The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-11

the Education and Employment of the
Blind should be seconded: First. by the
people of the District OF Columbia, and
finally by Congress.
When the hopes. aspirations, and all
that is worth living for in the lives ~
the blind are to be placed on one side OF
the scale. and a petition TO Congress for
a sum of money required 10 enable the
adult blind to realize these hopes and
aspirations submitted for your approval
are placed on the other side of the scale
the judge appointed TO hold the balance
should be an ideal judge. In order there
fore. that the member of your board Sc
lected to examine into the merits Of our
petition may be placed in position TO
see and consider the case presented from
the standpoint of the blind, well as
from the standpoint of the seeing. before
l proceed let there be placed over his eyes
a bandage. for has not the wisdom of
the ages created as its ideal a goddess
of justice with bandaged eyes?
Bringing the Argument Home.
Therefore, Mr. Commissioner. LEI US
suppose. for the sake of the argument, that
you are totally and permanently blind.
Would you therefore become altogether
different person: person whose judg-
ment, discretion, motives, and character
would become so changed that you would
thereby need to have some person with
sight to think. act, and decide for you upon
all matters? Are you able to discover now
any impairment Of the powers OF the mind2
Do you not recall that many times 10 your
life when your mind was occupied in The
solution of some difficult problem and you
desired to reason closely. you have closed
the natural eyes in order that you might
reason mere clearly and see more plainly
with the eyes of the mind Do you per
ceive any reason why. even If you We. e
compelled TO walk through life thus hand
icaped you would not be as capable OF eX
ercising sound judgment in the discharge
Of the duties of the Office you now held?
In fact, can you discover any reason why
you could not continue 10 hold the Office of
Commissioner and, making use OF the eyes
of others, as men use spectacles he as ser
yicea bic and valuable a public servant as
you now are? VIII you not agree with me
that the Office you now hold is an Office
the incumbent of which should be selected
because Of his qualities of mind? viii
you not go one step further and agree
that any Office. occupation. or position
where probity and superior powers of the
mind are the chief requisites. could be
filled by a person possessing these qualif-
cations even though he should be blind?
DO you not recall that Mr.. Fawcett. Post
master General under Gladstone. who was
one OF the most popular and successful
postmasters general England ever had,
was a blind man? Turn with me to the
encyclopedia and read the life of the ceIe-
brated naturalist, Huber, who is still
leading authority. Let us have his testi-
mony in his own words on the ability OF
the sightiess to overcome the disadvan-
tases of the loss of sight. We quote his
language to a friend who could see Il
am much more certain of what / declare
TO the world than you are for you pub
lished what your own eyes only have seen.
while | take the mean among many wit
nesses.'
In Poetry and History.
Entering the domain of poetry and
history. Il Is hardly necessary to ask you
10 recall that Homer completed the IL
lad and composed the Odyssey after he
became blind. That it was not until after
Milton was turned from his political career
by his becoming blind that he wrote
Paradise Lost. and that our own Pres
colt. author ca Ferdinand and Isabella
Conquest OF Mexico aud Conquest of
Peru. gathered his material and produced
these valuable contributions to history
after losing his sight
Ne are living ia an age Of wonderful
achievements Of The mind and the triumph
af inventions. But ask of any scientist or
Inventor Ghe ether he cannot trace much of
his success 10 the quiet hour. when win
toe head upon the pilio" aud the eyes
closed, ne has found greater power 10 see