The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-10-28
LIVING TOMBS
Great Britain Has $780, 100000 Invested in Asylums

IN China. While this Is doubtless In a
large measure due to Tire phlegmaric
temperament Of thc tf1eQ.G15 subjects q
Emperor kwaug-Su, it Is sun 1rore At
tributz5ls 10 the extraordinary industry
Of the Chinese. an industry rendered nee
essary by the population % the en-
piro. The Chinese are as perpetuallv
busy as the prOveTDlal bee, and their ac-
tivity Of mind and OF body is even more
continuous than that Of the Americans
This surely goes 20 show the faliacy ~
Lord Roseberys opinion yhen he ex-
presses tie view that lunaey results from
restlessness. from haste, and from an ab-
seace Of rrp0se.
II Lord R0scbcry had taken o wide-
view o. the subject he would have ST.
trtbuted the increase Of mental unsound-
ness. not TO the ful employment Of mind
and BODY. even ia strenuous degree, a.
evinced BY haste and perpetual move
ment, bur 70 tho lack q that hopeful
buoyancy 50 characteristic Of Americans
on the one hand. or 90 Tho absence Of
that fatalisIn- which relieves the Orisntal
mind of al dread Of the future. and u its
real OK imaginary disasters II has been
wen said that IL is not work but worry
rises superior 10 disaster that would
crush . European II he loses one for
tune he coUrageously and chserfully sets
70 work 10 make another. lie has conf
denee in himself; he knows that his
country IS full OF opportunities, and thar
efficiency OF any kind meets with u8
due reward. On the other side Of the
Atlantic. however, this tue sporting in
stirct appears To an American coaspic-
nous By its absence. Everything seems
10 run in a groove. 4 few rise and pros
per, but they can only seach a certain
height Various artificial social distinc-
tons continually remind them Of their In
ferioTity. Those who fan are seldom alba
to rise again. For them the future is
/ hopeless. The ones who remain n ths
groove IN which they were born, find their
1 position none too easy. Tor they srs
| crowded and jostIed by those ready to
/ take their place when age or sickness
/ causes them to fail 10 the rear. This con
/ tinUal dread OF being forced TO Join the
ranks CT the unemployed is an important
/ factor in the breeding OF that Worry
I which leads 20 insanity. It begets "fev-
/ erish haste" which is very different 10
q A-NsA4LitF QEeaLE ADL GtslANlLE II is q ADl
4 of fear that is killing in its effects. J.
not only shows itself in q dread OF loss
/ Of fortune or employment. but in other
ways that are familiar TO those who have
| charge Of asylumg Tor the insane Equ3-
nimity Of mind, q courage that has no
/ more fear for an imaginary future disas-
\ ter then u has fer a present trial %
/ strength. and patience, drC the qualities
| that strengthen the mind against lusan-
i ity. They are qualities which are large
! " a question Of environment and OF cir
/ cumstance, and in these respects the
/ United States Is S!uEularly happy. and
\ YET the characteristic mental equipment
I or Its citizens Is diamcrTicGlly opposed u
/ the fataiism Of the Orient, although tbs
/ results obtained are apparently similar.
/ There IS one remark, however OF Lord
/ Rosebcry with which every one viii b
! disposed TO agree II is this. that If the
public are willing 10 devote such enor-
NOUS sums OF money 20 the housing and
/ the care OF the intellectually dead. i
I should nos bc 50 careless with regard q
the housing OF the intellectually living
/ that is 50 say. of the sane proper. Where
as. Iunatics who can be Of no further use
/ whatsoever 10 the community. and who
8 4AN H-Gtlattl ~ l-lildllA Ltlttt4 p tlLd4l-
unproductive investment Of capital. are
/ provided not only with greater comforts.
( but likewise with the most Up-to-date,
/ commodious. and even luxurious habita-
tons. regardless Of cost. the laboring
classes, that is 10 say, useful citizens,
aud their children, who are destined 20
/ become factors in the nations prosperity,
! arc permitted TO live among the most ap-.
p5iiiug surroundings IN frightful tens-
/ mentS. under the most insanitaTy and
ldenoTalizing conditions. True. there have
been Isolated efforts on the part OF mil
( lionairc philGuthrcQists to redress this
. wroug, which can only be looked upon a.
an economic crime, but there has been no
: organized attempt on the part OF either
! governments or municipalities 10 deai
/ with this question. Were they 10 devote
( the same amount of money and thcught
T 10 the housing of the hardworkinS poor
as they have given IN the past 70 the in
sane If would represent an investment
that would yield In the long run Tar
/ greater advantages TO the community.
EX-ATTACEE.