the most sacred right Of the subject and that the
man charged with the grossest cFirninality, has,
In common with others, every facility offered him
u prove HE Innocence aud preserve for himself
the happy freedom found outside Of iails and
( Vonitentiaries. With the exception OF cases
where lynch.law overpoweTs regular law, the
greu,est cfiminais therefore, are treated TO fair.
ness 70 which they can iie no objections. but
now, 1T Us see. In the midst Of all this American
eagle stretching and impartiality TO criminals,
how innocent men and women are subjected 10 a
deprivation Of their personal rights aud forced to
nndcrg"a an imprisonment more humiliating than
that Of any Jail or pcni,entiary.
HARDLY week passes but that the casual reader
Of few newspapers does not SEQ an account
where some sane person has been confined for a
long term In lunatic asylum, had his protesta.
tons Of sanity Knocked. aud been dcbarrcd every
chance e communicate with the outside world
! during hii Incarceration. the same ~ he had in
being kidnapped away from Il without trial or
hearing In the hrtt place. There y every reason
TO believe also, that the Instances brought a.
light are lev IN comparison 20 tho many which
uHid natives shrink from divulsing. llusbands
their wives and wives their husbands parents
their ehild'cn aud children their parents, and
friends add relatives their friends aud relative
all alike haze the ylum as handy for the accom-
plishment Il their designs upon one another as
hal the RUTHLESS kings Of France the once famous
Bas,ile % Paris for their brothers or successors.
kUNa -.
or Interests of another, whether In love OF
money na',ers, ordinary preferences OF deeper
principles, u u only necessary for the opposite
:. pSl. 10 enlis, the sympathy Of two OF three
lsnsl.&asasd physician. and, sith a very soliei.
sns air. contract with the asylum authorities 10
gEe their careful attention 10 the other party I'M
tilfuFtheT orders or for an ind finite period. Ia
scent ease husband was hiri 81 To an afy-
lun by his wiie's paramour. Once within the
Wsls. the ineafccFaiurs outside carry cut their
plns unmocsted. Will" the prisoner Is subjccteI
tos wore than Siberian Punishment aud humilia-
tim. 4 Mr.. Dixon. Of New York. was some time
az, released from an asyum after four years. con
hnsment. The Baltimore SHH, in abiding g. hi.
cas,, Thought IL almost Incredible" Mrs.
johnson. Of Philadelphia. has recently been TO.
loaied after ayear's confinement, In both oi these
cascs the cx-prisioners are reported 10 have en-
tered suit against their dclainers and IL l. g. be
hoped. " there j. any justice in law. certain pr-
Naie parties, aud asyi um superintendent. espcc
tally. may be taught that kidnappin, cannot
always be INDUCED la with impaniiy.
Selfish interests. producing individual anitno,i
~, will. ia the present condition Of things. he
likely 10 exist but IL j. the duty 81 a country pro
Tossing the name 81 free" 90 see that NJ form ul
despoiism IL allowed 60 usurp that Justice which
h the inaiitnabie right 81 each of ts citizens. A.
at present consttuioi asylum superintcndent.,
religious - oiherwise. dcspots. Were ihey
the mos' perfect of men, they could hardly be
otherwise. Unlimited power in anything make.
I u man dsspotc in fpite q himself They each
have the life and death. the pleasure and pain,
the liberty and imprisonment Il hundreds under
uaskE-r charge. They can 10 what they chose be.
hind their vail and locks, and " time diVulges
alleged wrongs received at their hands the simple
asservaiion On their part Of incompeleucy 70 de-
tsrmine right from NrOng the part Of the
/ aecuseF, allows them o. blandly assume an i'm
pregnable atttGde. In this - seen the power Of
I their Iespoii.m. They. Of course gladly receive
sane pensi0nct, for whose keeping they are paid.
and they Keep them long \. possible They
arc not AZ all concerned about the happinsss losi
or misery gained Of such persons II their Is any
Z injustice, fraud or animosiiy ia these commit
ments. It does no: pay them 90 investiga,e %
( remedy either. II such people protest aud pray.
they are only laughed at. The most sacred scnii-
meat. of their natures are treated with LEES re-
spect than the hunter shows 10 his hungry hound.
b IL il true that local trustees have a liberty aud
duty IN supeFvising these supefiniendenis; bu;
there are too many reciprocal compliments be-
tween the two 20 insure any supervision and in
spsciion worthy of the name. The superiniend.
ent's parlor AMI dining room and the one model
ward Of an asylum about az far az inspection
reaches. Trustees are merely the superintenden
professional power. Pretentioas associations have
been formed from time to time in this country for
the better inspection u asylum arairs; but thew
have fallen far short of their aim in the most
essential matters, and have been found TO ulii.
maieiy constitute themselves into n species Of
> ,gminssrirg asylnm political poser a. imperious
Asylum are 20 the opportunities Of persons fraudu.
lently committed.
Tue whole cause Of this fragrant abuse Of indi.
vidual rights BY asylum authorities - only 90 be
resided by National Board Of Commits .ioners
10 Lunacy, disassoeiated entirely from every asy
lgm trustee and superintendent. State wafl.
uoaid be Zoo ap; @ partially commingle with
trustees ami superintcHients. such a beard
should require thorough weekly report. from asy.
lums, both public and private. of all inmates re-
ceived. Its members should. several times a year.
visit asyl ums at Inspected seasons. take their
lunches With them. turn superintenacnts out 10
pasture. make what use Of the keeper. they End
necessary. walk through every ward, see every
patient and hear every complaint The case Of any
person alleging unjust commitment should be a,
once consiietei. and proofs d sanity at the time
OF commitment should render outside parties and
superintendenis subject 90 heavy puni-htucnt Tor
misiemeanors. Innate should have the privilege
Of addressing letters O. the wari At all tmes IN
der seal and other letters that they mi .ht write
and which asylum authorities might not care g.
forward. should also 10 forwarlel unopened 20
the inspectors Of the ward. In every ward should
be conspieuously posted the privileges which the
board granite 20 every patient. and writing mate.
rial. should always be 81 hand for every patient
kao~s how 10 property use them. The ward
ought TO consist of some three doctors. three Law
yers AID six practical. philanthropic men. The
Dat -. h..
Of the asYium doctors the lawyers % look after
the ps,istfs legal inieresis and the practical men
| 20 look up Justice aud humanity all around-in
Tact. 10 be men who have the facility of poking
their noses INTO everything and of knowing just
what evsrythingis when they pull them out men
who have tlrir own judgment about things in
stead Of Other Peoplc's-men like Judge Phelps.
A plan. siniiar in the main. 10 the above, was
adopted In kagland in lists. and its results have
proven u O. tc model worthy Of imitation. We
refrain from much that might be adducei from
the sane souTo in connection with asylum man
agenent. a. We are here chiefly concerned with
| asylum commitments. Hut what beautiful piece
Of modification u should be 60 the American 20
lock from this land % the free" O. the land %
the crown for LESSONS on the manner of preserving
Individual liberty from the most ioaihsomc Of all
human restrictions. II L. not likely that sys.
ten 80 in;renchcd in the statutes. and in proic'-
tiona PaTtisan snd local interests throughout the
country, will easily yield 10 reform; hut nothing
short 81 an adoption Of the British features will
bring TO asylum desPeti'm and asylum politics
the correction that our constitution and our
national spirit demand. II our banks. prisons.
insurance companies and public charities Eencr-
ally. are subjected % inspection from outside
sources, II 10 certainly not asking too much. In
+sssy Of continual developments, that Institutions
csnfiic,ing with the most precious boon Of our
citizens be made the subjects Of = similar regard.
JusTtcE.
ys0-william u. stablsr. well known citizen
Of Montgomery county. died at his residence, near
Sandy Spring. in that county, on Thursday nigh,