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Modern Persecution, or Insane Asylums Unveiled

From: Modern Persecution
Creator: Elizabeth P. W. Packard (author)
Date: 1873
Source: Available at selected libraries
Figures From This Artifact: Figure 1  Figure 2  Figure 3  Figure 4  Figure 5  Figure 6  Figure 7  Figure 8  Figure 9  Figure 10  Figure 11  Figure 12  Figure 13  Figure 14  Figure 15  Figure 16

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1452  

I never can find it in my heart to blame, where there is the least possible chance for encouragement. I aim to "Overcome evil with good," instead of attacking evil with evil, where there is any possible opportunity of doing so.

1453  

But there are cases where it is a mercy to be just to the sinner. Nothing but ruin will save them from ruin. That is, they never will repent until they are first punished; and the just punishment, which I tried so long and effectually to have him ward off, was the public exposure of his hidden iniquities. But persistency in his sins, has forced me to do, what for a time hoped I could be excused from doing.

1454  

CHAPTER XXVII.
The Sane kept for the Doctor's Benefit.

1455  

The remark Miss C. L. English, a good attendant, from Chandlerville, Cass Co., Ill., made; conveys an important truth which the tax payers ought to know -- viz:

1456  

"It is plainly to be seen, the Doctor keeps sane people here from choice, to serve his private interests, knowing that the un-requited labor he gets out of them he can turn to his aggrandizement -- in his report of the finances of the institution."

1457  

Yes, all this slave labor turns to his advantage as he reports it, thus buying their patronage, as it were, to secure his salary. This salary is thus earned for him by his slaves. His own ac-tion, or rather his inaction, shows that he is almost totally indifferent to the interests of his prisoners, only so far as his interests can be promoted by an assumed regard for theirs. He does not seem to care how many hearts he breaks with anguish, nor how many choice spirits he crushes into annihilation, if he can only rise on their downfall.

1458  

The faithful hard working Kate has well earned her two or three dollars a week, if any female attendant earns that amount by her work. She has been as sane a worker as any attendant in the house ever since I knew her, and I am told she had been just as competent and useful for many months before. And Kate is only one of scores of others of like type.

1459  

And if they are ever discharged after these years of unre-quited labor either their friends or the county will be required to pay the institution, in addition to all this unrequited toil, all that their clothing has cost them, beside the bill charged for making it, even if the patient has cut and made every stitch of it herself! How much more profitable to the pecuniary interests of the State is this robbing of its citizens, than it would be to pay their just debts! If it were not for this slave labor the State would be compelled to have double the number of attendants to do all this work, which it now gets as a gratuity out of its prisoners.

1460  

Dr. McFarland is a good financier for the State in this particular, but a miserable one for the interests of the State's prisoners under his care. If the State wish the interests of its unfortunates cared for, they must get some other person than Dr. McFarland to do this for them, or it never will be done.

1461  

He knows that the pecuniary interests of the State demand munificent pecuniary resources to meet the immense destruction of State property which is constantly going on, through his stolid indifference.

1462  

Could the State but be allowed to know the management as it really is, not as the Doctor reports it to be, they would be horror struck at the extravagant, unnecessary and unreason-able amount, of property destroyed merely as the legitimate result of this insane management.

1463  

The rules as they are practically carried out are unreasonable and unjust in the extreme. Much property is oftentimes wantonly destroyed as the legitimate result of this cruel injustice. There is no other manner in which they can express their just indignation of the power which is thus oppressing them. The amount of property thus unnecessarily destroyed which is daily going on, might relieve the wants of thousands who stand in perishing need of the comforts it might furnish for them.

1464  

Just consider how unjustly I am treated here. Here my good, firm health is suffering from my close confinement; and in duty to myself I reported my state to Dr. McFarland, and asked if I could not be allowed fifteen minutes exercise in the open air daily, without an attendant, and he denied my request.

1465  

I then concluded I would avail myself of the laws of the house, and go to the wash-house or ironing-rooms, and there work for the State, that I might thus secure the exercise and fresh air my health demanded. But lo! here I am met with Dr. McFarland's strict command not to let me out for this purpose, while other prisoners can go at their option.

1466  

I have not done anything to forfeit my right to this privi-lege, guaranteed by law to the prisoners, to my knowledge, or to the knowledge of any other one. And yet Dr. McFarland has just as good a reason for denying me this right, as he had for removing me from the best ward to the worst.

1467  

Neither I nor any other one in the house have ever known his reasons for thus treating me; but on the contrary, we know that he had no right or excuse for doing so. Nothing but sovereign, arbitrary rule dictates his course of treatment towards me. Yes, he is ruling me with a rod of iron, and I, in my deeply sensitive nature, am suffering protracted martyrdom at his hands.

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