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 a=piratOns, and al
that Is worth living for in the lives ~
the blind are 10 be placed on one side OF
the scale. and a petition 10 Congress for
a sum Of money required 20 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 10 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 81 our
petition may be placed in position 10
see and consider the case presented from
the standpoint Of the blind, as well as
from the standpoint Of the seeing. before
! proceed let there be placed over his eyes
= 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 lef US
suppose. for the sake Of the argument that
You are totally and permanently blind.
Would YOU therefore become altogether q
different person: q person whose judg-
ment. discretion. motives. and character
would become - changed that you would
thereby need 10 have some person with
sight to think. act. and decide FOR YOU upon
all matteTs9 Are you able 10 discover now
any impa irment Of the powers OF the mind
Do you not recall that many times ID your
life when your mind was occupied in he
solution OF some difficult problem and you
desired to reason closeiy. YOU have closed
the natural eyes in order that you might
reason mere clearly and see more plainly
r4r4A Of kn INn
Ceive any reason Why even n you We. e
compelled 10 walk through life thus hand
icaped you would not be as capable Of eN-
ercising sound judgment ia the discharge
OF the duties of the Office YOU now hCld2
In fact. can you discover any reason why
sou could not continue 10 hold the Off OF
Commissioner and. making use Of the eyes
Of others as men use spectacles. bee as ser-
yiceahle and valuable a public servant a
you now are VIII you not agree with me
that the Office YOU now hold Is an offi.e
the incumbent OF which should be- selected
because OF his qualities of mind, VIII
you not go one step further aud agree
that any Office. occupation. or position
where probity and superior powers Of the
mind are the chief requisites, could be
filled by person possessing these qualih-
cations even though he should BE- blind2
DO you not recall that air. Fawcetj, Post
master General under Gladstone who was
one 81 the most popular aud successful
pOstmasters general England ever had.
was a blind man? Turn with me to the
encyclopedia and read the lite OF the cels-
brated naturalist Huber. who is still a
leading minority. Lee US have his jesti-
mOny in his own words on the ability OF
the sightiess 70 overcome the disadvan-
tagcs OF thc loss OF sight We quote his
language to a friend no could see Il
am much more certain OF what / declare
TO the world than you are. for you pub
lished what your own eyes oaly have seen,
while I take the mean among many Wit
nesses.
In Poetry and History.
Entering the domain OF poetry and
history. d is hardly necessary to ask you
70 recall that Homer completed the IL
Had and composed the Odyssey after he
became blind. That IL was not until after
Milton was turned from mis- political career
by his becoming blind that he wrote
Paradise Lost and that our own Pres
colt author Ca Ferdinand and Isabella
'Couuuesf OF Mexico. and Conquest of
Peru. gathered his material and produced
these valuable contributions to history
after losing his sight
Ne are living 10 an age of wonderful
achievements Of ihe mind and the triumph
~ inventions. But ash 81 any scientist or
Inventor whether he cannot trace much Of
his success 10 the quiet hour when WIZ
toe head upon thc piiioa aud the eyes
closed he has found greater power 10 see