The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-01-15

fitness for the Office and the universal &C
ceptability of his appointment.
SHALL WE HAVE DEAF MUTE COM
MUNITT?
Prof A. Graham Bell rather startled the
country last week by paper which he
transmitted to Congress after having read it
before the National Academy of Sciences, on
the possibility of a deaf-mute variety of the
human race. He says there is the strongest
tendency, which is fostered by variety of
surrounding circumstances, for deaf-mutes
to marry deaf-mutes. The natural result of
this is deaf-mute children, and the question
becomes quite serious one, whether, in the
natural process of increase and multiplied
ton, we shall not soon have very consider
able portion of the community who are un-
able to hear and speak. He says:
The reports OF the American Asylum and New
York, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois institutions show
that in each institution deafmutes have been re-
| ceved who belong to families containing five, six
even more deaf mutes, and there is abundance
of evidence to indicate that such families are very
numerous in the United States In cases where
there five or six children of one family deaf
and dumb some of them marry when they grow
up, and in many cases they marry persons who be-
long, like themselves to families containing sew
eral deaf-mutes. Thus it happens that we have
here and there scattered over the country groups
of deaf-mute families, connected together by blood
and marriage.
Plans the formation of deaf pnuta
munity have number of TINES been discussed by
the deaf-muteS themselves. The idea originated
In the action of Congress in endowing the Ameri-
can Asylum for Deaf Mutes at Hartford with tract
of land. Monsieur Laurent Clerc in conversation
with some of the earlier pupils of the American
Asylum, remarked that it would be good plan to
sell portion of the land for the benefit of the in
stitution and retain the remainder headquarters
for the deaf and dumb, who could emigrate after
being educated. This idea took root in the minds
of the pupils of the American Asylum and after
wards developed into a number of independent
and eccentric schemes for the formation of deaf
mute community. Some of the pupils before their
graduation formed agreement to emigrate to
the West and settle in a common place.
The natural sympathy among those bereft
of speech and hearing tends to segregation
from the rest of the world and aggregations
into communities by themselves. Every
little while projects are urged for the forma-
ton of deaf mute commonwealth. Con-
gress has been asked to form Territory to
be inhabited by this class of detectives. One
deaf-mute has offered to contribute $4,000
towards such scheme if others would give
like amounts. A European philanthropist
has founded deaf-mute colony at Manitoba,
which has already "a families, and more are
expected next year. Professor Bell then
proceeds to discuss the remedy for this. He
finds that the sympathy between deafmutes
which naturally brings them into close
social relations is intensified by the use of
the sign language which none but them
selves understand, and by special schools for
the instruction of that class, the teachers of
which are almost all deaf-mutes. Also, the
process of gathering the deaf-mutes out from
the rest Of the people and placing them by
themselves He does not look with favor on
laws which will prevent deafmutes inter-
marrying, for he believes that would lead to
immortality. His idea would be to have
them, as far as possible, mingle with hearing
and speaking individuals. In the school
room, for example, he would have deafmute
children attend all classes where instruction
is given by sight alone. This would involve
very small classes of deaf-mutes everywhere
instead of as at present, gathering them into
great institutions at one place in each State.
The teachers as a rule, should be hearing
and speaking persons, and not deafmutes.
Professor Bell closes by commencing the
whole subject to the attention of scientific
men.
On the other hand, Professor j. F. Fresch,
of New York, who is quite eminent in deaf
mute instruction, takes radical exceptions to
Professor Bells statements. He says that
out of 500 mutes in New York City, but half
a dozen have deaf and dumb children. Out
of the 500 deaf mutes in Brooklyn, not one
has deaf and dumb children. At the Wis
consin Deaf Mute School, only three of the
700 pupils are the children of deaf and dumb
parents. AS rule, he says, very few chill
dren are born deaf or dumb, but become so
by sickness or accident.