Library Collections: Document: Full Text

Thus the Mount Pleasant Journal, by daring to take the lead in this reform, has not only secured many additional subscribers, but has also by so doing paralyzed the efforts of its opponents to scandalize it. And the Press has lost some who would otherwise have become its subscribers, and has brought the suspicion upon it that it has too much policy, and too little principle to secure for it a sure passport to the confidence of the people.

The following is the article which the Press refused and the Journal published:

Self-Defense an Inalienable Right.

C. C. Carpenter, the present humane Governor of Iowa, in his defense of the Bill to Protect the Rights of the Insane, remarked:

"I want the right of self-defense myself, and I also want every citizen of Iowa to have this right; but under our present legislation every citizen of our State is constantly exposed to lose this right by an incarceration in an insane asylum, since these institutions must necessarily be based upon the principles of an autocracy, under which government the right of self-defense is annihilated.

"Now, simply for a misfortune to place any citizen outside the pale of justice, while inside an insane asylum is not only unjust but inhuman.

"There should, therefore, be a superior power inaugurated, by this Legislature, by which this autocratic power can be held amenable to the laws of our Republic, when abused."

And the Senate of Iowa argued in defense of this bill as follows:

"Since there now exists no link to connect the inmates of our Insane Asylums with the laws of our Republic -- thus leaving them wholly at the mercy of an autocrat -- there should be one, and the committee this bill creates forms just such a link; and we can well afford to pay our committee for fidelity to this important trust -- that of extending to this unfortunate class the protection of the law, when needed."

It was argued that no absolute autocracy should be created and sustained by a Republic whose foundation principles require that every citizen shall be held amenable to the laws, and be able also to seek the protection of law, when needed, in defense of their inalienable rights.

Now the insane have the same inalienable right to be treated with reason, justice and humanity as the sane; therefore the insane ought to have the same protection of law as the sane.

But under the present rule of Asylums they have none at all. No matter to what extent their right to justice is ignored there is granted them no chance whatever of self-defense.

The single and only object of this committee is to ascertain if any individual, among all this unfortunate class, can be found who needs the protection of justice, and to administer it, when found without a question to be entitled to it.

This law gives to the committee a power superior to that of the superintendent, in that he himself is now held amenable to the laws, in his exercise of power over his patients through this committee. For example, if this autocrat should be found to have been guilty of "assault and battery, manslaughter or murder," in his realm, he can now be held accountable to the laws like any other criminal found guilty of like offense outside of an Asylum, and this committee constitute the only link between him, as the superintendent and justice, as they do between his patients and justice.

It is a humane law. It is a much needed law. It is an honor to the State of Iowa to have passed such a law, for it places Iowa where she deserves to be placed, as the banner State in humanitarian reforms. She has thus immortalized herself as the pioneer State, in thus administering to her afflicted ones the right of self-defense while confined outside the pale of justice.

It is fondly hoped this bright example will speedily be followed by all the States in the Union, thus demonstrating the fact that this American Government is a Christian government, in that she can then claim, and be entitled to the honor of protecting by its laws, the right of self-defense, even to that most unfortunate of all classes of its citizens -- the inmates of Insane Asylums.

THE PRISONER'S FRIEND.
Mt. Pleasant, June 20th, 1872.

CHAPTER XLVII.
My Visit to the Insane Asylum, Mount Pleasant, Iowa.

On the 25th of June, I accepted the invitation of Mrs. M. A. p Darwin, of Burlington, one of the visiting committee, to meet her at the depot of Mount Pleasant, where I showed her my letter of introduction from Governor Carpenter, and we there engaged a 'bus to take us to the Insane Asylum.

Supposing her, of course, true to the cause she had come to defend -- the enforcement of the law to protect the insane -- to which the Governor's appointment required her oath of allegiance, I was both surprised and grieved to hear her not only criticise, but openly ridicule and deride the law in the presence of the depot and "bus passengers.

Extremely cordial, bland and courteous was Dr. Ranney's welcome of Mrs. Darwin to the asylum, which he assured her was always ready and open for her inspection, as an official visitor. And Mrs. Darwin's introduction of me, as an intruder rather than an associate, evidently increased the obsequious attentions of Dr. Ranney to render himself agreeable to her by bestowing upon her his undivided attention. Their pleasure seemed reciprocal as they interchanged thoughts upon the character of "our noble institutions for the insane."