The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-12
OFFICIAL CRUELTY.


and recommend the dismissal of the super
intendent and the physician who failed to
dismiss these brutal attendants or to notify
the board. The New York State Peniten-
tiary at Dannemora is also under official
investigation by committee. Gross abuse
OF the convicts is charged upon the man.
agement. These frightful tales of official
cruelty to the helpless wards of the public
are reported every year in nearly
every state, and the worst of it
is that the charges are in nearly
every instance found to be true
The fruitful cause of these outrages COM
mitted upon the public insane, tspaupers
and its convicts, is the fact that in nearly
every state these public institutions are
| made the prey of politicians and are part of
the political machinery of the state. This
is the experience OF Oregon, Illinois, In
diana, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
New York and Massachusetts,. Doctor
Mcdonald, the head of the New
York hospital for the insane
on Randall's Island, told the
committee of the legislature that brutal
attendants were forced upon the superin-
tendent by political influence and inter-
ference. The so-called "civil service" ex-
aminations in New York are so success
fully worked by politicians that the at
tendants are selected from class of ward
ruffians and bummers of most infamous
and brutal antecedents. Wife-beaters,
bar-keepers, who have lost all capacity to
keep a situation through inebriety, and
dissipated brutes of all sorts are appointed
to service that demands humanity, pa
thence, gentleness and self-restraint, and
forced upon the public hospitals for the
insane
In New York and Massachusetts the at
tendants have been repeatedly convicted
of breaking the ribs of refractory patients.
When these hummer attendants are not
brutes they are sure to be ignorant, indo-
lent and neglectful of the sanitary care of
their helpless charges. There is only one
way to secure the wards of the public from
abuse. The state commission of lunacy
should be obliged to visit the asylum at
least once in two months and should be
required to make such visits without
direct or indirect notice of their
coming to the superintendent, and
the commission or any member
of it should be authorized to visit
the asylum without announcement at any
and all times. The care of the state in
sane should be as absolutely free from
political influence as the board of directors
of a bank The state should seek to Sc
cure the permanent service of an able
alienist as superintendent of the public in
sane; such q man as the late DR.. Bancroft,
who for so many years made the state
asylum at Concord, n. H., the best man.
aged institution in the country. The state
lunacy commission should be composed of
| persons entirely removed from local in
| tuences, and should include medical
| man, lawyer and a business man; all per-
sons conspicuous for moral courage, be-
nevolence and independence.
Without the prospect of unexpected ex-
| animation by impartial. fearless inspectors,
| all public institutions, whether prisons.
| almshouses, asylums for the insane, pub
| lie charities and corrections are sure in
time to drift into a deplorabIe if not in
| famous condition. The experience of
every state in this Union is identical on
this point; human nature is the same
everywhere. Superintendent are as a
rule humane, but in large asylums they
| either cannot or do not see everything
that takes place, and for that reason
every asylum should be visited with
| out notice or ceremony of any sort.
by a commission clothed with full power
| n fhrp1tgb Tho INC
| delay at any time of day or night. Other
wise one brutal attendant. grown ugly in
| his disagreeable and irritating employ
| ment, may be sure some day to bring
scandal upon too trustful, indolent or
indifferent superintendent. Governor
Robinson, Of Massachusetts,. during his
term of office in 1885, personally rescued a
| patient in the state asylum from the
| hands of brutal keeper whom he found
beating him without mercy and without
warrant. If a superintendent is inhuman
of course outrages will take place:
if he Is philanthropc he is ant
| 10 he inefficient and careless. and
his under keepers and attendants abuse
their authority in his absence or practice
| on his confidence cunningiy when lie is
| present. There Is no way TO prevent phys
zeal torture or filthy care of the wards of
the public except by making the superin-
| tendent both humane and vigiiant through
| knowledge that he is liable at any moment
| TO be visited by committee of visitation
and inspection, who viii give him neither
time nor opportunity 10 hide his inhuman-
! ity or reform and clean his dirty house.