The Indianapolis journal., 1884-08-23


ceeds Of which the Legislature added $4,000.
The present main building was begun in lS46
and finished for the admission of patients in 1S47
three years before its foundations were laid in
"the Constitution by the Democratic party"
In this work both parties co-operated the Wings
beingin the ascendancy at the start, the Demo
Gratis continuing their good work faithfully and
well, when they were in power. This is history
and it is the history of human nature the world
over in all ages. How ineffably mean and men
dacious does the panegyric of Mr. Voorhees,
hook in the light Of the truth The Democrats
did it all, and the Republicans want to change
it, he says and what monstrosity of ignorance
does he appear--he a national Senator and a
leader of his party for quarter of century.
THE DEAF AND DUMB ASYLUM.
His ignorance is equally conspicuous and
comical in the history of the two other asylums
On the 18th of February, 1843 the Wing Legis-
lature levied tax of oneifth Of cent to provide
an asylum and school for the deaf and dumb
Mr. William Willard, so we'll known to all the
old citizens Of the State capital came from Ohio
in the spring of 1843 and opened private school
for deaf mutes in October. The Legislature of
1914, on the 10Th of January, took his school as
public institution, with the Governor, Secretary
and Treasurer Of State as trustees, aided by
Revs Love H. Jameson Matthew Simpson,
Phineas D. Gurley, Henry Ward Beecher, Dr.
Livingston Dunlap and Judge james Morrison
They erected the large two-story frame, built by
DIR. G. W. Stipp on the southeast corner of
Maryland and Illinois streets, indianapolis, and
kept the institution there two years. "a new
board Of trustees then removed it to the Kinder
Building, on East Washington street.
and in 1850, in October, they removed
it to the present building. It was in
constant and benefcent operation for six years
before tits foundations were laid in the Consti-
tuition by the Democratic party It's founda-
tions were laid in the good feeling and good
sense Of Hoosiers Of ali parties, and Mr.. Voor-
hees only completes, with artistic symmetry, the
effort Of nature to present him to those same
Hoosiers as an ass of unusual magnitude III his
attempt TO appropriate the honor to any class or
party.
THE BLIND ASYLUM.
In 1845 the Democratic Legislature levied
two-mil tax on the hundred dollars to establish
an asylum. for the blind James M Ray, Dr.
George w. Mears and the Secretary, Treasurer
and Auditor of State were made board to
found such an institution and put it in opera
ton, or to keep our blind in the institutions of
Ohio or Kentucky. A later board, in s1847,
opened a school in the building then lately &c
cupied by the deaf and dumb school, on the
southeast cornero of Maryland and Illinois streets,
at the capital. The next year it was removed to
the brick workshop, then just completed, onthe
present grounds of the Institution. The main
building was finished in 1851, but the institution
was established and in operation three years be-
fore sits foundations were laid in the sConstitu-
lion by the Democratic party
IAN INTERESTING OMISSION
We may drop this magnificent mangler of facts
here for the moment, to direct attention to one
point of Democratic action touching the beneyo-
sntinstitutions that he carefully remembers to
forget. In 1857 the appropriations all failed In
May, or soon after, the asylum appropriations
being exhausted, the Democratic Governor
willard, with the warm approval Of every
Democratic paper in the State refused to call
IN extra session Of the Legislature to have the
requisite appropriations made, and closed the
Rsylums The blind and mute were taken home
by their friends when they had any, and when
they hadn't were left to beg on the highway till
they reached the shelter of poorhouse or some
charitable farmer. The insane were emptied
into jails and poor farms, except when main
tanned in the State institution by private con-
tributions or county appropriations. Marion
county, Tippecanoe, Wayne, probably, and two
or three other counties. did this The others
couldn't or wouldn't, and the unfortunate
victims of Democratic speculation in
party capital went to jails mostly. Some three
or four months later Governor Willard
borrowed money from the sinking fund and re-
opened the asylums. He could just as easily
have borrowed that money three months sooner
and never have allowed the institutions to sus-
pend at all, but heand his party thought to make
capital Of the desolation of the asylums and dis
tress of the inmates, and missed their specula-
ton. So they opened the institutions again with
no more money from appropriations than they
had before, by borrowing money that they could
Just as easily have borrowed before and avoided
untold misery and the paralysis Of the system Of
benevolent institutions for three years. That is
fact Mr.. Voorhees, doesn't mention. He may
not have known it. He knows SO little of the
history Of the State that he may easily have
missed the account Of this.
DEMOCRACY AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
Mr. VOORHEES, insists that the Democratic party
created the public school system by the Constitu-
tion of 1850 Here is what he says:
'The Democratic party created the common
school system of the State. The glory of that
system, which is now world wide and spoken on
every civilized shore, belongs to the leaders of
the Democratic party in Indiana, whose record
was made and still exists, in the convention
from which the Constitution emerged. Listen
to the words they placed in that immortal instru-
ment."
BE quotes the section Of the present Constitu-
ton of the State providing for "a general and
uniform system of education free and equally
open to all, and then adds;
Every shool house. every high school, normal
school, seminary, college and university in In
diana where education is given as tha 0oennl xvo