Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 April 1887 — Page 1

The Democratic Sentinel.

VOLUME XI

THE DEMOCRATIC SENTISEL. DEMOCRATIC NEWSPAPER. PUBLISHED EVERT ut /as. \v. McEwen RATES OP SUBSCRIPTION. Mi« TP«r $1.50 Ml 75 Advertising: R,a.t©s. aae «»iudid. on# year. S»o oo alf column, “ *0 oi Quarur “ *• Eighth “ io oo f capar o#ot. added! to foregoing price if ar* set to occupy more than Smgle column width Fractional narts of a year at equitable rates Business cards not exceeding 1 inch space, *STa year; saior #ix months; $ 2 for tfcree All legal notices and advertisements at established statute price. ; Reading notices, first publication 10 cents . line; each publication thereafter s cents a ise. Yearly advertisements may be ehangeu quarterly (ones in three months) at the opten of the advertiser, free of extra chargeAdvertisements for persons not residents of. rasper county, must be paid for in advance of first pnblio vtion, when less than 4B#-qua»ter column insrze; aud quarterly n advance when larger.

Ahcred Ml-Cot, T. J, McCoy E. L. Hollingsworth. A. M«C©¥ & CO., bankems:* (Snccessois to A. McCoy & T. Thompson,) Rensselaer, Ind. DO t fie; oral banking ’business. Exchange bought and sold. Certificates hearing interest issued Collections made on all available rints Office same place aa old firm of McOoy Thompson April 2,1886 MORDECAI F. CHTLCOTE. Attorney-at-Law t' BN 86EL A KB, ... - INDIANA Practices |in tbs. Courts of Jasper and adoinlng counties. Hakes collections a specialty. Office on nortji side of Washington street, opposite Court House- vml ffiytnu v. THOMPSON, DAVID J. THOMPSON Attorney-at-Law. Notary Public. THOMPSON & BROTHER, Rbnssklakb, - - Indiana Practice in all the Courts. ARION L. SPITLER, Collector and AbstractorWe pay particular attention to paying tax- , selling and leasiag lands. v 2 n4B T|C H. H. GRAHAM, ATTOkNEY-AT-LAW, Reesdelatr,lndiana. Money to loan on long time at low interest. Sept. 10,’86. JAMES W.DOUTHIT, ATTOENEYsAT-LAW and notary public. >»“Ofli«e upstairs, in Maieever’s new Rensselaer. Ind. EDWIN P. HAMMOND, ATTORNEY-AT-LAW, Rensselaer, Ind. Over Makeever’3 Bank. May 21. 1885.

W WATSON, ATTORNEY -AT-LAW Office np Stairs, in Leopold's Bazay, RENSSELAER IND. W. HARTSELL, M D HOMOEOPATHIC (PHYSICIAN A SURGEON. RENSSELAER, - - INDIANA, Diseases a Specialty..JgJ) OFFICE, in Makeever’e New Block. Residence at Makeever House. July 11,1884. «?* H LOTJGHRIDGE *« . > . Physician and Surgeon. Office in tire new Leopold Block, second floor, second door right-hand side of hail: Ten per cent, interest will be added to all accounts running unsettled longer than three months. vim DR. I. B. WASHBURN, Physician & Surgeon, Rensselaer , Ind. j Calls promptly attended. Will give special attet tion to the treatment of Chronic Diseases. 11 " . ,* ■ .."g CSMPIEENS 9 BANK. RENSSELAER, IND., R. S. Dwicsms, F. J. Sxars, Val. Sei», Preaident. Vic—President. Cartier Dons A GENERAL BANKING BU8INE88: Certlflcatea bearing Interest issued; Bxfhange bought and sold; Money loaned on farms t lowest rates and on me* favorable te “April* Si.

Buy Furniture at the new Furniture Store, opposite the Public Square, Rensselaer, Ind. W.&G.

RENSSELAER. JASPEB COUNTY. INDIANA. FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 1887.

for Infants and Children. *\ " "Castorlais so well adapted to children that I Castoria cmroe Colic, Constipation, (recommend it as superior to any prescription I Sour Stomach, Diarrhoea, Eructation, known to me.” aa. m. D., I Worms, gives sleep, and promote® dill! So. Oilord St. Brooklyn, N. Y. | wuiout taiusioua TSn Cornua Company, 103 Fulton Street, N. Y.

—DEALERS IN — Be luje apers, Eowers and Binders, Deering Reapers, Mowers and Binders, # Walter A. Wood Reapers, Mowers and Binders, Grand Detour Company’s Plows. Cassady Plows. Farmers’ Friend Corn Planters. Ciquillard Wagons. Bast "Wire Fencing, etc. South Side Washington Street, RXIIMSSEIiAEB., - - INDIANA

COMPLETE REFUTAL.

REPORT OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON THE INBAHE HOSPITAL. 'The Senate Committee made the following report of its investigation of the Insane Hospital management to theJSenatbefore the adjournment of the Legislature. It was adopted unanimously, being accented as a thorough refutation of the slanders circulated by the Republicansfor partisan purposes: Mr. Presidnt: You Special Committee, consisting of Senators French (chairman), Bailey, Griffith, Branaman, Drake, Huston and Sears, appointed by resolution of the Senate for the purpose of investigating the condition and conduct of the benevolent institutions of the State, respectfully submit to the Senate the following report, to-wit: That, by aut ority of said resolution, said committee employed William Garber as clerk and stenograph. ;r to take down for preser-

vation tne evidence taken before said committee. That we employed, William O. Folpy as an expert book-keeper, with directions to make an examination of the books and papers pertaining to the Indiana Hospital for the Insana. That before hearing testimony your committee, in a body, every member of the committee being piesent, proceeded to the Hospital for the Insane and made a thorough inspection of both the male and female departments of said hospital, by gorng through all the wards of both of said departments of said hospital, and examining the beds, bedding and clothing of the patients, and by talking with the patients themselves That we •visited the wash and laundry-room, the boiler-room, the store-room and the dining room of the patients, and from our personal inspection we found extreme cleanliness in every department of the institution. We made a personal inspection of the meats, butter, fruits, vegetables, etc., on hand, and of the cooking, and of the bread and pastry in the bakery, and the com-

mittee was unanimous in its approval of all that came under its personal observation. We found the wards, halls, closets and bed-rooms in a perfect state of cleanliness. There was not a bad odor to be detected anywhere. In every ward was found a large bath-room and tub, well supplied with every facility for bath'ng the patients, all of whom presented a neat and tidy appearance. The laundry is supplied with a vast amount of modern machinery, and Jyour committee viewed a large number of people, many of them patients, busily engaged in he ironing, drying, and in other parts of this department, in washing the clothing, bedding, etc., of the Institu ion. The liosp;tal wards are especially bright and cheerful, being surrounded by every comfort. We vtsited the pump-house and investigated the water supply and fire protection, which we found to be in every*particular adequate. We then Degan the taking of testimony. The prosecution, if such it may be called, >as represented by W. D. Foulke, Oliver T. Mortoii and Lewis Howland, and they acted as attorneys in said investigation. The committee employed Henry N. Spann to conduct the examination and to act as counsel for said Hospital. The investigation has been very thorough, there being neither limit placed placed upon the time, nor upon the number of witnesses that were examined. We examined 125 witnesses including officers and attendants of the institution the members of the Board of Trustees, the neighbors that lived about the asylum, amj contractors and grocers and b fitness men generally who furnish supplies for the institution; also, the members constituting the committee, appointed by the Indiana Civil Service Reform Association, and numerous others

w e also subpoenead W. D. Foul e to testify before the committee, but he left the city and excused himself -y saying that all that he might testify to would be covered by Dr. Fletcher’s testimony, and, in fact, he would be willing to rest the case Dn Dr. Fletcher’s testimony. We ask a careful reading of the Doctor’s evideuce as it appears in the stenographic report of t' .e investigation. Full and free scope was given during the investigation, a much more liberal rule in asking questions having been allowed by u < than is usually allowed in a court of justice. First, we will state in a general way that none of the charges made against said institution by the Indiana Civil Service Reform Association, e cept that the management is Democratic have been sustained by the evidence. Full and free investigation was had upon every point, and the evidence was overwhelming that this institution is one of the best managed in this or an / other country; that the patients are better cared for; that their health is better; that the sanitary condition of the hospital is better; that the food supply is better; th it the medical, attendants are efficient, and the general comfort of the patients is as well secured as in any institution of this country or in Europe, so far as disclosed by the witnesses who had personal knowledge of such other institutions; and on this point we call special attention to the testimony of Superintendent Fletcher. The first charge made against the institution by th * Indiana Civil Service Reform Association is that it is run upon a partisan basis ; that all the em ploy es, including the medical staff, the Board or Trustees and other officers, are Democrats. This is true.

The second charge is that those who furnish supplies to said institution are Democrats and politicians, and that they get their contracts for supplies by reason of that fact. This charge was disproved by the witnesses furnished by the prosecution. It was overwhelmingly shown by the vitness- >- s for the defense tha r any man or

firm who got the contract to furp-e ish supplies to said institution procured the same simply and solely by being the lowest and best bidders. Instead of the furnishers °f supplies being Democrats and politicians, as charged, they wei e composed of *he best business me* of the city of Indianapolis and surrounding country, both Republicans and Democrats alike, and that three-fourths of whom were Republicans. Such firms ns D. P. Erwin Sc Co., Murphy Hibl •on Co., Kiefer <fc Co., Holweg & Reese, The Brooks Oil Company, Arthur Jordan, John E. Sullivan, Daniel Stewart, Franklin Landers, William 11. English, and men of this class, wholesale and retail merchants, some of them doing business of $1,000,000 or $1,51 >O,OOO per vear, all men of high character and high standing, owner/ of large real estate and large interests m and about the city; men of business integrity and personal honesty were the men who furnished the supplies to this institution. In order to believe the charges that have been made we would have to believe that these men are the men who furnished the bad supplies which it is charged were furnished to that institution.

, The third charge is favoritism in letting and awarding contracts. It was shown by overwhelming evidence that no contract was let a| any time except upon public aud open competition and the testimony of the men and firms mentioned above as furnishers of supplies, was that they could only get contracts when they were the lowest and best bidders, and that sometimes they re compelled to bid close in order to secure contracts, that they furnished the same at merely nominal profits; and it was. the almost universrl opinion of those who furnished goods, that the trustees, who had in charge the matter of procuring supplies, very carefully and closely looked after the interests of said institution in making such purchases. On this point we call attention to the names of the firms and of the men furnishing these supplies, as disclosed in the printed evidence taken before this committee. *

The fourth charge is in reference to the incompetencv of J. S. Hall, steward and book-keeper of the said institution. Only two witnesses testified to his incompetency, and both of them admitted on cross- xamination that they were not in a position to judge of this incompetency, but that it was just simplv a general impression with them, and that the Trusteeswere more competent to judge than they were- It was shown by the Trustees themselves that they had complete confidence in Mr. Hall. It was charged that on one occasion Mr. Hall had been guilty of mutilating one of the ledgers of the asylum by tearing a page therefrom. Regarding this charge, the facts are that Mr. Hall ordered his subordinate, Mr. Roth, to tear from the book of the store-house le ,ger a leaf, which was furnished to the Sentinel Company as a sample from which to print a book similar to the one from which the Ieu r was taken. This fact was ulso estabtabhshed by the employes of the Sentinel Company. The next charge is the extravafance of the Board of Trustees.— Ipon this point there was some evidence that apples had been bo’t at a higher price than necessary—one car-load. This was the only evidence; and, as already stated,it was proved by the men who furnished the supplies that they were compelled sometimes to furnish goods at the cost price and even at a loss in order to procure contracts from the Institution. It was shown by the evidence that during the lust year said Institution has been run $50,000 cheaper than any othyear within its history; and that, too, in the face v f the fact that numerous improvements involving the expenditure of large sums of J money have been carried on and I executed at said Institution.

[Continued on Bth page, j

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