Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 March 1889 — The Hospital Investigation [ARTICLE]

The Hospital Investigation

Indianapolis Sentinel: The immense superiority, morally speaking, of the democratic over the republican par'y is strikingly illustrated by the action of the legislature in refereuoe to the insane hospital. The legislature is democratic by a decided majority in both branches. The management of the insane hospital has been for several years in democratic hands. C.argesof corruption and inefficiency in the conduct of the affairs ot the hospital having become current, the legislatur created a joint committee to investigate them. This committee was composed of some of the ablest men of both parties in each honse. It made a thorough and exhaustive investigation, ell personal and partisan eonsideraions being ignored, and thedemoocratic committeemen vising with their republican colleagues m the effort to get at the bottom facts and bring to light whatever irregularities had occurred in the management of the hospital. If any criticism cm be justly made upon the committee, it is that it did not extend to the accused officers the opportunities to which they were entitled to meet the evidenoe presented against them. Certainly no democrat on the commi tee can be accused of • exhibiting the slightest disposition to favor the hospital officials, to excuse their 'shortcomings, or te screen them in any w-y from the justj*consequences of their acts.

We confidently assert that there is not an iustance oz record in any state or in the national government of an inquiry under' republican auspices into the delinquencies of republican officials, conducted in the same non-partisan|spirit, and with the same scrupulous concern for th« public interests and absolute disregard of all other considerations that was shown in the recent investigation. The republican party never fails to stand by its rascals. In fact, the bigger rascal a republican shows himself to be, the more popular he is sure to become wish his party. H hether, like Dudley, ho organizes a wholesale system of bribery in a political campaign, or like Carfjenter, he buys his way into pubic office, or, like Woods, he perverts a court of justice into ;,n agency for the promotion of political villainy, or, like RepresentaLinck, he plays the brute and bully in a legisl&tive chamber, the result is the same. He straightwa becomes a hero with his party; and the more flagrant his offense, the greater hero he. A different and vastly higher moral standard obtains in the democratic party. The democrat who betrays a pAblic trust, who is guilty of political corruption, who prostitutes the machinery of jus tice to personal or partisan ends, or who commits any infraction of decency, retains no standing in his party. He can no longer hope for official preferment or scarcely foi personal toleration at its hands. — It visits him with stern and swift condemnation. The democratic party, in short, has a conscience; the republican party, so far as can be discovered, has none at all. Its mor 1 sense has been iestroyed by the fanaticism and bigotry which have become its predominating characteristics. Republicans who are the most uprig l t and scrupulous in their personal characters seem to lose all sense of right and wrong where party is involved. — That this is true the honors that have been r 'cently paid by republicans to such| men as Dudley and Woods, Carpenter and Linck, abundantly testify. It was not always thus. In its earlier and better days the republican party had a conscience. But this was when Lincoln and Seward, Sumner and Chase its leaders. If it had any conscience left, Blaine and Quay and Dudley would not be its leaders to-day. The report of the hospital committee reveals a very bad state of

affaiis at that institution. Its business has been carried on m utter disregard of correct business principles. It has been run by a gang of rascals in the interest of themselves and other rascals with whom they were in league to rob the state. Great corruption has prevailed in the purchase of supplies, and the fm.ds have been handled in a reckless manner and without any apparent sense of public responsibility. The committee shows no mercy fc the men who have done these things, and we concur with it in the demand that all who have made themselves criminally liable shall be vigors ously prosecuted. We are sure no d' mocratie judge will be found to step m between these men and justice.

The legislature has done everything in iis power to secure a thorough reform at the hospital. It has abol'shed the presidency, and created a board of trustees in whom the people have confidence. It h:s dealt w«th the rascals who have micmanagtdl the institution in a manner that must warn all who come after them ' gainst following in their footsteps. It ha« established a board of chanties with large powers of super vis.on over this and ail the other state institutions. It has, in a word, dons everything in its power to insure an honest and efficient administration of the hospital. It is for public opinion and the press to do the rest. The Sentinel prsposes to do its full share, by thoroughly investigating every charge that may be brought against the management, and publishing, without fear or favor, the results thereof. This is a duty whieh, as an honest public journal, The Sentinel owes to the £>pd£>le, and it is a duty which it will scrupulously discharge.