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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 29, 1909)
- - nr frwngnpn lUBpWWpy V(. ;.. t - 4-' 6 f The Commoner. ISSUED WEEKLY. WlI.MAM J. JIIIYAW Keillor ntul Proprietor. lllCllAHI) h. MlCT-CAI.FK Fcclato Kdltor. CIIAIU.X8 W. UllYAN Publtahor. Kdltorlnl Room nnrt Ilunlncss Offlco 324-3.10 fc-'outh 12tJ Street rntcicd fit 11jo 1'oBtonitp nt Lincoln, Ncl., na ficcoml-clnss matter One Voir fcl.oo hlx IMontlm 00 )i Clul of IMvc or more. I'M Year 75 Tlirco MuntliH- - - 25o SIiirIo Copy 8 fnmjilc Cojikfl Free. Foreign 1'ontnco M Ccnls Extra. SUIISCHIPTIONS can bo Bent direct to Tho Com moner. They can also bo uont tlirouffh newspaporiB which havo advertised a clubbing rate, or tlirouara local asrentM, where aub-afrenta havo boon appoint ed. All remittances nhould bo Rent by pontomca money order, express ordor, or by bank draft on Now York or Chicago. Do not send Individual check, stamps or money. DISCONTINUANCES It in found that a larff majority of our subscribers prcfor not to navo their subscriptions interrupted and their flloa broken in caso they fail to remit beforo expiration. It is thoreforo assumed that continuanco is desirea unless subscribers order discontinuance, eitnor when subscribing or at any timo during tho year. Presentation Copies: Many persons subscribe for friends, intending that tho paper shall Btop at the end of tho year. If Instructions aro given to that effect they will recelvo attention at tho propor timo. ItlQNlOWA LS Tho dato on your wrapper shows tho timo to which your subscription Is paid. Thus January 31, 08, means that payment has beon re ceived to and including tho last lssuo of January, 1908. Two weoks aro required after monoy has been received beforo tho dato on wrappor can b changed. CIIANGIO Oir ADDItnSS Subscribers requesting a ohango of address must give OLD as well as NEW address. ADVERTISING Ratos furnished upon applica tion. Address all communications to THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Nob. v Having amputated a part of. Castro's anatomy those Gorman Burgeons will now proceed to amputato him from a goodly wad o that money no carried out of distressed Venezuela. Tho supremo court having decided that the interstate commerce commission' can do every thing savo something worth while, tho com mission wants a lot more help so it can do it. One strange thing about all this secret service business is that if the president really used the government Blouths as charged ho should havo been able to refrain from tolling congress about it in a special message Just about tho timo people become so pessi mistic as to believo tho world has grown cold and selfish, along comes something like that Messina disaster to prove that generosity and unselfishness is growing in pace with everything ,i,J nN,eW Y?,rIc World fiives a ljst of 0110 hun dred things President Roosevelt promised to do and left undone. Tho World was w?se enough not to undertake tho compilation of a list of byt?o tcsidentt.ah0Uld haV ben lGCt aouo foftl5 c?fnSf0BB ha8aPPropriatccl a half-million foi tho Italian earthquake sufferers Speaker . , ll wl" Uo necessary to leavo thn tariff alone in order that tho hole in tho na tional treasury may bo quickly plugged. law TZu?Lh n?S G?mmev ss that a jaw, making it obligatory to procure a covorn ment permit for tho transfer of a patent rS ?. g oftf(1theai rusVtUl(1nbe a St1' to cur"- s 8trr socrt rrs trusts to shut off competition ThnLfL , resented for UoSS A CORRECTION tave boon stltoa SatSO?03,37S,sJo,onoo?,,nt S"Uld The Commoner. V0LtfMfi 9 NUMrB PROTECTION FOR THE INSANE Lincoln, Neb., January 20. To the Editor of tho Omaha World-Herald: In yesterday's issuo of the World-Herald I read a dispatch from your talented Lincoln correspondent set ting forth the protest made by a citizen of Omaha against tho method of asylum "investi gation" by legislative committees. Your cor respondent says that this Omaha citizen "has filed his protest regularly every two years with Governors Holcomb, Poynter, Deitrich, Savage, Mickey and Sheldon and goodness only knows how many members of tho legislature." The explanation for non-attention to this pro test will be found in your correspondent's state ment that tho protestant "is a former inmate of the asylum." Doubtless this gentleman is now thoroughly sane and well; but the fact that ho was once in the asylum will serve to discount anything ho may say with respect to asylum management just as any protest or complaint made by any present day asylum in mate would be discounted. How are we to learn the truth concerning the conduct of the asylum for the insane? Cer tainly not from the management if cruelty has been practiced. Even where the superintendent is a kind, well-meaning man he does not always know of the treatment accorded his helpless chargesby the attendants. To every complaint made by a patient the attendant's answer is that it is a mere hallucination. This is the answer that suggests itself to the superintendent's mind. It is, indeed, the answer that would suggest itself to the mind of any person when, visiting the asylum, his relative complained of ill treatment. Are we to learn the truth from legislative committees? As a newspaper reporter I know something about asylum investigations by legis lative committees. Where they are not farcical because of the methods employed they are, in their best light, non-effective because during the entire session of the legislature the asylum man agement is on its good behavior, prepared for a committee call at any time. I do not criticise present .day asylum manage ment in Nebraska because I have no personal knowledge on that point. Jut speaking from a somewhat extensive newspaper experience I do say that it would be a wonder if brutality to ward helpless creatures Is not practiced in in stitutions that have been, as in Nebraska, so ong under one management. In my view there is but one way in which to guarantee to these unfortunate creatures a measure of that pro tection which it is our duty to demand for them at all times and under aircircumstances. That way is by frequent changes in the personnel of the asylum management. I invite your atten tion to what I believe you will find, upon in vestigation to be a rule. The rule is this: llie physician or superintendent (chosen for his mental strength) who remains in an asylum office for a long period of time, grows weaker mentally. The attendant (chosen for his physi cal strength) who remains in an asylum office iZ mnlP.eriod of tlme' grows brutal. It is not difficult to see how easy it would be under such conditions, for brutal attendants to deceive well-meaning superintendents. The democratic state convention for 1906. which nominated Mr. Shallenberger for gov- fS?rthTrfali?nea thVepubllcan administration foi the failure of those in authority to take prompt and effective measures for the removal of these helpless wards of the state (inmates tadv n??rftnV ebraska Biylnin) from tK foiiyo?thUisaplankrrS " attendts'' Then "Wo invite attention to tho rumors concern ing instances of alleged brutality and. neglect at other nsylums and wo submit to -the people of Nebraska that a change in state administration is essential to thorough investigator o tS2 charges made against asylum managers and the adoption of practical measures for perm an on? Inn0?; T? Hlis Gnd limited tenure 'of office ?S superintendents and employes is important nf ive kindness being of more consequence than wXS thPeercarneeofn ?" T' f tho- -'rustod pMeSSago official TangTo de ?tHS -for the insane .'nditlnS Pe" Inking it for granted that Governor qimii berger has appointed as superintendents of these" institutions capable and considerate physicians it is within the governor's power to insure, for a time at least, protection to these helpless wards of the state. Let him see to It that every asylum employe, whose business it is to care for patients and whohas held the position for any considerable length of time, is supplanted by persons whose natural sympathies have not become blunted. I am aware that it will be instantly suggest ed that asylums can not be operated without these experienced men. But I make bold to say that any country doctor having a level head and a sound heart could, with a force of fresh men and women, make marked improvement in the management of any asylum operated un der the present system. I do not expect that this letter will have any marked effect, but I have written it from a sense of duty because while working as a news paper reporter I was impressed with the utter helplessness of the inmates of asylums for the insane. Society has made small progress in the adoption of methods for the protection of these poor creatures. Too often men smile at sug gested reforms along this line, regarding such suggestions as emanating from well-meaning, but all too simple-minded folks and not deserv ing, therefore, of serious consideration. But is it not true, Mr. Editor, that civilization would be advanced and men and women made happier if some of the time and effort now wasted on so-called essentials were utilized in the tenderer things of life? RICHARD L. METCALFE. Referring to this letter the World-Herald says editorially: "The World-Herald gladly publishes a letter from Richard L. Metcalfe, in today's issue in relation to tho management of the state hos pitals for the insane. His letter deserves the thoughtful consideration of Governor Shallen berger and the superintendents of the institu tions at Lincoln, Hastings and Norfolk. "The democratic convention of 1906 acted with wisdom and humanity when it declared in favor of limited tenure of office in the case of insane asylum employes. This applies with spe cial force to those known as 'attendants,' whose duty it is especially to guard and oversee the unfortunate inmates. Attendants who have served for some time, with rare exceptions, grow callous and incline more and more strongly to ward roughness, indifference, and downright brutality. Attendants who are fresh in the ser vice, on the other hand, have still their sym pathies alive. Their hearts can be, and are. touched with pity for their helpless and irre sponsible charges. The investigation at Nor folk, a few years ago, disclosed that the brutal attendants-were those of long experience in this unpleasant work." GOVERNOR IIASKELL AND PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT The Springfield (Mass.) Republican says: Governor Haskell was originally anathematized yUie F1?818.?' for llis alleged favoritism to the Prairie Oil and Gas company, and it is now the opinion of all fair-minded persons who looked Into the matter that his record in con nection with Prairie Oil and Gas is bette? than President Roosevelt's. The Indian" land cases aul?U?tthWfleaPn USGd ln the Pfdential assault upon the governor, and sometime the courts may decide whether he was i as .black as the president, for campaign purposes, painted FAMILIAR the0"CTeif?n? tlme Theodore Roosevelt wrote woods'0 Vaf Cr1 1Cl0n "he lovfofoweTharL t? ?Urfd dictatorial habit of mind and S acIpd a WHAT ABOUT "PUBLICITY" Newspaper dispatches say that Attornov ran eral Bonaparte has written tn fh ? n" committee of the senate T cLiln w f JudIcary and explain the mefger'of "fl eel tuTana the Tennessee Coal and Iron company What SSlIcU??0 f Mr RSeVelt's boSoHcr 1 ' ''l'lW'MiMffKijfrnwMawm.ra -itJJMt. ikilu,!. M