The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1909-07-17
THE SEATTLE STAR EDITORIAL AND MAGAZINE PAGE
HOSPITALS AND SENTIMENT

n, neons al eursery experience the hospital iustu
ton OF sentiment place where the woes OF mankind are les
scned by soothing hands and where sympathy eNerts ae
ohe utmost to aay the M and accidents that beial humanity
In reality hospital is business institution in which
sympathy except as commercial asset rarely found Hos
pa sympathy closely akin that OF the dark and souowu
tndeftakef-s outward manifestations being part OF the
business Ii is to be doubted whether it really exists
The sad aud repfoaohtu experience of Mrs fassndge
brings these facts home with unpleasant nsseney and doubt
less all OF have less spectacular cases OF our own when
oled and added to this would make SO convincing
that the hospital would ever after stand in false halowed
light
The blame for Mrs Fassndges comparative neglect does
not lie entirely with the managers of the hospital in question
but rather on the city Seattle you and and the rest OF US
Seattle should have a city hospital hospital better IN
every respect any privately conducted institution OF this
character in the city.
That we have proerasina,ed long is ample reason to
hiring the blush OF shame to the municipal check Up to the
pfesent time we compromised with contracts with private
hospitals and by installing emergency hospital but never
have We faced the problem squarey and settled It like warm
boaded community Evasion always leads to humiliation and
consequent sell reproaeh
In the present case OF Mrs fassndge there is ori
many spseous excuses on ground tina, she alien
among u.s. that others more closely connected with her mis-
fortune should have cared for herr but they all fall utterly Hat
when confronted with the unequvoea fact that she Is human
being in direst misery.
The that she was born IN England Wsteau
Of Whaicom county docs by the smallest imaginable
degree one tob her aching brain her senso nerves do not
cv out in anguish whit less poignant because her husband
Is not possessed Of citizenship papers the maddening reaa
ton that she has been reduced from the nobst work OF God
10 thing hideou and houiiyug look upon is not the less
soul sceng because some group persons may have washed
their hands OF her.
No. Alice Fassndge is suffering the fortunes OF
bodv which the theoogans Of reserved only for those who
God infinite
ture by burning the days when cruelty was fine art was
considered the exquisite OF agoniss ST. Lawrence on his
rrdde burned but hours Nero human fortunes found
speedy relief though they continued to illuminate
his orgies loan Arc Seetus and the host OF Others who
have died aggoss and achieved immortality suffered only
or hours while this has suffered for months
In all the annals OF narrowing deaths there arc few which
exceed in intensity OF suffering that which Mrs Fassnidge
approaching with glacial sowness
Some day when We have fewer laws and more humanity
cases Of hopeless useless agony like this will be ended with
eru anesthe but until that time arrives the saiefngs
OF those the eahs unfortunate should not be lett to
the mnatons OF any person persons who arc losing
money by their As well expect the grocer to iced gratis
all the hungry the eothe dress the naked and the under
taker to bury the pennies dead
AND THIS CAN ONLY BE DONE BY MEANS OF Al
CITY HOSPITAL ONE OWNED AND CONTROLLED
BY THE PUBLIC WHERE THERE SHALL BE NO
QUESTION OF PAY IN ADVANCE OR CHARITY
PATIENTS UTILIZING THE TIME THAT BELONGS
TO THE MORE PROFITABLE INMATES. THIS is THE
ONE AND ONLY WAY. AND 1T BEHooVES SEATTLE
TO TAKEI IT.